Grange House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached two-storey three-bay former mill house, built c.1820, located to the south side of Grange Road. Rectangular-on-plan; lean-to stairwell extension to west; single-storey gabled extension to north; attached one-and-a-half storey extension to south abutted by further single-storey lean-to extension; extensions appear to have been added prior to 1850.

Roof is pitched natural slate with blue/black clay ridge tiles; corbelled brick eaves course; roughcast chimneys. Walls are roughcast. Windows are square-headed timber framed 6/6 sliding sash with sandstone sills.

Principal elevation faces east and contains central entrance comprising replacement timber sheeted door with transom light flanked left and right by 2/2 sliding sash lights; accessed by seven sandstone steps with cast-iron railings and scrolled newel; access below at left to lower ground floor; two windows to left and right at upper ground floor and lower ground floor (iron bars over those to lower ground).

South gable contains two 6/3 sliding sash windows at attic level; at lower ground floor, square-headed vertically sheeted entrance door; canopy over with corrugated metal roof; elevation abutted on right by mill building.

West elevation is abutted at centre by extension containing replacement timber sheeted door with transom light; casement window to stairwell; exposed section at left contains single casement window at lower ground floor, sliding sash window at upper ground floor; at centre, 16/12 sliding sash window at upper ground floor; at right, window at upper ground floor and two metal casement windows at lower ground floor.

North gable contains two windows (as south) at attic level; abutted by gabled extension with corrugated metal roof and remains of rubble outbuilding.

Attached lower building to south; east elevation contains two windows at each floor; south elevation abutted by lean-to extension; west elevation contains two timber casement windows at first floor and central vertically sheeted timber door at ground floor flanked by timber casement windows; lean-to to right contains vertically sheeted timber door.

Set within private grounds with further single-storey lean-to limewashed rubble shelter with corrugated metal roof to south; single-storey gabled limewashed outbuilding to south-west with remains of rubble enclosure to north; outbuildings appear to have been added prior to1850

Roof Natural slate
Walling Roughcast
Windows Square-headed timber framed 6/6 sliding sash with sandstone sills
RWG Cast-iron half-round gutters and round downpipes

Historical information

The house is visible on the first three editions of the OS map (1832-3, 1853 and 1905). It is uncaptioned on the first edition of 1832-3 and relatively simple in plan with fewer outbuildings than at present. On the second and third maps it is captioned ‘Grange House’ and a gate lodge is also captioned.

The internal detailing would suggest a date of 1760.

The Townland Valuation records several buildings on the site, which is occupied by Robert McCrea. The dwelling (46x32.6x11.3), an understorey on level with yard (46x32.6x8.9), a return to dwelling (6.6x10.6x7) and six offices all valued at £22 17s 2½d. In Griffith’s Valuation, Thomas Hutton Esq. is named as the lessor and by this time at least two additions appear to have been made to the building, whose measurements are listed as follows: house (48x33x21), addition (19.6x22x14), addition (6.6x6.6x18), addition (6.6x6x8). Also listed are two sheds, seven offices, a turnip house, a thrashing mill, a piggery, a stable, a hen house and the gate lodge (24x16x8). The buildings are valued collectively at £30.

There are few changes in the Annual Revisions. William Gamble becomes the leaseholder in 1864-79 and in 1907 Robert J. Foster becomes the occupier in fee.

References:

Primary References

1. PRONI OS/6/6/2/1– First Edition OS Map (1832-3)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/2/2 – Second Edition OS Map (1853)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/2/3 – Third Edition OS Map (1905)
4. PRONI VAL/1/A/6/2 – Townland Valuation Map(1828-40)
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/639A&B – Townland Valuation Records (1828-40)
6. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/2A-B – Griffith’s Valuation Map (1856-64)
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/42C – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/42/18A-G – Annual Revision Records (1860-1925)

[Added 24.11.2015] This house appears to be that marked as 'Mt Hamilton' on Taylors and Skinner's map of 1777, although from at least 1780 it was also known as 'Grange'. Notices in the Belfast News-Letter suggest that it was standing in 1769, when it was occupied by an attorney named Thomas Hamilton. He was still living there in 1773, but from c.1780 until c.1795 'James Hamilton of Grange' occurs frequently in Abercorn estate letters. As stated above, much of the internal detailing suggests a construction date of c.1760 (or possibly slightly earlier); however, the present roof is undoubtedly a19th or early 20th century alteration, as the original is likely to have to have been a higher-pitched double-pile structure.

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
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

A relatively rare detached two-storey three-bay former mill house, built c.1760, located to the south side of Grange Road. This eighteenth century Georgian house retains much of its original fabric and detailing both internally and externally. The house has a typical Georgian plan form and due to the topography of the site the principal entrance is at upper ground floor level while to the rear, access is through the basement, ie., lower ground floor.