Hillmount

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey three-bay gabled house with a central projecting porch and single-storey and two-storey returns to the rear.

Main entrance faces south-east. Entrance front symmetrical, with the original entrance enclosed in an inappropriate later porch and flanked by a tripartite window either side with similar smaller windows above them on the first floor, with a single window set in a semi-circular headed opening above the porch. All windows vertically hung timber sliding sash, painted white, without horns, in unmoulded openings. Ground floor windows 6 over 6 to central lights, with sidelights 2 over 2. First floor tripartite windows 3 over 6 to central lights, with sidelights 1 over 2; single window above porch is 4 over 4 with radial fanlights.

Original entrance is recessed in an elliptical arched opening and comprises a modern 15-pane wooden door flanked by sidelights and has a fanlight with radial glazing bars. The enclosing porch is of rectangular plan with white painted smooth plastered walls with crenellated parapets concealing a glazed pitched roof; rectangular timber panelled door painted white in front wall of porch, combined with plain rectangular sidelights and fanlight; large five-light rectangular timber window to each side wall of porch. Entire porch inappropriate in form and detail.

Roof of house, Bangor blue slates in regular courses; four chimneys, one to each gable and two centrally placed in a symmetrical arrangement; smooth rendered and painted white with projecting cornice; gable chimneys of rectangular section with two original pots each, but central chimneys each comprise a pair of angled stacks, each with an original pot.

Wall of entrance front smooth cement rendered and painted white, with rendered quoins to the extremities. Cast iron gutters and down pipes returning to end gables.

End gables smooth cement rendered, lined and blocked, with quoins to front corner of left-hand gable. Overhanging eaves with painted wooden barge boards. Three windows in each gable, two to first floor and one to ground floor, rectangular timber sliding sash, vertically hung, 6 over 6, without horns.

Flush with left-hand gable is a single-storey return, a later addition of the 1950s, with wall rendered as previous to gable; crenellated parapet concealing lean-to slated roof behind; rectangular window, timber; small lean-to to left-hand side of window, with corrugated asbestos roof and flush timber door.

Flush with right-hand gable is a two-storey return, slated and hipped, with a first floor oriel window of canted form with a swept base carried on a projecting corbel; four segmental headed windows to oriel, all timber sashes vertically hung, 1 over 1, with horns. Two other windows to first floor, similar. Four rectangular windows to ground floor, two sashed as to first floor, and two of modern type. Extending from two-storey return is a single-storey rubble stone slated outbuilding with a later rectangular three-light casement window in raised cement surround.

Rear elevation of house smooth rendered and painted, of poor visual quality; includes slated lean-to block with awkwardly placed downpipes. Modern flush doors and modern rectangular timber windows surround rear yard.

Further to rear, beyond rubble stone yard wall is a stable court bounded on three sides by basalt rubble outbuildings with red brick dressings, including what were originally stables, coach house and coachman’s accommodation, all in a run-down state with later inappropriate alterations. Stable court further enclosed by rubble basalt walling with rough-hewn copings.

SETTING: The house stands in its own grounds in a rural area, hidden from view behind trees and approached by a winding driveway. It has gardens and lawns to the front and sides, with a gate lodge (HB06/03/021) at the front gateway.

Historical information

The house appears on the first OS map of 1833 and may be dated to c. 1800. The two-storey return to the rear appears on the second OS map of 1857 as does the single storey outbuilding projecting from the return, while the two-storey stables, coach house and coachman’s accommodation does not appear until the 1903 map. The single storey return with its crenellations was added in the 1950s.

References - Primary

1. OS Map 1833, Co Antrim 35.
2. OS Map 1857, Co Antrim 35.
3. OS Map 1903, Co Antrim 35.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A late Georgian house with Victorian additions to the side and rear, which retains much of its original appearance to the front façade.