Kildress House,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is a detached two-storey house, built c. 1862. It is largely U-shaped and symmetrical in plan with a series of outbuildings arranged to the rear the house. To the rear there are two almost enclosed courtyards, that to the east is formed mainly with corrugated iron farm buildings while that to the west side (adjacent to the house) is enclosed with stone outbuildings and the rear of the house.
The house is composed of the main central block to the West. This has a projecting single-storey entrance lobby to the centre.
To the sides of the main block there is a two-storey L-shaped wing to the North and a matching two-storey wing to the South. There is a single-storey extension to the South of the Southern wing, built c. 1990.
To the rear of the main block, there is a two-storey lean-to, located roughly off-centre. This lean-to extends at first floor level into the North return in the form of a timber clad corridor link. There is a further two-storey extension to the inner corner of the South wing and Main entrance block, built c. 1990.
The rear of the house faces onto a courtyard, which is roughly square in plan. The Northeast corner of the square courtyard has a single-storey hipped and pitched outbuilding. The East corner of the courtyard has a further single-storey hipped and pitched outbuilding, which continues to join the rear gable of the Southern L-shaped wing.

The front West elevation of the main entrance block is symmetrical and fronts onto the lawn and driveway. It is composed of the North wing to the left, the main entrance block to the centre and the South wing to the right.
The main entrance block is three windows in width. Windows are square-headed with 2/2 timber sliding sash frames. Windows have plain cut-stone surrounds with a central cut-stone keystone over and cut-stone sills.
There is a projecting central entrance bay. It has a round-headed doorway to the side South elevation. The door is square-headed timber panelled with a round-headed overlight.
There are round-headed windows to the front West and side North elevations of the projecting porch. The windows have panelled pilasters to the sides supporting a carved stone surround and keystone.
There are recessed moulded panelled pilasters to each corner of the entrance porch. Pilasters have a moulded base and are supporting a dentilled frieze and projecting carved cornice.

The rear elevation of the main house is largely obscured by a return and later extensions. To the left there is a two-storey lean-to rendered extension, to the centre there is a two-storey rubble stone lean-to extension while to the right there is an overhanging timber 'conservatory. Some square-headed 6/6 timber sliding sash windows are visible.

External walls are plain unpainted render with a cut-stone base and quoin stone to edges. There is rubble stone to the rear elevation.
The roof is pitched and slated. There are two rendered chimneys with profiled stepped capping, one to each gable end of the roof. Rainwater goods are replacement aluminium.

Returns:
North Wing:
The North wing stretches from the gable of the main entrance block back into the rear courtyard.
The front West elevation of the North wing has square-headed 2/2 timber sliding sash windows, one to the ground floor and one to the first floor. Windows have plain cut-stone surrounds with a central cut-stone keystone over and cut-stone sills.
The outer side North elevation of the North wing has a series of square-headed windows, as previous.
The inner courtyard side North elevation has 6/6 timber sliding sash windows to the first floor and 6/3 to the ground floor. There are timber doors to the left and a large timber sheeted double door to the centre.
External walls are render over rubble stone. The roof is hipped with natural slate. There is a single brick chimney to the roof. Rainwater goods are replacement aluminium. There is an external staircase leading to a doorway on the East elevation of the first floor. There are painted cast-iron railings to the external stair.

South Wing:
The South wing is L-shaped in plan and stretches from the gable of the main entrance block back into the rear courtyard.
The front West elevation of the South wing has square-headed 2/2 timber sliding sash windows, one to the ground floor and one to the first floor. Windows have plain cut-stone surrounds with a central cut-stone keystone over and cut-stone sills.
The side South elevation of the North wing has a series of square-headed windows, as previous. The South extension is located to the left.
The courtyard side South elevation has an assortment of square-headed 6/6 timber sliding sash windows. There are square-headed timber doors to the ground floor and a further door to the first floor which has no external access.
External walls are plain rendered over part brick and part rubble stone.. The roof is hipped with natural slate. There is a single brick chimney to the roof. Rainwater goods are replacement aluminium.

South Extension:
The single-storey extension to the South, built c. 1990, is square in plan. It has two square-headed 2/1 timber sliding sash windows to the West and South elevation. There is a timber glazed door with integral side windows to the East elevation.
The roof is hipped with natural slate.

Rear Lean-to Return:
The rear elevation has 8/8 timber sliding sash windows to the ground floor. The first floor has a central round-headed window with two smaller square-headed 1/1 timber sliding sash windows to each side. All windows are set on cut-stone sills.
External walls are brick. The roof is natural slate.
To the right of the lean-to is a further first floor extension, built c. 1980. This is located between the first floor of the rear return and the North wing. It is timber clad to the base and timber glazed to the top. It forms a continuous roof with the rear lean-to. There are two rooflights to the roof. Rainwater goods are replacement aluminium.

