42-48 Church Street, Portaferry, Co Down, BT22 1LS

A long, single storey terrace block containing four houses, probably all built before 1834, now with various alterations to the facades of each property, including PVC window frames and doors, and large modern extensions to the rear. The terrace is set on the west side of Church Street, to the south of the former Church Street entrance to the Portaferry House demesne. The front elevation of the block faces east.

Number 42, at the south end, is a double fronted bookmaker's shop with an off-centre plain timber sheeted door with plain fanlight (possibly original) and a modern square fixed light shop window to the left, with a sash window to the right. A painted timber bookmaker's sign is displayed above the door. A stone cill runs beneath the right window. Number 44 is a single fronted house with a modern panel and glazed door to the left and a two pane top hung window to the right; the window frame may be original. It has a stone cill. Both numbers 42 and 44 are finished in lined render and painted cream with brown paint applied to simulate a plinth. The rear of numbers 42 and 44 is obscured by what appears to be a modern dwelling. Numbers 42 and 44 have a gabled roof with Bangor blue slates. Two chimney stacks are present, both cement rendered but not matching; the stack to number 42 is smaller and has a decorative pot. Cast iron down spouts and PVC guttering are fitted. A shallow cement parapet separates numbers 44 and 46.

Number 46 is a double fronted house finished in modern rough cast render. A central timber panelled and glazed door is flanked by modern square mullioned and transomed windows; the left window has four panes with two upper panes top hung, with a similar window to the right. Cement window bands and modern slim cills are fitted to both windows. The rear of number 46 has a full width flat roofed extension, mainly obscured by a further three-quarter width flat roofed extension set at a slightly lower level. This additional extension has modern full strip glazing. To the left of centre is a large flat roofed dormer with slate cladding and two modern windows. The gabled roof of number 46 is covered with fibre cement slates and has a Velux window positioned north of centre to the front. Cement parapets are present at the gables. A red brick chimney stack to the south (left) has no pots; a rendered chimney stack to the north has two matching pots. A timber eaves course and cast iron down spout are fitted, with PVC guttering.

Number 48 is a single fronted house finished in modern rough cast render. A doorway with a sheeted timber door and plain fanlight is positioned to the left, with a sash window with horns to the right. A cement plinth is present. To the rear is a large, gabled, full width and two storey return with decorative barge boards. To the left of the ground floor is a modern timber half-glazed door, while to the right is a modern two pane timber window. At the centre of the gable is a window of the same type. The gabled roof is covered with Bangor blue slates and has two Velux windows. One cement rendered chimney stack with two matching pots (shared with number 46) is present. A cement parapet separates numbers 46 and 48. Decorative barge boards are fitted to the north gable.

Historical records show that buildings on this site were in the possession of John Ferguson, James McKee, Widow Mahood, Thomas Stitt and John Hardy, as depicted on Patrick O'Hare's 1799 map of Portaferry. The properties are recorded as exempt from rating in the 1838 valuation returns, which was not unusual for dwellings of this size. In 1863, the occupiers are listed as John Covington, Thomas Caldwell, Christina Gordon and another, and Mary Anne McDonnell, from south to north.

The terrace lies within a conservation area.