Restoration work has officially begun on Portaferry Market House.
The Market House in Portaferry, a historic Grade B listed building, is set to undergo significant refurbishment.
The £350,000 project is part of Portaferry Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI), a £1.28million heritage- led scheme to regenerate buildings within the historic town centre of Portaferry. It is joint funded by Ards and North Down Borough Council and managed and administrated by Portaferry Regeneration Ltd.
The earliest surviving public building in Portaferry, the Market House, was commissioned and paid for by Andrew Savage. Originally the Market House held a market every Thursday. Upstairs, meetings of the Portaferry Literary Society and the Portaferry Mechanics’ Institute took place. The building was also used as a Manor Court and later, a petty session court. Tea dances and concerts were popular in the central location.
In the nineteenth century, a daily reading room was opened as was Portaferry’s first bank, the Penny Bank. Today, the Market House remains a central community hub that is currently used for various activities including meetings, fitness classes, arts and crafts classes, martial arts, sea scout’s activities, youth clubs, coffee mornings and the Gala week hub.
The Mayor of Ards and North Down, Alderman Deborah Girvan, welcomed the refurbishment work. She said: “Ards and North Down Borough Council is committed to ensuring the borough’s towns and rural localities are prosperous, vibrant and attractive.
“Portaferry Townscape Heritage Initiative aims to increase the economic activity in the town by using the historic environment as a positive resource to safeguard and create employment opportunities, while improving the quality of life for the local community and visitors. The Market House is right at the centre of Portaferry its refurbishment will make a significant impact to the core of the town.”
John Dumigan, Chair of Portaferry Regeneration Ltd., said: “The works will modernise the exterior of the building including providing glass doors that open into The Square. New toilets, a new kitchen, safety improvements and an interactive meeting space will also update the space. I anticipate that the work will ‘kick start’ renovations of private property in the town and this will greatly benefit residents and visitors alike.”
