Strawbridge House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Compact, formal, two-storey double-fronted gabled-ended house, believed to date from 1862, with slightly lower two-storey annex on the east gable, which may represent part of an older dwelling. To the rear there is a range of single-storey outbuildings. The property is located within a small grouping of dwellings of various ages (many now modernised), called Bushfoot and somewhat isolated, at the end of Bushfoot Road, just east of Portballintrae.

The front elevation faces north-west, for ease of description this is referred to as north and the naming of all other façades follows this convention.

The house is roughly rectangular on plan with a short two-storey return to the centre of the rear façade. Doors and window openings are mainly boarded over. However, frames are visible internally and are mainly 1/1 timber sash; to the rear some frames have margin panes. The façade is largely finished in painted roughcast and the gabled roofs of both sections of the building are slated, with clay ridge tiles to the lower section and what appear to be clay ridge tiles to the main block. The main block has a rendered chimneystack to each gable with that of the lower section abutting the east stack of the main block. All of the stacks have bases and corbelled caps and decorative clay pots.

The front north façade of the main block of the house is symmetrical with a central doorway. This has moulded surround consisting of plain pilasters supporting a projecting cornice that is surmounted by a blocking course. A small break in the render reveals that the door surround is formed in brick. There is a flat-headed window opening to either side with three similar openings to first floor.

The west gable has four evenly spaced flat-headed window openings. To the right side there is an almost full-height screen wall; this is stepped and reduces in a series of curved sweeps. Within the screen wall there is a flat-headed window opening; this lights an open porch. The boundary wall to the yard runs into the centre of the gable.

The rear façade has a central two-storey projection. On the left side a lean-to slated roof spans between the adjoining screen wall and the projection; this shelters the small open porch. The projection has two flat-headed window openings; that to the ground floor is boarded over while that to the first floor has a 1/1 timber sash with margins. To the east side of the projection there is a small lean-to boiler house; to the right side there are two flat-headed window openings; that to ground floor is boarded over and that to first floor has a 1/1 timber sash frame with margins.

Lower annex to the east is the same depth as the main house and its roof pitch is the same also, although the ridge is set a little lower. Window openings to the north front are flat-headed; these are boarded over. The timber frames are visible from the interior and are tripartite with 2/2, 8/8 and 2/2 sash arrangements. There are a number of randomly arranged window openings in the east gable; some have sash frames and some have modern fixed lights. To the right side of the rear façade of the annex is a single-storey hipped roof porch. To the left of the porch there is a flat-headed window opening with another roughly to the centre of the first floor. That to the ground floor is boarded while that to the first floor is tripartite with 2/2, 8/8 and 2/2 arrangements. All sash window frames to the annex have relatively plain thick glazing bars, suggesting that these frames may be relatively recent.

Setting

To the side and rear of the house is a large yard, enclosed by a wall with a pair of round pillars and wrought iron double gate (in poor condition). To the rear of the house is a small garden running into a large gravelled yard with a further row of single-storey outbuildings beyond. These are part rubble, part brick with slated gabled roofs and some regularly arranged flat-headed window openings and doorways. Farther still a grassed lane gives onto a rear lane. To the north of the site is the golf club car park; to the west fields; across the lane to the south are various sheds; and the other buildings in this small group bound the site to the east.

Historical information

Although a building is shown on this site on the OS maps of 1832 and 1857, it does not appear to match the plan of the present structure. This is borne out by the information provided in the first valuation of 1833, which records the site as occupied by a relatively old single-storey thatched dwelling in the hands of a William Thompson. The revised OS map of 1857 shows a plan similar to that of 1832, but the 1859 valuation lists no dimensions, so it is uncertain whether any significant changes had taken place in the interim.

In 1862 a new house is recorded as having been built within the grouping, which, rated at £10, suggests a fairly substantial building of perhaps two-storeys. Unfortunately, the referencing system employed by the valuers for this particular area is not clearly documented on the accompanying map, which means that it is difficult to be completely certain which house within the small cluster of buildings they are actually referring, however the external appearance of the current building and its internal detailing are all consistent with a house of the early 1860s.

The new house appears to have been built on site of two separate dwellings, which are recorded in 1859 as occupied by a Barbara Haughey and Thomas Haughey respectively, but which had become one property -in the hands of Thomas Haughey- by 1861. Thomas is noted as the original occupant of the house built the following year. It is not known whether the lower section to the north-east was part of the property at this stage, or a separate dwelling. The internal detailing indicates that it was originally integrated with its larger neighbour, as does the external finish. Its lower roofline, however, may indicate that it was part of an older structure which was retained and adapted to serve the new house; unfortunately the documentary does not throw any light on this.

The problem with the valuers’ referencing system, as noted above, makes tracing any changes in ownership occupation difficult; however, members of the Haughey family appear to have continued living in the house until 1947, after which time it may have been occupied by a Mary Carson, who, if we have the correct occupant, remained there up until c.1987. The next resident may have been a Robert G. Patterson, with a C. Crooks following in 1990. The property was vacated some time after 1993.

The present owner states that the lower section to the north-east was a separate property at some point, but the problems with the valuations make this difficult to ascertain. Local information attests that this section was a modern extension using salvaged materials, for example, the windows.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL1A//3 OS map, Co. Antrim sheet 3, with valuation
references, 1832(-c.38)
2 PRONI VAL1B/140 First valuation, Dunluce parish, 1833
3 PRONI VAL2A/1/3A OS map, Co. Antrim sheet 3, with valuation references, 1857(-c.59)
4 PRONI VAL2B/1/34A Second valuation, Dunluce parish, 1859
5 PRONI VAL12B/6/2A Annual valuation revision book, Portrush ED, 1859-64
6 PRONI VAL12B/6/2B Annual valuation revision book, Portrush ED, 1864-76
7 PRONI VAL12B/6/2C Annual valuation revision book, Portrush ED, 1876-84
8 PRONI VAL12B/6/2D Annual valuation revision book, Portrush ED, 1885-89
9 PRONI VAL12B/6/2E Annual valuation revision book, Portrush ED, 1889-95
10 PRONI VAL12B/4/21A Annual valuation revision book, Portrush Rural ED, 1896-1909
11 PRONI OS6/1/3/3 OS map, Co. Antrim sheet 3, 1903
12 PRONI VAL12B/4/21B Annual valuation revision book, Portrush Rural ED, 1909-21
13 PRONI VAL12B/4/21C Annual valuation revision book, Portrush Rural ED, 1921-30
14 PRONI VAL3C/1/14 First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Dunluce ED, 1936-56
15 PRONI VAL4B/1/24 Second General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Dunluce ED, 1957-72
16 PRONI VAL14A/118 Third General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Dunluce ED,1975
17 PRONI VAL14B/162 Third General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Dunluce ED, 1976-87
18 PRONI VAL14C/144 Third General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Dunluce ED, 1987-93

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Compact, formal, two-storey double-fronted gabled-ended house with slightly lower two-storey annex on the east gable. This house, which is believed to date from 1862, consists of a compact double-fronted formal section and a smaller single-fronted informal addition, all set within an isolated grouping called Bushfoot on the outskirts of the village. It has retained much of its original appearance externally, as well as its internal layout, considerable detailing, and a row of outbuildings to the rear. 150 year-old houses in this state of preservation are no longer found in abundance, making this property a building of some worth.