23-25 High Street, Donaghadee, Co Down, BT21 0HH

Two storey terrace block on High Street, Donaghadee, dating from circa 1800-1820. Originally comprising two separate houses, it is now used as a shop and funeral directors. Though significantly altered, the front facade retains much of its Georgian character.

The north-east facing front facade features a left-of-centre doorway with an 'Ards' type door surround, characterised by a semicircular arched head and Gibbsian-style blocks to the pilasters. The doorway now contains a panelled door with semicircular fanlight, modernly etched with corporate signage. Immediately to the left is a second doorway with a simple, narrow rendered surround and glazed door—this entrance is not original. To the left of this is a large window with a tripartite sliding sash frame with Georgian panes and plain rendered narrow surround, with a timber signboard above. To the immediate right of the 'Ards' doorway is a larger carriage entrance with an elliptical arch head and blocked pilasters with block-like voussoirs. This entrance was recently enlarged and repositioned, with a pedestrian entrance obliterated in the process. To the far right is a large window matching those described, but with a modern internally illuminated PVC projecting sign above. The first floor contains four evenly spaced windows of the same type. All front facade windows appear recently restored. The front facade is finished in rough cast, unpainted, with plain quoins.

The rear facade has been substantially altered with large modern extensions at each end containing modern windows, and a smaller boiler house extension at the centre. Window openings vary in shape, many enlarged, with modern frames throughout. The rear facade is finished in rough cast. The roof is gabled, covered in Bangor blue slates, with four large Velux windows to the front. Three large rendered chimney stacks are present. The rainwater goods comprise a mixture of cast iron and PVC.

The building is recorded on Daniel De la Cherois's map of Donaghadee dating from circa 1780. The present block dates from circa 1800 and originally consisted of two separate houses. Valuation records from circa 1836 show the north-west property (No. 23) was in possession of a Mr. Curtis with a rateable value of £9-2-0, whilst the other was in possession of Alexander Mc [?Turley] with a rateable value of £7. The block was originally symmetrical with a central carriage arch; this symmetry was disrupted in the late 1980s when the arch was enlarged and one house doorway was obliterated. A new shop doorway was inserted to the left-hand side at this time. The interior has been considerably altered, and modern extensions with modern windows have been added to the rear.