26 Shore Road, Holywood, Co Down, BT18 9HX

A three-storey, two-bay end-terrace Georgian townhouse built around 1830, located west of Shore Road in the centre of Holywood. The building forms one of a terrace of four houses and contributes significantly to the townscape through its group value, illustrating Holywood's development during the early 19th century as it grew in popularity as a resort and commuter town.

The house is rectangular on plan with a two-storey return to the rear. The pitched roof is covered in natural slate with a rendered chimneystack. The walls are painted smooth render with shallow rustication to the ground floor. The principal elevation faces east and is two windows wide. Windows throughout are timber-framed sliding sash: the ground and first floors have 6/6 sashes with painted masonry projecting sills and moulded surrounds (the moulded surround applies to the first floor only), while the second floor has smaller 3/3 sashes. The second floor windows are replacements, as are those to the rear return, which are timber. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods are fitted on drive-in brackets.

The entrance door to the left of the principal elevation is a replacement timber door surmounted by a fanlight. The south elevation is abutted by the adjoining building (HB23/20/022C). The west (rear) elevation has two window openings to the second floor and is abutted at first floor by a gabled return, which has two openings to each floor and a gable with a single opening at first floor level. The ground floor of the rear section is concealed and was not accessible for inspection. The north elevation is abutted by the adjoining building (HB23/20/023B).

The house is set back from the road with a paved garden to the front, bounded by a painted masonry wall with a gate pier to the north. The rear garden is enclosed with masonry wall and hedge.

Shore Road, formerly known as Shore Street, was one of the original Holywood thoroughfares, developing from the early 17th century as a cluster of thatched cabins until significant redevelopment began at the start of the 19th century. As Holywood began to attract professional and mercantile classes seeking to escape Belfast's overcrowding, Shore Street became a genteel residential area, with commerce confined mainly to the upper part of the road near the maypole.

This terrace is shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1834. The Townland Valuation of 1834 records the four houses and their offices, all valued at £10 and owned by Dr Brison (sic), probably Samuel Bryson (1776–1853), an apothecary of High Street, Belfast, who lived in Ballymacarrett where Bryson Street was later named after him. Bryson was the son of a Presbyterian minister, a collector and translator of Irish language manuscripts, and published 'Remains of the Irish Bards' in 1805. He was a talented scribe and scholar who promoted Irish language and literature; his manuscript collection is now housed in the Belfast Public Library. He was born and is buried in Holywood.

Griffith's Valuation (1828–40) lists the four houses as having almost identical dimensions. No. 26 was occupied by Agnes Kennedy on a lease from Olivia Bryson. It is recorded as a house, yard and small garden with buildings valued at £15 10s, later raised to £16, with rent of £20. Samuel Bryson, linen merchant of Woodbank, became the lessor in 1884, at which point the valuation was lowered to £14. A succession of tenants followed: Hugh C Fisher (date not recorded), Harriet Mulligan (1887), Sarah Ponton (1900), Harriet Ponton (1909), and John Kyle Graham (1917). Mary Bryson, widow of Samuel, became the immediate lessor in 1924. The building has continued in use as a domestic dwelling throughout its history.