Rushbrook House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An altered double-pile two-storey farmhouse built c.1800 with later alterations and located on a large elevated site with views over surrounding countryside, to the north side of Craigmore Road, south of Coleraine. Rectangular plan with two-storey bowed entrance bay to south side elevation and two-storey gabled extension to west.

Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and replacement red-brick chimneystacks. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods with cast-iron downpipes and hoppers. Walling is pebbledash on a cement rendered plinth with cement stepped quoins; east elevation has coursed rubble stone plinth and painted stone string course. Windows are timber sash with horns, 6/3 to first floor and 6/6 to ground floor, in painted smooth render surrounds with projecting painted sills; replacement timber casements and uPVC to north and west.

The entrance elevation faces south and comprises two gables linked by valley parapet with central two-storey bowed entrance bay; window to first and ground floor left. Entrance bay has window to first floor over replacement round-headed doorcase, with modern four-panelled timber door flanked by panelled sidelights and surmounted by spiderweb fanlight, all in a cement rendered surround with keyblock and accessed via a stone and a concrete step. To right side of bowed bay is a secondary entrance door comprising modern panelled-and-glazed timber door in a cement rendered surround accessed via three concrete steps.

The west elevation is abutted at left by the two-storey extension; to right is a replacement round-headed stairwell window with coloured glass panels, over replacement window with two coloured glass panels at ground floor. Extension has window to first and ground floor at gable; south elevation has two large window openings at right; north elevation is abutted by a lean-to entrance porch (flush with rear gable at left); containing uPVC window and door.

North elevation comprises two gables; that to right is slightly wider and slightly set back, having two widely-spaced uPVC windows at ground and first floor. Right gable has 6/6 window at first floor right.

The east elevation is five evenly-spaced windows wide to first and ground floor.
Setting:

Set on a large plot to the north side of Craigmore Road overlooking farmland to north and planted with mature trees. Variety of farm buildings to west and north including modern agricultural sheds. Accessed from Craigmore road to south via coursed blackstone entrance walls with square piers having pointed caps; tarmacadamed entrance is flanked by hedges and leads to yard at north. Yard is laid with concrete and has rubblestone slated outbuildings to north and east. Two-storey barn to north has half-hipped roof and a variety of metal casement windows and timber-sheeted openings in red-brick surrounds. Modern cement rendered garage to northwest side of yard.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Pebbledash
Windows: Mainly 3/6 and 6/6 timber sash with horns
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

Rushbrook House was built as a linen mansion in 1803 by John Knox and is shown, captioned, on the first edition OS map of 1832, with a group of outbuildings to the rear, two of which appear to have survived. The house and grounds are depicted beside an extensive bleach green with watch houses. John Knox owned the house, 25 acre bleach green and beetling and wash mills. (OS Memoirs)

OS Memoirs state that the house was improved in 1819 and gives a description of ‘a good brick house of two-storeys’ which ‘stands on the declining side of a hill facing the east, with a lawn in front of about 7 acres Cunningham measure, well planted at the edges with different kinds of trees’. The house was ‘the most picturesquely situated’ of the gentlemen’s residences of the area, ‘although it has not the best view from the door’. (OS Memoirs) The Townland Valuation lists the house at £26.

By the time of Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) the house had passed to Robert Knox, who leased the premises from George Alexander. The house and outbuildings were valued at £35 and situated on a plot of over 93 acres. The house passed to Hugh Stewart in 1877 then Miss Gage in 1892 and John H Hegarty in 1894, although Hegarty was not initially resident, the house being occupied by a caretaker. The 1901 census lists John Hutchinson Hegarty, farmer, resident with his wife and seven children. The ten-room house was designated first class. By 1911 none of the seven children had married and remained at home on the farm. (1901, 1911 census)
At the time of the First General Revaluation of the 1930s the ground floor comprised a hall, two receptions, breakfast room, bedroom, lumber room, kitchen, scullery, pantry, meal store with seven bedrooms and a boxroom upstairs. The valuer commented that the front portion of the house was comparatively new. The house had a dry closet, oil lamp lighting and water was supplied by pump. A plan and dimensions are given.

The house was listed in 1977 and repairs and renovations were carried out in the late 1970s.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/5/18/1 First Edition OS Map 1832
2. PRONI OS/6/5/18/2 Second Edition OS map 1849-53
3. PRONI OS/6/5/18/3 Third Edition OS Map 1904-5
4. PRONI OS/6/5/18/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1924-33
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/51 Townland Valuation (1828-40)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/1A-F Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
7. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/3 First General Revaluation 1933-57
8. PRONI VAL/3/D/6/3/T/1 First General Revaluation 1933-57
9. Griffith’s Valuation online
10. 1901/1911 census
11. HB file – 03/08/006

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.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
R. Age
S. Authenticity

Evaluation

Double-pile two-storey farmhouse built c.1800 with later alterations and located on a large elevated site with views over surrounding countryside, to the north side of Craigmore Road, south of Coleraine. Rushbrooke House retains its Georgian proportions and some important detailing including fenestration. Prominently sited, the house is an important example of the aspirations of the wealthy Georgian farmer for his home to emulate the more formal country houses of the time. Rushbrooke House has a fine gate screen and is also of local interest.

General comments

Listing Criteria R - Age and S - Authenticity also apply.