Ravenbank, 6-8 The Square, Ballygowan, Co. Down, BT23 6HA

Ravenbank is an unusual two-storey block with hipped roof, possibly dating from the 1870s, set back from the road on the south-west side of The Square in Ballygowan. The building contains two properties and is finished in lined render and painted, with chamfered quoins to the main structure.

The front north-east façade is symmetrical. Each half contains a fairly large gabled entrance porch. The left porch has a panelled door with a large fanlight with margin panes. To either side of this door is a window with margin panes; the north-west and south-east faces of the porch each have a similar-sized window without margins. The gabled roof of the porch has a slight overhang supported on small brackets to the gable, covered in Bangor blue slates with hound's tooth ridge tiles and a finial (now broken). To the left and right of this porch are windows now with PVC frames; the first floor has three unevenly spaced similar windows. The right half of the front façade mirrors this arrangement but with margin panes to the side porch windows and with an intact finial to the porch roof. A projecting course runs between the ground and first floor windows.

The south-east façade is surprisingly narrow, as the main section is only one room deep. It has two windows to both ground and first floor with the projecting course between. The north-west façade is similar but now merges with a large two-storey rear double-gabled extension containing many large modern windows. To the right at the rear is a small one-and-a-half storey gabled return with two sash windows (covered by a grill) to the ground floor and a similar window to the upper level near the gable apex. A modern door serves the ground floor of this extension.

On the rear façade proper, there are two first floor windows and one ground floor window. The ground floor window and the left first floor window have PVC frames; the right first floor window has a segmental arch head with margin panes and coloured glass. The roof is covered in Bangor blue slates with three centrally positioned rendered chimney stacks with corbelling and octagonal pots, and has an overhang. Cast iron rainwater goods are present. A Velux window serves the rear of each property.

No. 8 has been greatly extended at the rear. The gabled entrance porches, though present to the front of both properties, may not be original features.

Historical records show a building on this site on Ordnance Survey maps of 1834 and 1858, though the present structure appears to be late 19th century. Local tradition states the property once housed a police station, originally intended to succeed that at Killinchy, though it was short-lived as villagers became annoyed at certain policemen's predilection for local pubs. The premises also served as a part-time bank for some years. Like many buildings in Ballygowan, Ravenbank may initially have had a connection with the railway, possibly as original residences for the station master. The slightly awkward layout to No. 6 (now an office) and the apparent incongruity of the porches suggest the building may have undergone substantial early alteration. It is possible the building was originally asymmetric, with a house on one side and an office or stores on the other.