'Portaferry Orange and Protestant Hall', The Square, Portaferry, Co Down, BT22 1LN

Portaferry Orange and Protestant Hall

This is a well-detailed single-storey Orange Hall dating from 1870, designed probably by William Batt, in the Ruskinian Gothic style. The building stands prominently at the south end of Portaferry town square, somewhat awkwardly sited on top of a rock outcrop that rises roughly four feet above the surrounding square level. The building acquired early 20th-century extensions to its north and south sides. As of 2006, ten windows and a rear door have been blocked up with concrete blocks.

The building is T-shaped in plan, with the main vertical stroke containing the principal hall and the cross stroke accommodating a minor hall and committee room. The north-facing front elevation comprises the long side of the main hall, a small lean-to porch, the gable end of the committee room, and a toilet extension. The entrance is a plain sheeted timber door set within a shallow pointed arch opening in the lean-to porch. To the left of the porch are two pairs of lancet windows with three-pane timber mullion frames, set in chamfered reveals with flushed cills and separated by narrow brick piers. To the right of the porch, the committee room gable features a group of three metal-frame lancet windows in chamfered reveals with flushed cills and narrow brick pier separations. The two outer windows have fixed lights with central horizontal astragals, while the centre window is a three-pane mullioned frame with an opening centre pane. Above these windows is a painted stone plaque with a stone trefoil feature above. The toilet extension to the far right has a single fixed-light lancet window with one horizontal astragal, its reveal only partly chamfered. The north elevation, excluding the toilet extension, features two cream-painted bands with window arches painted blue and cream.

The east elevation consists of the main hall gable and a side of the minor hall. The main hall gable has a triple lancet window with an octofoil rose window above, all set in stone. The lancet windows are fixed lights with two panes and a horizontal astragal; the reveal is partly chamfered with a flush cill, and the arch features blue and cream painted details with two painted bands across the rest of the gable. A stone trefoil feature sits above the triple lancet window. The minor hall's east elevation has a single six-pane mullioned and transomed window.

The south elevation comprises the minor hall gable and a side of the main hall. The minor hall gable is finished in roughcast render with a single mullioned and transomed window matching those on other elevations. The main hall's south side has two pairs of lancet windows similar to those on the north elevation but without chamfered reveals and with painted brickwork.

The west elevation comprises the main hall gable, the toilet extension gable, and a side of the minor hall. The main hall gable is blank. The toilet extension gable has a small lancet window matching those on the north elevation. The minor hall has a plain sheeted timber door with fanlight to the left and a mullioned and transomed window to the right.

The main hall and committee room roofs have a pitched angle of roughly sixty degrees and are covered with Bangor blue slates with decorative ridge tiles. A flèche (possibly lead) sits in the middle of the main hall roof, and the committee room roof features a split paired chimney with stone cap and matching pots. Both main roofs have moulded cement parapets with remains of finials. Rafter tails are exposed at eaves on the north elevation. The minor hall roof has a shallower pitch of approximately forty degrees with no decoration or parapets. The south elevation has PVC gutters and downspouts, while those on the north elevation are cast iron.

The entire building is constructed in red brick, with the main hall and committee room in Flemish bond. The building has a chamfered plinth. A benchmark is present on the east boundary wall.

The minor hall is later than the main hall and probably dates from around 1920, as it does not appear on the 1900 Ordnance Survey map. The toilet extension was likely added at a similar period or later.