146 Portaferry Road, Cunningburn, Newtownards, Co. Down, BT22 2AH

146 Portaferry Road is a simple, well-preserved two-storey vernacular house of considerable age, shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1834. Built between 1820 and 1839, it is locally known as the 'Halfway House', having once served as a staging post for coaches travelling between Belfast and Portaferry, with the changing of horses. Its positioning directly on the roadside supports this historical function. The building remains one of the most distinctive dwellings along the entire Portaferry Road, retaining its original interior and facade.

The house is a gabled structure situated on the landward side of Portaferry Road with a simple rustic appearance. The front south-west facade is covered in roughcast render and features an off-centre front doorway with simple surrounds, keystone, and side blocks, now containing a recently installed panelled and glazed door. To the left of the doorway is a sash window, with a similar window to the right, and a further similar window beyond. A plain sheeted timber door and another sash window belong to a single-storey gabled section attached to the south-east gable. The south-east gable itself is blank, as is the gable of the single-storey section.

The rear of the main house roof slopes further at the back to incorporate a single-storey section covering almost the entire rear elevation. This rear facade has a central timber-sheeted door with a tiny window immediately to its left. A small lean-to shed-like structure is attached to the south-east side of this rear section and to the rear of the single-storey gabled section, merging with a larger gable outbuilding to the north-east.

The north-west gable has a sash window to the right on the first floor and a double sash window to the left on the ground floor. A lean-to store with a large flat-arch doorway opening to the north-east is positioned to the right of this. The south-west side of this lean-to is concealed behind a high rendered wall flush with the front facade.

All roofs, including those of the lean-to sections, are covered with local rough-hewn Tullycavey slate. There are three rendered chimney stacks to the main roof and one to the gable of the single-storey south-east section. The building's original interior has been retained, contributing to its architectural and historical significance as a local landmark.