St Columbanus, 57 Craigdarragh Road, Helens Bay, Bangor, Co Down, BT19 1UB

St Columbanus is a two-storey-over-basement detached Italianate stucco house built around 1850 in the style of Charles Lanyon. It is situated on a lawned slope overlooking Belfast Lough, north of Craigdarragh Road on the outskirts of Helens Bay.

The building is rectangular on plan with a projecting single-storey porch to the front. A three-storey extension to the east (1950s) and a large three/four-storey extension to the north-east (1990s) form an L-shape and are of no architectural interest.

The house has a hipped natural slate roof with rendered chimneystacks featuring corbelled plinths and tall decorative clay pots. Cast-iron rainwater goods are set on overhanging corbelled eaves. The walling is painted ruled-and-lined render with raised quoins and moulded plinth. A floriated frieze and dentilled cornice with raised and moulded metopes between corbels runs across the elevation, with a raised and moulded panel between the continuous sill to the first floor and moulded string-course below.

Windows are mainly boarded; those remaining to the first floor are 6/6 timber-framed sliding sash windows, all aediculated. Projecting moulded cornices crown the first floor windows. Ground floor windows have ovolo moulded corniced canopies on scrolled console brackets and corbelled sills, some with scrolled lugs.

The principal south-facing elevation is symmetrically arranged and dominated by a large central Doric porch with a single opening to either side. Above is a wide window flanked by two narrow ones divided by narrow strips decorated with overlapping paterae, with single openings to either side as at ground floor. The porch has paired Doric pilasters to left and right of segmental-headed slender windows. The central doorway has a fanlight in a moulded surround flanked by semi-engaged columns with plinth on a stone step. The doorway and windows have scrolled keyblocks. An entablature decorated with triglyphs and ovolo moulded cornice is surmounted by a pierced balustrade. Left and right cheeks have windows as described in the elevation, flanked by pilasters, with corbels to the sill.

The west elevation features a slightly recessed bay to the right with two windows to each floor and railing enclosing steps to the basement. Four window openings open to the basement. The left bay has a single opening to the first floor; to the ground floor is an entrance with columns in antis, served by a ramped access with modern railing.

The north elevation is four windows wide. The east elevation is abutted by the modern 1950s extension.

The house is set in extensive mature grounds, part open ground and part woodland, accessed by a long tree-lined driveway to the south-west which runs over the railway line to a gate lodge before continuing to the main house. The house sits on a slightly elevated site overlooking Belfast Lough, with the North Down coastal path running along the northern site boundary. The grounds are lawned to all sides, with agricultural land to the south belonging to a nearby farm. A sloping garden to the north gives access to the coastal path. The setting is largely unspoilt, with a screen of mature trees concealing the house from the main approach.

The entrance at Craigdarragh Road has a rubble stone boundary wall and round gate piers with pointed caps, with a replacement timber gate.