Ballydevitt House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Asymmetrical, detached, three-bay two-storey rendered Victorian house, built c.1890. Main house is rectangular on plan, having a substantial two-storey return extending to the north-east (part of the original construction) and a further single-storey return running parallel, dating from the early to mid 20th century. Located to the south of Ballydevitt Road in a mature rural
setting. Double-height historic stone and roughcast outbuildings form an informal yard to the east (c.mid to late 19th century), with further modern farm related buildings to the north-east (of little interest).

Flat-topped hipped slate roof with angled terracotta ridge and hip-tiles; a pair of tall rendered chimneys to front and rear ridge-lines; lower level returns are gabled, having pitched slate roofs and terracotta angled ridge-tiles; single matching chimney to ridge-line of main return. Two-storey advancing bays to principal elevation (shallow box bay window to left, canted bay to right) have hipped, slate roofs breaking through eaves, with black/grey hipped ridge-tiles. Ogee cast-iron rainwater goods mounted over bracketted eaves, edged in plain timber fascia to main house, with round and squared downpipes (some decorative brackets); plainer projecting, moulded eaves to main return. Walling of main house is ruled-and-lined rendered on upper floor, with projecting strip-quoins; projecting string-course below with smooth render and horizontal channelling to ground floor, smooth rendered base over projecting plinth. Returns are generally ruled-and-lined rendered with roughcast to gable and south elevation of primary return. Windows are generally segmental headed, original 1/1 horned timber sashes in plain reveals; continuous moulded and projecting sill courses generally wrap around elevations of main house; stone sills to rear elevation and returns.

Asymmetrical principal elevation faces south-west, having full-height double-light bay-window to left and similar canted bay-window to right. Window over original eight-panelled double-leaf door to centre, surmounted by a segmental plain glass transom. Projecting triangular pediment above door-case, supported on scrolled brackets and engaged, panelled pilasters on plinths. Sandstone steps with dwarf-walls to each-side, lead up to the main entrance door.

North-west elevation is asymmetrical, two bays wide, having three windows to upper floor and two to right-side of ground; left-side contains pair of windows to advancing, flat-roofed, single-storey box bay. Small gabled return to left-side of main north-east elevation contains matching window to each cheek and gable; all are squared 1/1 timber sashes with decorative frosted glazing (original early 20th century); narrow timber sheeted door to left cheek with plain-glass transom over.

Rear (north-east) elevation is roughcast to centre and contains a single window to far-left; two semi-circular headed, leaded-and-stained-glass stairwell windows to centre, the upper being of larger scale and having timber glazing bars. Two-storey gabled return abuts to right-side, having a single square-headed timber casement window to upper gable; right-cheek is asymmetrical, ruled-and-lined-rendered, lighted by five windows at each level; continuous moulded sill course to first-floor, string-course and a projecting rendered base. Left-cheek also asymmetrical with four windows to upper floor (far-right is square-headed); pair of replacement timber sheeted doors to right and two windows to left (one very narrow).

South-east elevation is asymmetrical, two windows to upper floor; window and canted bay-window below; original narrow six-panelled timber door to far-right, in similar style to main door, with plain-glass segmental transom over.

Setting

Set back on the southern side of Ballydevitt Road, Aghadowey within mature rural farmland. Main access is to the north-west via a pair of curved, painted and capped walls, with large, spherical capped piers supporting cast-iron gates, which open onto a winding gravel drive. The associated gate lodge (HB03/03/057B) is sited opposite. The house is on an elevated site, overlooking fields, woodland and the Aghadowey River. The outbuildings to the east form a yard which is accessed via stone-capped circular rubble-stone pillars to the north-east. Coursed and uncoursed rubble-stone walls extend along the main road and abut to the gable of the principal return. A rendered wall punctuated by two large squared piers extends south-east from the eastern corner of the main house, enclosing the yard with a hung, sliding metal gate. A working farmyard and fields are located beyond the outbuildings to the north and east, in which brick watch house (HB03/03/013) remains from the period of linen bleaching. Wigmore House is situated to the north-east (HB03/03/037).

The outbuildings are roughcast and slated with stone ridge-tiles; both have been re-roofed in recent decades with refurbishments to the interiors and modern replica/replacement windows and doors inserted to the exterior. That to the north (c.1830) is a former stable and tack building; two-storey, gabled with louvered upper openings, generally metal frame windows with timber sheeted doors to south elevation, large sliding door to right-side; plain glass replacement transom and side-lights to door right-of-centre. Decorative iron weather-vane to centre of roof-ridge. Interior is modernised with animal stalls inserted and floor above is also refurbished for group use. Eastern double-height outbuilding has hipped roof with two replacement metal and timber louvered lanterns; two six-pane metal windows and a timber-sheeted sliding door. Interior is modern concrete floor and rendered with upper floor to southern proportion (former storage), original ladders remain but not in place; both outbuildings have decorative vents to exterior. Three further outbuildings are located within the yard; all rendered with mono-pitched with corrugated metal roofs, replacement timber sheeted doors and metal windows.

