Bellevue Villa

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A three-bay two-storey rendered Picturesque-style house, built c.1860, located on the north side of Strabane Road. T-shaped on plan, facing east; gabled projecting bays and two-storey gabled additions to east and west elevations, later single-storey flat-roofed projection to south gable, modern lean-to extension to west elevation; modern conservatory to north elevation.

Roofs are pitched natural slate roofs; painted roll-top ridge tiles, carved painted timber finials, waved-and-perforated bargeboards and pendants, rendered chimneystacks with painted ornate terracotta chimneypots; half-round uPVC gutters. Walling is painted roughcast. Windows are square-headed painted timber sashes, stone sills, 6/6 at ground floor and 3/3 at first floor.

Principal (east) elevation is abutted to right end by east projecting bay and to centre by east addition; exposed section left end has a single ground floor window surmounted by a gabled first floor half-dormer window. East projecting bay gable has a single window to both floors, right cheek is continuous with north elevation and left cheek is abutted by east addition; exposed section is blank. East addition has a single window to both floors (first floor is 2/4 sash), right cheek is entirely abutted by east projecting bay, left cheek has square-headed painted timber four-panelled door with overlight set in hipped-roof porch.

South gable is abutted by rectangular flat-roofed projecting bay with cornice, two windows to south, one to each cheek; first floor has window.

Rear (west) elevation is entirely abutted from left by west projecting bay, west addition and modern extension. West projecting bay gable first floor has a single window, ground floor has square-headed painted timber panelled door, six-light above lock-rail, flanked to both sides by 2/4 sashes, all under pent-roofed porch; left cheek is continuous with north elevation and right cheek is abutted by east addition, exposed section ground floor has single 2/4 sash window. West addition has a single window to both floors, left cheek is entirely abutted by West Return, right cheek is abutted by extension, exposed section is blank.

North elevation is abutted by modern conservatory; exposed section has gabled first floor half-dormer to centre, right end ground floor has 6/3 sash window.

The house is situated in lawned gardens, set back from the Strabane Road to the south and east by mature trees, rendered dwarf walls and variously timber fences. There is an enclosed concrete-paved courtyard of outbuildings to west comprising a multi-bay two-storey carriage house, with pitched corrugated metal roof, roughcast walling and sliding double-width door over exposed painted brick elliptical carriage arch; single-storey single-pitched shed to left of carriage house; modern greenhouse north of outbuilding court.

Roof: Pitched natural slate roofs, painted roll-top ridge tiles
Walling: Painted roughcast
Windows: Square-headed painted timber sashes, stone sills, 6/6 at ground floor and 3/3 at first floor level
RWG: Half-round uPVC gutters

Historical information

The original T-plan house with ornate bargeboards and finials was built c.1860 and is in the Picturesque style of a mid-nineteenth-century gentleman's residence slightly removed from the town centre. There are twentieth century extensions to the north, south and east of the house. Although in style with the original house, distinct clues indicate the additions as later work, including the overlapping of the addition gables with those of the projecting bays and the slight different features of the finial and pendant ornaments on the additions, as opposed to those of the projecting bay gable and dormers.

The house first appears on the 1905 OS Map. A carriage house adjacent to the main house is also shown.

Annual Revisions record that the plot on which the house was built was occupied by Peter Conway and leased from John Phelan and Geo Aiken in 1860. In 1863 the fieldbook is altered to show that a house and offices have been added to the plot and the value is revised to £7 5s. At an unknown date around this time Alicia Nichol becomes the occupier of the property.

In 1875, Charles J Gardiner is added as the occupier of the property, the lessors remaining the same. In 1898 Nathaniel Tipping is the occupier.

The owner’s notes relating to the deeds of the property record that a deed of 1855 lists John Phelan and Peter Conway, butter merchant, both of Newtownstewart, as owners of the land, before the house was built. In 1860, the property was leased for £140 to Alice and Mary Nichols of Newtownstewart. The house was then sold to Charles John Gardiner in 1874 for £560. Charles John Gardiner mortgaged the property and then sold it to Margaret Jane Tipping in 1895 for the sum of £690. Subsequently, the estate passed to Nathaniel W. Tipping (1863-1937), and remained in the Tipping family until 1977.

This house, along with Deerpark, was the residence of the prominent Tipping Family, who owned a great deal of land in and around Newtownstewart. Many members were associated with the parish church and one was a Surgeon Commander in the Royal Navy. Nathaniel W. Tipping (1863-1937) served Ardstraw Parish Church of St. Eugene (HB10/04/003) as a Parochial Nominator, Diocesan Synodsman, Churchwarden and as a member of the Select Vestry for thirty years. The church paid tribute to him as “ a staunch supporter of his church and a liberal subscriber of church funds.” His daughter Mary Tipping (1897-1975) succeeded him in the Select Vestry and was the parish’s Honorary Secretary from 1940 and Honorary Treasurer from 1951. One of the church’s six stained glass windows, made by the distinguished Caldermac Studios in 1979, was erected in memory of her. (Ferguson, etc., eds., p100).

References:

Primary Sources:

1. PRONI OS/6/6/17/1 – First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/17/2 – Second Edition OS Map (1854)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/17/3 – Third Edition OS Map (1905)
4. PRONI VAL/1A/6/17 – Townland Valuation Map
5. PRONI VAL/1B/637A-F – Townland Valuation Records (1828-1840)
6. PRONI VAL/2/D/6/10 – Griffith’s Valuation Town Plan (1849-1869)
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/40B – Griffith’s Valuation Records (1858)
8. PRONI VAL/12/E/160/1 – Annual Revision Records Town Plan (1898)
9. PRONI VAL/12/E/160/2 – Annual Revision Records Town Plan (1908)
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/42/27A-F – Annual Revision Records (1860-1929)

Secondary Sources:

1. Ferguson, G[eorge] Eric, June Cochrane, John Dunbar, Joan Ferguson, Victor Laughlin, Lily Loughlin, Carol McKelvey, eds. “The Changing Years in the Grouped Parishes of Ardstraw, Baronscourt and Badoney Union. Omagh, Co. Tyrone: Graham Printers, 2001.
2. Homeowner’s Notes: “Extracts from Deeds of Bellevue: Deeds Are Held in the Office of My Solicitor, Mr. Neil Ferguson.” 1987.

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

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A three-bay two-storey rendered house, built c.1860, located on the north side of Strabane Road, Newtownstewart. Designed in the ornate Picturesque style with fine proportions, the house was extended sometime after the 1930s in a similar style with bargeboards, finials, and other details displaying fine craftsmanship. The house also retains many fine original interior details and a good landscaped setting.