Ballyhill House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

One and a half storey/ three bay house on elevated site up lane on W side of Stonepark Road.

Half hipped natural slate roof (aligned NW-SE) with a chimneystack to either side of narrow central bay. Each is constructed of rendered brick, with masonry copings and moulded terracotta pots, three to the left chimney and two to the right one. Advanced eaves course supports half round cast-iron rainwater goods. Masonry skews tie into eaves course on the gables.

Principal elevation faces NE and is lined rendered and painted, with blocked quoins.

The central bay contains the main entrance. Single masonry step with wrought iron boot scraper rises to a four-panelled door (top two glazed) and painted dressed masonry architrave with tooled outer edge. Immediately over is a coved masonry entablature, acting as both a hood to the door and a cill to the small window above. Window is three paned with a spoke head and smooth rendered architrave.

Left and right bays are wider than the central one. Both have, at ground floor, an exposed box 8/8 sliding sash window with painted masonry cill and rendered architrave.

Right (NW) gable is abutted to left by a small single storey late 19thC porch (see later). The remaining wall is lined rendered and painted with quoins as facade. It is blank to ground floor and at attic level it has a 6/6 sliding sash window set to centre and a 4/4 sliding sash window to the right. Both have architraves as those to façade.

Porch has a hipped natural slate roof with overhanging eaves supported on decorative rafter tails. Walls are band rusticated and painted with lined voussoirs over openings. Its NE and NW faces each have a 1/1 sliding sash window - that to the NW is slightly larger. The SW face has a four-panelled door (top two panels glazed) with narrow transom over.

Rear (SW) elevation is three bays wide. The central bay is narrower than the others and advances slightly under a cat-slide roof. The right bay is abutted by a one and a half storey return (see later). The remaining rear wall is wet-dashed. At ground floor left is a window opening with cill. To ground floor right of central bay is a modern casement window in an infilled doorway. Set to left of the attic level of central bay is an exposed box 6/6 sliding sash window (serving stairwell).

The return has a half-hipped natural slate roof, which ties into rear pitch of main block but has lower ridge level. Modern brick chimneystack, roughly centred. Its left face is smooth plastered and has a t+g sheeted door to centre. This elevation is abutted by a collapsed lean-to. The end gable of the lean-to is flush with the end wall of the return, is stone coped and has a small square window opening. The infilled doorway on central bay of main house once served this lean to.

The end gable of the rear return is embanked by earth at ground floor level. It has two window openings at attic level. The left one is small (window frame missing) and the right one is 3x3 paned (Georgian glazed) with brick reveals.

The right face of the rear return is flush with the left gable of the main house. It has a fixed 2x3-paned timber window to the left of a doorway.

Left gable of the main house is dashed and painted. Door is modern timber and windows are timber casements. To left of centre is a door. Window to left and to right of door (asymmetrically arranged). To attic level are two windows.

Setting:
The driveway runs SW from the road turns S at the front of the house and goes W along the left gable of the main house. Here is a large yard. To immediate S of the house is a large modern farmyard, of little interest. The front garden is raised and enclosed by a painted rubble stone wall. At its join with E corner of house is a flat iron gate on plain piers. There is also a front gate with path leading directly to front door. Two large urns to front garden and two small yews. Garden continues to the N of the house and is lawned.

Historical information

The house derives its name from its townland. It is labelled ‘Ballyhill’ on the first edition OS map; and is shown with its rear return and a small farmyard to the immediate S.

The half-hipped roof is a local characteristic which is said to be limited to buildings around the Ashbrooke/ Colebrooke Estates. The two-storey house on the opposite side of the road from this one has a similar roof and an almost identical (but derelict) house is situated further along the road to the SE.

Griffith’s valuation shows this house to be the only one in the small Ballyhill Townland. Its lessor was M. Archdall and it was occupied by Andrew Armstrong. The buildings were valued at £10 and its land at £44 for valuation purposes.

The occupant in 1999 has been resident since c1960. He stated that prior to him, the Ross family was in residence from c1900. He believes that in the late 19thC Mr Neilly, a land agent to the Colebrooke Estate, occupied the house.

Primary Sources:
1. First edition OS map (1834) Fermanagh sheet 23.
2. Griffith’s Valuation, ‘Union of Lisnaskea’, (1862), p.57.
3. Information from the owner in 1999.

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

Good example of a develped vernacular house in a form that is particular to this area. It is prominently located on a hillside. Although in close proximity to a large modern farmyard, it still retains an attractive setting and much original character.