House on Portavoe Point, 89 Warren Road, Portavoe, Donaghadee, Co Down, BT21 0PJ

House on Portavoe Point

This is a substantial and irregular two and a half storey house built in 1929, set prominently on an outcrop of land known as Portavo Point extending from the rocky shoreline approximately one and a half miles north-west of Donaghadee, County Down. The building has a Domestic Revival character, though various large single storey offshoots—mostly original despite appearing more overtly modern—give it a sprawling quality. The overall plan is roughly T-shaped, with the large two and a half storey section positioned to the south and single storey projections extending to the north, east, and west.

The main two storey section presents a traditional Domestic Revival appearance. It has a Westmoreland slate gabled roof with overhang, two off-centre full height gabled bays to the front, one to the rear, and a two storey flat roofed rounded bay. The attic level is clad in Westmoreland slate, while much of the rest of the façade is painted roughcast. The building employs cast iron rainwater goods and a natural slate roof covering throughout.

Two main entrances are located within single storey projections. The northern entrance leads via a small porch into the main hallway, while the eastern entrance leads through the kitchen into the main hallway and now functions as the primary entrance, though technically the back door.

The north face of the two storey section contains one large ground floor window to the right. The centre is obscured by the northern projection. To the left is a plain modern window on a wide sill, centred on a very shallow bay projection. To the right of the first floor is a projecting bay with two paired gables, each with a small centred window. Below each gable on the first floor is a mullioned window. To the left and right of the left window are small windows. To the far left is a large mullioned window, also centred on a shallow bay projection. The northern projection is mainly flat roofed, with a boiler room at its northern end beneath a shallow lean-to roof. To the left side of the east face is a door within the lean-to section, and to the right is a large modern window incorporating a French window. The far right contains the main entrance.

The west face of the northern projection has a similar multi-paned modern window with a French window. To the right is a small flat roofed projection with a plain door. Immediately to the right is a modern window with a painted surround, and to the far right are two small windows.

The ground floor of the east face of the two storey section is obscured by a full width flat roofed projection. The first floor has two small widely spaced windows. The gable features vertical hung slate and a small mullioned window to the centre. The north face of this projection has a modern glazed entrance screen leading into the kitchen. At the north-west corner is a circular bay with wrap-around mullioned and transomed glazing. The west face of the projection comprises the side of the circular bay to the left and one large picture window to the right. The south face has a glazed door to the centre, flanked either side by modern windows.

To the centre of the south two storey section is a projecting bay, the ground floor of which is obscured by a modern PVC conservatory. The first floor has two widely and evenly spaced windows. The bay is surmounted by a slate clad gable without an attic window. To the left is a large picture window at ground floor and a three-frame mullioned window at first floor. To the right of the central bay is a two storey flat roofed bay with mullioned windows at both ground and first floors.

The ground floor of the east face of the two storey section is obscured by a full width sun room projection. The first floor has a central window, and the gable has a central window and is slated as before. The sun room is a lean-to structure with a central projecting segmental bay and flat roof.

The two storey section has overhanging eaves, as does the flat roofed section. All windows are PVC, though in the two storey section windows were carefully fitted into the existing mullioned openings.