Presbyterian Manse

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Substantial early 20th C two-storey/ three-bay house. Pitched natural slate roof with overhanging rafter tails carrying plain eaves boards and half round rainwater goods. Metal down-pipes have cast iron poppy clasps. Terracotta ridges. Roof is E planned the base of the ‘E’ facing east. There are two roof valleys when viewed from the N, each flank the central roof pitch which has a hipped end and cat-slides over a lean-to return. The two other roofs have gabled ends; the left one is longer than the others.
Tall octagonal chimneys are in red brick with their seven top courses corbelled (see later for locations).

Walls are red brick laid in English garden wall bond. Chamfered basecourse with terracotta vents and a frieze course between ground and first floor levels, with similar at eaves level. Each frieze is five courses deep and has a repeat of red, yellow and blue brick; the lower one has a top and bottom course of moulded brick specials (eaves one does not).

All windows to W, S and E elevations are sliding sashes with moulded sash boxes and horns. All are set within segmental headed openings but have flat heads and plain timber tympanums. Openings have pole-moulded brick reveals and stooled dressed granite cills. Windows on N elevation are plainer.

West elevation

This elevation is three bays wide - left one is the narrowest and the right one the widest. The central bay is flanked by pairs of chimneys on its roof ridge. The main entrance is in a porch to right side of central bay. Porch has a pitched natural slate roof, gabled to front, and walls as main block. Its cheeks are blank and batter out to bottom with a three stage pitched red sandstone coping to give the front gable a splayed base. Front gable has the façade frieze ion its apex gable. Its gable has a plain timber bargeboard carried by chamfered timber brackets with curved braces at left and right. The entrance is contained within a deep semicircular headed doorway with pole moulded reveal. Pair of three panelled timber doors, the bottom panel is smaller than the others and the top one curves with the head of the doorway. Central left panel has a brass letterbox. Porch has two concrete steps up from driveway; the bottom one is deep and flanked by chamfered brick dwarf walls. To left of the porch is a small 2/2 (vertically divided) sash window. There is a similar window at ground floor of the left bay. At first floor of the left bay is a similar but taller window. At first floor, over the porch, is a pair of 1/1 sashes in a common opening. Top sashes are square and smaller than the bottom ones. There is a similar window to each floor of the right bay.

South elevation

This facade is two bays wide. Its roof ridge has no chimneys. Its left bay has a two storey canted bay window which has no eaves frieze. Its canted natural slate roof has ridge and eaves that are higher than the main roof. Terracotta roof ridge and hip knob. The front face of the bay window is wider and its cheeks and each floor contains a pair of 1/1 sashes (as those over front porch). The windows to each cheek are single 1/1 sashes and similarly detailed. The windows to first floor are within a Gothic headed opening with quatrefoil inset tympanum.

The right bay of the S elevation has a pair of sashes in common openings to each floor (as those above the porch on W elevation).

East elevation

The E elevation is three bays wide. The left one is gabled and has a plain bargeboard. The central one is flanked by chimneys on its roof ridge, the left one has four stacks and the right one has a pair of stacks. The left bay is abutted to ground floor by a single storey bay window. A brick parapet conceals its flat roof. Its left and right cheeks are shallow and blank. Its front wall has a single segmental opening containing three 1/1 sashes (top sashes are smaller). At first floor is a pair of taller 1/1 sashes in a Gothic headed opening which is detailed as those to the bay window on S elevation. The central bay has two openings to each floor, the right ones being narrower than the left ones. The latter each contain a pair of 1/1 sashes within common segmental headed openings. The ground floor right opening is a panelled door with segmental headed transom. Over at first floor is a 1/1 window. The right bay has a pair of 1/1 sashes in common openings to each floor.

North elevation

This elevation has three distinct bays - the left and right ones have gabled roofs and the central one has a hipped end. The left one advances forward beyond the line of the others.

The right cheek of the advancing left gable has a 2/2 sash window to left end on each floor. Its right end is abutted by the lean-to on the central bay. The left cheek of this block forms most of the W elevation of the house. The N gable of the left bay is abutted to ground floor by a single storey lean-to outhouse. Outhouse has a lean-to natural slate roof (hipped to left end) and exposed rafter tails. Walls as main block. Its left cheek is blank and flush with the W elevation of the main block. Its N facing wall has a pair of 2/2 (vertically divided) segmental headed sashes with granite cills. Its right cheek has a t+g sheeted door into the domestic yard.

The central bay of rear elevation is abutted completely by a lean-to under a cat-slide roof. Its front (N) wall has a 2/2 sash window at ground floor and a smaller similar window at first floor left. Its right cheek has a small lean-to porch at ground floor with t+g sheeted door on its N gable. At first floor is a 2/2 sash window. Its left cheek abuts the right cheek of the advancing left gable.

The right bay of rear elevation has a narrow and tall window (four paned) between ground and first floors (serving stairwell).

The domestic yard is enclosed on N side by a single storey outbuilding. Its N and E walls are the yard walls and are blank. Its W wall is abutted by a modern single storey garage (of no interest). The outbuilding has a pitched natural slate roof, with corrugated metal portion to W end. Its S (yard facing) wall has an opening at left and rest has a central t+g sheeted door flanked by 2/2 (vertically divided) sash windows.

Setting

Garden is raised and the S and E elevations of the house are prominent from the roadside. The entrance to Well Road has granite piers carrying wrought iron gates. Driveway runs W then N to a parking area to W side of house. Rest of garden is in lawns with mature planting to S of house.

Historical information

First cited in the Valuation revision book entry for 1904. Shown on the 1919 OS map as ‘Manse’.

Primary sources
1. Valuation revision book (PRONI: VAL 12B/22/23E, p.124).
2. OS 6” map 1919, Co Down sheet 54 (PRONI: OS 6/3/54/3).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This attractive Gothic Revival style manse, built 1904, is well detailed in red brick with good polychrome detailing. It stands on a prominent hill side garden.