The Old Rectory, 5 Shore Road, Strangford, Co.Down

This two-storey, five-bay rendered Georgian former rectory was built circa 1817 and extended in 1838 and 1858. It stands within its own grounds on the south side of Strangford village, a short walk from The Square in the village centre. The house is currently in use as holiday accommodation.

The property is accessed from the northern end of the site through large stone piers, up a curving driveway to a forecourt facing gardens on the northeast side. The driveway continues past the front (northwest) of the house and exits further southeast along Shore Road, opposite the entrance to Stella Maris Church. Large gardens lie to the south side of the house, with views over Strangford Lough towards the east and southeast from the rear boundary. The site is bounded on all sides by a tall stone wall. To the immediate northeast of the house is a stone 'folly' or rampart with steps leading to a small platform.

The house comprises the main frontage block which faces northwest, a return running northwest-southeast from the southern end of the house, and a further rear return running southwest-northeast from the return. A garage structure is located to the rear of the northeast end of the front block, all forming an enclosed courtyard accessed via large timber gates on the northeast side. A single-storey, flat-roofed, timber and steel framed glass extension (the Garden Room) is positioned centrally on the southwest elevation, and a block-built, rubblestone-faced boathouse is sited 18 metres southwest of the main house. Both of these additions were recently constructed in the 21st century.

Front Elevation (Northwest)

The two-storey, five-bay façade is ruled and lined sand and cement rendered, with the entrance door and portico located towards the right side. Toothed raised rendered quoins mark both corners, and there is a plain rendered plinth. The ground floor fenestration from left to right consists of three window openings, a door screen opening, and a single window opening. The first floor has five window openings, all aligned vertically with those on the ground floor. Windows are 6-over-6 putty-faced timber sliding sashes, single glazed, painted white.

The pitched roof is covered in natural slate with black clay ridge tiles. There are three rendered chimneystacks: one on each gable and one approximately one-third along from the left side. All have four clay pots (likely replacements) and concrete or Victoria Stone coping. Verges in sand and cement are present on all main roofs.

The entrance portico comprises four fibreglass marble-effect fluted Doric columns on square concrete bases, with a plain concrete entablature, moulded stone cornice, and flat roof over, possibly in rubberised membrane (dark grey, though the roof could not be seen at the time of survey). The ground beneath the portico is concrete. The replacement door screen features a timber panelled front door flanked by timber-framed plain glazed panels with a timber spoked fanlight over and plain glass.

Southwest Side Elevation

The southwest gable of the frontage block runs to and is flush with the two-storey return, with the rear return at the southeast end. The rear pitch of the frontage block is sprocketed at this junction. The modern single-storey Garden Room extension is positioned centrally on the southwest elevation. This is timber and steel framed (externally) with large floor-to-ceiling glazed panels and frameless corner detail. The roof of the extension is dark grey rubberised membrane. The plain rendered plinth diminishes to the southeast.

Windows to the gable are a mix of 4-over-4, 3-over-6, and 8-over-8 sliding sashes, while return windows are 2-over-2 top-hung and side-hung casements, all in white painted timber. Access openings from the extension to the main house appear to be existing window apertures. At the southeast end of the return, the access door from the utility to the exterior (a replacement concurrent with the front entrance door) matches existing windows with a single-glazed 6-panel door, matching 3-panel sidelight, and 3 fanlights, in white painted timber. There is a modern double-glazed single-panel timber access door from the Garden Room to the exterior at the southern end of the extension.

Rear Elevation (Southeast)

The ruled and lined rendered sand and cement masonry has no plinth. The pitched gable faces a rear pressed concrete flagged patio. There are two first-floor windows: 2-over-6 putty-faced timber side-hung and top-hung casements, painted white. The ground floor utility window is a triple 2-over-2 putty-faced timber side-hung casement (centre fixed), painted white.

A single-storey utility or store to the northeast abuts the rubblestone boundary wall. It has two windows: double 2-over-4 putty-faced timber side-hung and top-hung casements, painted white. Pressed aluminium ogee guttering leads to a cast iron downpipe. The natural slate roof has a lead-flashed stainless steel flue, with a second stainless steel flue from the northeast wall elevation.

Northeast Side Elevation

The ruled and lined sand and cement rendered masonry shows the northeast gable of the frontage block to the northwest with a plain rendered plinth, and the garage gable to the southeast with no plinth. Double gates to the courtyard are positioned centrally. The gates are black painted timber, framed, ledged, braced, and sheeted, with an accommodation door in the southeast leaf. The rendered posts are integral with the frontage block gable and northwest elevation of the garage.

The northeast gable of the frontage block has two ground floor and two first-floor 6-over-6 putty-faced timber sliding sash windows, with a single ground floor 4-pane window beside the courtyard gates. The rear pitch of the frontage block is sprocketed above, with a slender rendered chimneystack featuring two clay pots (replacement) and concrete or Victoria Stone coping. Pressed aluminium ogee guttering returns with a single cast iron downpipe to the northwest. The northwest elevation of the garage has a single black composite insulated roller shutter door. Black half-round uPVC guttering returns to the garage northeast gable with a matching downpipe.

Courtyard

The courtyard was not accessed at the time of survey, but a restricted view was available through the gates. Visible masonry on the southeast elevation of the frontage block is ruled and lined rendered, with a plain rendered plinth. Visible pipework on the southeast elevation of the frontage block includes cast iron soil and vent pipes and downpipes, with pressed aluminium ogee guttering. On the northeast elevation of the return, there is a cast iron soil and vent pipe at the northwest end and pressed aluminium ogee guttering.

Visible fenestration on the southeast elevation of the frontage block includes a first-floor window at the northeast end: a double putty-faced timber side-hung casement with 12 lights in each leaf. The ground floor has four putty-faced timber side-hung casements at varying head heights: one to the southwest and three to the northeast, plus a glazed access door to the courtyard with matching sidelights. All are painted white.

The northeast elevation of the return has three ground floor kitchen windows: triple 2-over-2 putty-faced timber side-hung casements (centre fixed), painted white, with lattice leaded lights. The access door from the utility to the courtyard (a replacement concurrent with the front entrance door) at the southeast end of the return features a single-glazed 6-panel door in white painted timber. There are four first-floor windows: triple 2-over-2 putty-faced timber side-hung casements (centre fixed), painted white.

Setting

The rectory is associated with Christchurch, Churchtown, located 3.2 kilometres southwest. It is sited 150 metres south-southeast from Strangford Village Square, at the southeast side of private grounds extending to 1.12 hectares, with a tall rubble stone boundary wall. Dense woodland lines the driveway and extensive lawns to the northeast, with a side garden to the southwest and a walled paddock beyond. Private residences and retail establishments lie to the northwest boundary, private residences to the southwest boundary, and farmland to the southeast boundary. Stella Maris Church is on the opposite side of Shore Road, at the northeast boundary.

Materials

Walls are ruled and lined sand and cement rendered masonry to the frontage block, return, rear return, and utility. The garage is in matching ruled and lined rendered blockwork. Roofs are covered in dark grey natural slate. Existing cast iron downpipes are retained with pressed aluminium ogee guttering (black) to the frontage block, return, rear return, and utility. The garage has black half-round uPVC guttering with matching downpipes. Windows and doors are timber single-glazed (not historic glass) with concrete or Victoria Stone sills, except for double-glazed units to the southwest extension. The perimeter boundary wall is random rubble with flush sand and cement joints and pitched top, with matching pyramid-topped gateposts at the front and rear vehicular access points.