Roof Slate
RWG Cast-iron
Walling Ruled-and-lined rendered
Windows Timber sash

Historical information

Ballydevitt House dates from 1890 but was constructed on a site that has been associated with the linen industry since the mid-eighteenth century. Buildings are shown on the site on the first edition OS map of 1831-2 comprising ranges forming three sides of a courtyard. A gate lodge is shown opposite the entrance drive which leads to the westernmost range and Ballydevitt bleach green is shown to the east. The owners of the bleach works lived in the dwelling house known as ‘Wigmore’ (HB03/03/037) to the east (formerly called ‘Ballydevitt’) and accommodation for supervisors was provided at Ballydevitt House.

According to OS Memoirs, the bleach green at Ballydevitt was established by John Blair in 1744 and this was said to be recorded by a datestone in the former wash mill. However, by the 1830s the bleach green and mills belonged to Thomas Bennet and John Adams and the neighbouring house, Wigmore/Ballydevitt is said to date from 1806. (OS Memoirs) In the early nineteenth century the linen industry in the Coleraine area was at its peak and linen cloths of the finest quality were known as ‘Coleraines’. (Mullin) Ballydevitt linen had an excellent reputation, winning gold medals at the Great Exhibition in 1851 and in New York in 1853. Purchasers were said to buy without examining the goods, such was their faith in the company’s products. As well as domestic sales, a large international trade was carried on with Germany, Italy and France. Steam for the works was generated by the burning of peat and workers were employed in the summer to cut peat in Carnrallagh bog. Spring water was piped from wells in Ballywillan and Carnrallagh. The bleaching works survived until the 1920s when a downturn in the linen industry led to its closure. (Mullin)

Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) lists the occupier of Ballydevitt House as James Thomas, who leases the property from the Representatives of John B Stirling. The house and offices, valued at £8, are situated within a plot of over 81 acres that includes an expanse of bog. Subsequent occupiers were James Adams (1867) son of John Adams the bleacher who lived at Wigmore/Ballydevitt. James Adams’ sister Catherine Mary Lopdell (nee Adams) took over both houses in 1886. The Lopdells lived in Athenry, County Galway but came to Ballydevitt frequently at holiday times and owned Wigmore/Ballydevitt until the 1920s. (Mullin) Catherine Lopdell let Ballydevitt House in 1889 to James Thomas Moon who managed the bleaching business in her absence. Moon built a new house on the plot in 1890, demolishing the two ranges to the west and retaining the two-storey range to the east. A house and return was constructed together with a single-storey outbuilding all for a contract price of £1,225. The valuation of the buildings was consequently raised to £32. James Thomas Moon worked as superintendent of the bleach works and was also a farmer. He lived at Ballydevitt House, which was designated first class at the time of the 1901 census, with his wife, five children and three servants, including a governess. By 1911 Moon was describing himself as a magistrate and linen merchant and one of his sons, William John Kidd, had joined him as an apprentice in the linen trade. His other two sons were in the process of joining the legal profession (1911 census). William John Kidd Moon later went on to fight in the First World War with distinction and was awarded the Military Cross in 1919. A daughter, Mary Ethel Moon, served in the St John’s Ambulance Association and their father was active in organising for a war memorial to be erected in Aghadowey (Thompson). The house continues in use as a domestic dwelling.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/5/11/1 First Edition OS Map 1831-2
2. PRONI OS/6/5/11/2 Second Edition OS map 1849-52
3. PRONI OS/6/5/11/3 Third Edition OS Map 1904
4. PRONI OS/6/5/11/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1923
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/51 Townland Valuation (1828-40)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/1A-F Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
7. Griffith’s Valuation online

Secondary Sources

1. Day, A., P. McWilliams, English L., eds. “OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of County Londonderry VI, 1831, 1833, 1835-6, Vol. 22.” Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1993.
2. Mullin, Rev T H “Aghadowey, A Parish and its Linen Industry” Belfast, 1972
3. Thompson, R “Garvagh and Aghadowey Heroes 1914-18”

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
X. Local Interest
R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance

Evaluation

Detached asymmetrical two-storey late 19th century rendered house, built on a previously developed site, c.1890 for the superintendant of the associated bleach works, James Moon. Rectangular on plan with a substantial full-height, plainer return to the rear, the main house is characterised by relatively restrained classical detailing and punctuated by the asymmetry of the projecting bays. Located in a rural farmland setting, the building stands on an eminence, overlooking its mature landscape and the Aghadowey River. It has group value with the nearby watch house (HB03/03/013) and the gate lodge(HB03/03/057B) and its interest is increased by fine outbuildings, gates & boundary walls. The design of the building reflects the stature of the original owner, combined with a rich eclectic architectural style. In conjunction with Wigmore House (HB03/03/037) the building constitutes an important and well-preserved example of late 19th century rural architecture.

General comments

Listing Criteria R - Age; S - Authenticity and T - Historic Importance also apply.