13-15 Railway Street, Comber, Co. Down, BT23 5HG

A two-storey terraced block of circa 1880 containing two houses, situated near the north end of the west side of Railway Street in Comber.

The front east-facing facades of both properties follow a similar arrangement. Each has a doorway to the right, encased with pilaster jambs, lintel and cornice; No.13 retains a panelled door while No.15 has a modern partly glazed door. To the left of each doorway is a window. No.13's ground floor window retains the original opening with chamfered reveal but has a modern frame, whilst No.15's window has been greatly enlarged and also fitted with a modern frame. The first floor has two windows to each property, all now with modern frames. Both front facades are finished in lined render and painted. No.15 has chamfered quoins to its left side, and its gable is also finished in lined render and painted but contains no openings.

No.13 has a two-storey gabled return to the left side of the rear, with two first floor windows facing south fitted with modern frames, and a glazed door at ground floor level to the right. The return's first floor north facade contains a sash window with margin panes and coloured glass. The main facade of the return has a window with modern frame at first floor level and a similar window at ground floor level, though the latter is largely obscured by a flat roof covering the yard. A recent window opening has been made in the gable at ground floor level. The rear facade of No.13 is finished in roughcast and painted, except for the gable of the return which is partly cement rendered and partly exposed sandstone.

No.15 has a large modern single-storey flat-roofed extension to the rear. The exposed first floor of the main rear facade has two windows with modern frames, the left-hand window positioned at stairwell level, and is finished in roughcast and painted. Two Velux windows are set into the rear of No.15's roof. No.13's gabled roof is covered in Bangor blue slates with a rendered chimney stack; No.15's roof is covered in asbestos-free slates with a concrete brick chimney stack. Both houses have PVC rainwater goods. An unsuitable balustrade garden wall stands to the front of No.13. A parapet runs along the north side of No.13. Nos. 13-15 are slightly taller than No.13, which was probably built slightly earlier.

Railway Street was laid out following the arrival of the Belfast and County Down Railway line in 1850. By 1858, the northern half of the street had appeared as far as the present No.45, but no building had yet occurred along it. Judging by the style of the present terraces, most if not all construction took place after 1870 and was complete by 1901, with the exception of semi-detached supervisors' dwellings at the south end. This section terrace dates from circa 1880.