Brook Hall

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A symmetrical three-bay two-storey-over-basement detached farmhouse; built c.1825 and located to the east side of Creamery Road east of Coleraine. Rectangular plan with two-storey return to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with angled ridge tiles and rendered chimneystacks to gables. Replacement cast-iron rainwater goods on projecting eaves. Walling is Ballycastle pebbledash on a cement rendered plinth with straight-channelled quoins. Windows are replacement uPVC throughout in cement rendered surrounds with projecting concrete sills.

The principal elevation faces southwest and is five openings wide at each floor. Elliptical-headed doorcase to ground floor centre comprises a replacement raised-and-fielded six-panel timber door flanked by replacement sidelights with concrete sills and surmounted by an original spider-web timber fanlight. Door in a cement rendered surround with keyblock, accessed via two concrete steps.

The northwest gable has a window to first and ground floor left.

The northeast (rear) elevation has a window to first and ground floor left and a bipartite multi-paned window to ground floor right; abutted at far right by the modern two-storey return, detailed as main house with projecting gabled porch to southeast elevation.

The southeast gable is blank.

Setting:

Situated to the east side of Creamery Road, opposite the Ballyrashane dairy factory and accessed via a set of circular tall pebbledash gate piers supporting original cast-iron gates; piers have round stone caps topped by large ball finials and are adjoined by a low roughcast rendered entrance wall. A long tree-lined tarmacadamed drive leads to a concrete yard to rear, accessed via a set of circular pebbledash gate piers with round flat caps; group of refurbished single-storey roughcast rendered outbuildings arranged to either side of central concrete pathway at northeast. All but that to southwest has a pitched natural slate roof with angled ridge tiles, plastic rainwater goods, roughcast rendered walls, timber casement windows and mid-twentieth century timber-sheeted doors. Bowed corrugated tin roof to that at southwest. Block to left side of the path has a brick chimneystack and a carved datestone reading “ANNO DOMINI/ 1825 BOYSE”. Cast-iron pump inscribed “RANKIN & Co. BALLYMENA” to yard, Brick pavior path to east of yard leads to two rubblestone gate piers with pointed caps supporting original wrought-iron farmgate, leading to adjoining farmland. Lawned garden to front.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Ballycastle pebbledash
Windows: uPVC
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

Brook Hall was built in 1825-7 (OS Memoirs; datestone) for Samuel Boyse and is shown on the first edition OS map of 1830 occupying an L-shaped plan, as it does today, with outbuildings to the rear, one of which appears to have survived.

OS Memoirs describe the house as ‘a good family residence. The office houses are very good and the whole is surrounded by young trees which are tastefully laid down and are in a very healthy condition. The house was built in 1827 and the trees planted between 1825 and 1830.’ (OS Memoirs) The Townland Valuation for this parish is unfortunately missing.

Griffith’s Valuation of 1856-64 records the occupier as James Boyce and the house, outbuildings and gate lodge(now gone) are valued at £24. The house is situated on a plot of over 112 acres. In 1868 the house was taken over by Rev John Alexander, minister of nearby Ballyrashane Presbyterian Church and the valuation was reduced several years later to £19.10s. Rev Alexander died in 1881 and the house passed to the Jameson family but in 1891 was noted to be in bad repair, occasioning a further drop in valuation to £14.10s. The 1901 census records Hugh Jameson and his wife Mary resident in the ten-room, first class house. Mary Jameson became the owner in fee in 1918 under land purchase legislation but in 1929 there was a further drop in the valuation to £8 as the house and outbuildings became more dilapidated.

The farm was subsequently taken over by James McDowell and then John McAfee (1954). The First General Revaluation of 1933-57 notes that what had been an ‘old derelict house’ with ‘walls only standing’ had been put into ‘A1 repair’ by the occupier and was well laid-out with water supplied to a tank by hydraulic ram. The house was lit by oil lamps. Accommodation comprised, on the ground floor: two receptions, a breakfast room, kitchen, scullery and two pantries and on the first floor: five bedrooms and a bathroom and WC combined, with modern fittings. Hot and cold water was supplied to the scullery sink.

The house was listed in 1977 and extensive renovations and alterations took place in the 1980s. (HB file)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/5/8/1 First Edition OS Map 1830
2. PRONI OS/6/5/8/2 Second Edition OS map 1849-53
3. PRONI OS/6/5/8/3 Third Edition OS Map 1904
4. PRONI OS/6/5/8/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1922-3
5. PRONI OS/6/5/8/5 Fifth Edition OS Map 1950
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/14A-F Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
7. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/2 First General Revaluation 1933-57
8. PRONI VAL/3/D/6/3/P/3 First General Revaluation 1933-57
9. Griffith’s Valuation online
10. 1901/11 census
11. HB file – 03/06/010

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
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
R. Age

Evaluation

A symmetrical three-bay two-storey-over-basement detached farmhouse; built c.1825 and located to the east side of Creamery Road east of Coleraine. Situated in a mature landscaped site accessed via a tree-lined drive with yard to rear, the house is enhanced by the quality of the setting, gate screen and cast iron water pump. Brook Hall substantially retains its overall external character, including its original proportions.

General comments

Listing Criteria R - Age also applies.