Left Lean-to Extension:
This is a two-storey lean-to addition. It has casement windows and a square-headed door. The roof is slated with two rooflights. Rainwater goods are replacement uPVC.

Outbuildings:
The almost matching corner outbuildings form the courtyard enclosure to the rear. Both the North and South outbuilding are L-shaped in plan and single storey.

The North outbuilding:
There is a large segmental-headed opening to the South elevation with a square-headed 1/1 timber sliding sash window to each side. There is a large square-headed opening to the West elevation with similar 1/1 timber sliding sash windows to each side.
The East elevation has high level 1/1 timber sliding sash windows.
External wall are random rubble stone with brick dressings. The roof is pitched and hipped with artificial slate.

The South outbuilding:
The South outbuilding has an assortment of square-headed 1/1 timber sliding sash windows with red brick and surrounds. There is a timber sheeted door to the North and West elevation with matching surrounds. There is a segmental-headed archway to the North elevation which leads through to the South. There is a further square-headed modern garage door to the North elevation.
The South elevation has a single segmental-headed archway, connecting from the North.
The East elevation has high level 1/1 timber sliding sash windows.
External wall are random rubble stone with brick dressings. The roof is pitched and hipped with artificial slate. The outbuilding abuts the East gable of the Southern L-shaped wing.

Sheds:
There are two further large corrougated sheds to the rear Northeast of the house, forming an incomplete courtyard.

Setting:
Kildress house is set within its own grounds to the Southeast of the Ballinderry River. It is surrounded by fields, trees and ponds to the South and West. It is accessed via a lane to the North. The laneway enters via an opening within the sheds to the rear, and travels between the North and South outbuilding into the rear yard.
There is a relatively unused drive leading from the rear East to the front of the house.

Historical information

A building is shown on site on OS map of 1833-34. This particular property was not officially noted in the first valuation of 1833-34, as it was deemed to be below rateable value; however a perusal of the discarded valuers’ notes shows that dwelling was regarded as ‘old’ at that date, had a thatched roof, measured 48ft x 20 ½ x 9, and was occupied by a John Harkness. The building is ‘officially recorded in the second valuation of 1858, with John Harkness still in residence, leasing the property from a James Cluff, who in turn held it from the See of Armagh.

In 1860 Ellen Harkness is listed as the occupant, but in 1862 James Cluff demolished the old house and erected the present dwelling, the latter recorded as a ‘new house’ in 1863, with a rateable value of £12. In 1879 Richard Cluff obtained the freehold and the following year the rateable valuation rose to £16, suggesting that the house or its outbuildings were extended or upgraded. Unfortunately the valuers supply no details as to any changes to the property, and we have no maps of this period to compare, however it is possible that the large side wings were either added or extended at this point, however from an external view alone it is difficult to deduce anything. The porch appears to be of c.1880 also.

The property remained with the Cluff family until 1963, when it was acquired by, (or passed to), Dr. John H.A. Black. A Mr. Robin Black is listed as the occupant in 1971.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/1A/6/29 OS map, Co Tyrone sheet 29, with valuation
references, 1833-34(-c.38)
2 PRONI VAL/1B/624 First valuation, Kildress parish, 1834
3 PRONI VAL/2A/6/29C OS map, Co Tyrone sheet 29, with valuation references, 1857(-58)
4 PRONI VAL/2B/6/23C Second valuation, Kildress parish, 1858
5 PRONI VAL/12B/37/14A Annual valuation revision book, Oaklands ED, 1860-63
6 PRONI VAL/12B/37/14B Annual valuation revision book, Oaklands ED, 1864-80
7 PRONI VAL/12B/37/14C Annual valuation revision book, Oaklands ED, 1881
8 PRONI VAL/12B/37/14D Annual valuation revision book, Oaklands ED, 1882-96
9 PRONI VAL/12B/37/14E Annual valuation revision book, Oaklands ED, 1897-1912
10 PRONI VAL/12B/37/14F Annual valuation revision book, Oaklands ED, 1912-29
11 PRONI VAL/3C/7/6 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Oaklands ED, 1936-57
12 PRONI VAL/4B/6/8 Second general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Oaklands ED, 1957-72

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This is an interesting example of a mid nineteenth century strong farmer's house. It has been formally planned into three distinctive sections which separate the three separate functions; the main house block and side wings, the outbuildings, and the farm sheds. Overall the composition is symmetrical and somewhat formal and classical. The outbuildings and sheds add to the historical group value of the overall estate, together adding much interest to the locality.