18-20 Church Street, Portaferry, Co Down, BT22 1LS

18-20 Church Street, Portaferry

A plain two-storey terraced block containing two small houses, probably built in the mid 19th century. The block stands on the west side of Church Street, with its front façade facing east and arranged symmetrically.

Number 18 has a modern timber six-panel door to the right of the ground floor, with a window to the left in a modern frame. The first floor mirrors this arrangement. The front façade is rendered in pebbledash (limestone chips) with banding around windows and door, a cill course, and plinth. The roof is gabled with fibre cement slates. Number 20 is similar but with smooth render, no window bands, and an eight-panel door. It has simple moulded and painted keystones above windows and door, and is roofed with Bangor blue slates.

The rear of Number 18 features a two-storey flat-roofed extension to the left, with modern PVC windows to each floor. The original rear façade to the right retains one modern PVC window per floor in the original openings. The rear of Number 20 has a modern full-width single-storey extension with a modern door to the left and window to the right. The first floor has two modern windows, and the roof incorporates a full-width flat-roofed timber-clad dormer with large modern steel-framed windows.

The block has three chimney stacks: two built in red brick with matching pots, and the third (between Numbers 20 and 22) rendered with no pots. Both houses are eaves courses. Modern window frames have replaced original joinery throughout.

Historical records indicate that a building in Edward Shaw's possession occupied this site in 1799, according to Patrick O'Hare's map. The 1838 valuation records note that the site then held two modest dwellings, possibly single storey, which were exempt from rating. This suggests both properties were built after 1838, and their rubble construction indicates they were likely erected not long after. The 1863 valuation records Matthew McCreedy as resident of Number 18 and Charles Dodd in Number 20.

The building lies within a conservation area.