26 The Parade, Donaghadee, Co. Down

26 The Parade, Donaghadee is a much altered former house that now serves as a shop and retains little architectural or historic interest.

The building has been greatly altered in recent years. The north-facing front facade is finished in rough cast and features a right-of-centre doorway in the 'Ards' style with plain pilasters and keystone, containing a semicircular fanlight and modern glazed door. To the left is a greatly enlarged window with PVC frame and plain narrow surround. To the right is a much smaller window with similar surround, now also fitted with PVC frame. The first floor has four evenly spaced windows matching the ground floor right window style. Two timber signs are positioned between the ground and first floors, with a traditional style projecting sign to the right on the first floor. The gabled roof features two large timber-constructed dormers with curved roofs and large PVC windows to the front.

A large single-storey flat-roofed extension with modern windows and door is attached to the ground floor rear facade. The first floor rear of the main house contains three small windows of differing shapes, all fitted with modern frames. Both the rear facade and extension are finished in rough cast. The gabled roof is clad in Bangor blue slates with a rendered chimney stack to the east. The rainwater goods are a mixture of PVC and cast iron.

Historical records show that buildings have occupied this site from at least 1700. Samuel De la Cherois's 1817 drawing of Donaghadee depicts two-storey houses along this stretch of The Parade. Valuation records from around 1836 record the property in the possession of George Mc[?Devit], with a rateable value of £9-8-0. The ground floor was converted to a restaurant in the mid-1970s when the large dormers were added to the front roof.