2-10 Zion Place, Newtownards, Co Down, BT23 3ER

Two storey terrace of five gabled houses on the eastern side of Newtownards, probably dating from the 1850s. The terrace is now awkwardly situated on the east side of a busy roundabout. The properties were probably constructed by one of the Londonderrys, possibly the 3rd Marquess, who were then owners of much land in Newtownards. The terrace appears on the Ordnance Survey Map of circa 1860 but not on that of 1834.

No. 2 is at the south end of the terrace. Its front west facade has an 'Ards' doorway to the left with a blocked surround of James Gibbs-like character and a semicircular arch head with keystone. This contains a timber panelled door and plain fanlight. To the right of this is a sash window with horizontal glazing bars, with two further windows to the first floor. The front facade is finished in lined render. The south gable is blank. There is a large full height gabled return to the right side of the rear with a modern kitchen window to the ground floor and a sheeted timber door below leading to a basement store. The south facade of the return has a modern glazed door to the ground floor and a modern window to the first floor. The left side of the rear of the main house has modern windows to ground and first floors. The rear is finished in plain render. The roof is pitched with Bangor blue slates and a rendered chimney stack to the south gable. A mixture of cast iron and PVC rainwater goods is present. Remains of a dry water closet survive to the rear.

No. 4 is the largest house in the terrace and double fronted. It has a central doorway similar to No. 2 but slightly wider with two panes to the fanlight. A window to the right of the doorway matches that of No. 2, with three evenly spaced windows to the first floor, recently replaced. To the left of the doorway is a large elliptical arch carriage doorway with original timber sheeted double doors showing heads of bolts. The front facade is finished in plain render. The rear has been extended on a number of occasions and is now dominated by a massive full height gabled return with basement. The north side of the return merges with a lean-to extension. The gable of the return and west facade of the lean-to has a timber sheeted basement door to the right, a plain modern sheeted rear door with plain fanlight to the ground floor right with modern windows to immediate left and right, and two small single pane windows to the upper level. The south facade of the return has a fixed light window to the left at ground floor level and a small modern window to first floor. The return has a rough cast finish. The main roof is pitched with Bangor blue slates to the front but asbestos-free slates to the rear and return. A large Velux window is present to the rear. Two rendered chimney stacks are present. PVC rainwater goods are installed. The owner stated that this property was the first to be built and served as the 'key house' for the whole terrace, being the dwelling of the leaseholder of the whole grouping. It once had a doorway connecting it to No. 2 to the south.

No. 6 has a similar front facade arrangement to No. 2 but the ground floor window is slightly closer to the doorway. The door is of modern glazed and panelled type and windows are modern. The rear has been greatly extended and now has a large sprawling one and two storey flat-roofed return with modern windows and a glazed door throughout. The front facade is finished in lined render, the rear in a mixture of plain render, rough cast and concrete brick. The roof is pitched with Bangor blue slates and a rendered chimney stack. PVC rainwater goods are present.

No. 8 has a similar front facade arrangement to No. 2 with a timber panelled door but modern windows. To the rear is a full height flat-roofed return with modern windows and door. The front facade is finished in lined render, the rear in rough cast. The roof is pitched with Bangor blue slates with a rendered chimney stack. A mixture of cast iron and PVC rainwater goods is present.

No. 10 is similar to No. 8 but has patterned glass to the fanlight and upper panes of the modern windows. The north gable is blank and rendered. To the rear is a large full height flat-roofed return with PVC windows and door to the south facade, and PVC windows to both ground and first floors of the rear west facade of the main house. The front facade is finished in lined render, the rear in rough cast. The pitched roof has Bangor blue slates with a rendered chimney stack to the north gable. A mixture of cast iron and PVC rainwater goods is present.

All of the houses now have large rear returns, all of which appear to be twentieth century construction.