37 Ballykeel Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey/ three bay house with two bay rear return which seems to be an earlier dwelling. The main block has its gable to road, while the main elevation of the return faces the road.

Main block has a pitched natural slate roof, with a rendered and coped brick chimney to each gable. Advanced rendered brick eaves course; rainwater goods gone. Walls are lime render over rubble stone.

Principal elevation of main block faces N. Central four panelled entrance door with plain transom over. All windows are exposed box sliding sashes with horns and painted granite cills (unless otherwise stated). To ground floor left and right bays are single 6/6 windows. Aligned above each ground floor opening is a smaller 6/3 window. That to first floor left bay has a bullseye to top sash. To right of door, running from first floor central bay, is modern soil pipe.

Left (E) gable has two windows to each floor. Ground floor ones are tall narrow 4/4 sashes above which are small 6/3 sashes.

Rear (S) elevation is almost completely abutted at middle by a one and a half storey two bay return (the earlier dwelling?). The remainder of this elevation of the main block is blank. Return has a pitched natural slate roof which ties into main roof, but with a lower ridge and eaves course. There is a rendered brick chimney to its end gable. Walls as main block.

Right (E) face of return is its principal elevation (facing road). To centre is a slightly projecting windbreak (walls as others), with mono pitched natural slate roof. Door is t +g sheeted. Flanked by a window to each side; left one is a 2/2 (vertically divided) sash and right is a 6/6 sash. Door and left window serve left bay.

Its end (S) gable has a large boulder forming its foundation at the right (SE) corner. Window to ground floor left has a roughly dressed granite cill and the remains of a sash box. To first floor (in gable apex) on either side of chimney breast are small 1/1 sash windows.

Left (W) face of return is almost completely abutted by a single storey lean-to scullery. Remaining wall to left has a metal casement window at ground floor and a 6/3 sash (without cill) to first floor. The roof and wall head over this window have collapsed.

Scullery has a mono pitched artificial slate roof, concrete skews and rendered concrete blockwork walls (of no interest).

Right gable of main block is abutted by a single storey outbuilding and has a 1/1 sash window to gable at first floor.

Outbuilding is ruinous. Its front (N) wall is flush with façade of main block and has two window openings at high level. Door on rear (S) wall. Of no interest.

Setting: to front (N) of house is a small garden enclosed by hedges with mature trees. Cement dashed rubble stone wall to road (E). Immediately to rear is large modern farmyard incorporating tall Dutch barns and a number of much altered traditional outbuildings.

Historical information

A small rectangular building is shown on the 1834 and 1860 OS 6” maps – this is probably the return at the back of what is now the main block (unfortunately the first valuation map is missing, so it is not possible to determine its dimensions in the corresponding valuation book). The two-storey house at north first appears on the 1902-03 OS 6” map. As there is no change in the valuation of the premises between c.1862 and the 1920s, this suggests that it was constructed in the early 1860s. Interestingly, it has been in the ownership of the Parker family since the 1860s (and probably earlier).

Primary sources:
1. OS 6" map, 1st edition (1834) Co Down sheet 47 (PRONI OS 6/3/47/1)
2. OS 6" map, 2nd edition (1860) Co Down sheet 47 (PRONI OS 6/3/47/2)
3. PRONI Second valuation book, VAL 2B/3/60A, p.65.
4. PRONI Valuation revision books, VAL 12B/22/10A-D.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This is an unusually evolved vernacular building attractively set in a mature garden. Its interest lies in its irregular planform, unusual internal detailing and little-altered state.