Springfield House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey/ three bay mid-19thC house set in mature grounds, off the Redbridge Road, with farmyard and associated outbuildings to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with cement rendered and coped chimney to each gable. Metal rainwater goods. Two wall head dormers to rear pitch, each has a flat felt roof, timber cheeks and a side hung casement window with fixed pane. Walls of painted lined cement render with an advanced eaves course.

Main façade faces S to Redbridge Road. It has stepped V-channelled stucco quoins. At ground floor centre is the main entrance, contained within a semi-elliptical headed opening. Single granite step leads to a modern varnished timber door with eight panels. It is set within an original frame and flanked by single sidelights with apron panels (bolection moulded). Fanlight fills the opening head and consists of two small semi-elliptical lights with a glazed spandrel to head; stop-end chamfered glazing bars. The door head has a dentilled timber lintel.

At ground floor left and right bays is a 1/1 sliding sash window. To first floor there are three similar windows in line with those to ground floor. All windows are as these unless otherwise stated.

The left (W) gable is blank except for two ground floor windows.

Rear elevation is abutted at ground floor left by single storey return (see later). To right at ground floor is a window. At centre, between ground floor and first floor, is a spoke headed 3/6 sliding sash window with obscured glass and coloured margins (lighting the stairwell). At first floor left and right are single windows. At centre, between first floor and attic, is spoke-headed 3/3 sash window.

Rear return has a pitched natural slate roof, half hipped at join with house. Cement rendered chimney to exposed gable. Plastic rainwater goods. Painted smooth cement rendered walls. Five granite steps at right side of its right cheek serve a modern varnished door. To its left is a modern casement window with concrete cill. Its rear (N) gable is blank. Its left cheek is abutted by a single storey flat roofed extension (of no interest).

Right (E) gable is blank with the exception of two narrow ground floor windows.

Entrance on Redbridge Road consists of a pair of strap pointed rock-faced granite piers with curved screen. The wrought and cast-iron gates are off hinges and lie on the driveway. There is a large lawned garden to the front of the house, accessed at left of house by wrought iron gates with dog-bars and cast-iron finials.

Outbuildings enclose rear yard. All are relatively recent with exception of a two storey barn with pitched natural slate roof and walls of random rubble with brick dressings to openings. External stone staircase, but with recent alterations.

Historical information

This building was surveyed in the HMBB first survey but not allocated an HB number. The description includes a front porch, “A projecting porch with pilasters rising to an entablature, is surmounted by a balustrade”. This feature is shown on the 1972 OS map.

Not shown on the 1834 OS 6” map. First appears on 1860 edition and is described in c.1862 valuation as a two storey house measuring 37ft by 30ft (i.e. as present).

Primary Sources:
1. HMBB first survey card.
2. OS 6" map, 1st edition (1834) Co Down sheet 41 (PRONI OS 6/3/41/1)
3. PRONI 1860 Valuation map, VAL 2A/3/41D.
4. PRONI c.1862 Second Valuation book, VAL 2B/3/59C, p.13.
5. OS Map (253-3) Surveyed 1972.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Although this 19thC house retains much of its original fabric, it is fairly typical and is not particularly special in terms of historic or architectural interest.