Tullymurry House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A symmetrical two-storey /three bay, L-shaped house set in attractive mature grounds and accessed up a long driveway from W end of the Tullymurry Road. Front elevation faces S with a second, road front facing E.

Pitched natural slate roof is hipped at W end and has advanced brick eaves course with half-round metal rainwater goods. Two corbelled and rendered chimneys to main roof – one to left (W) gable and one on ridge between the central and right bays. The other (return) roof ridge (at rear) has two chimneys – one on its end (N) gable and the other half way along the ridge. Return roof has a small attic skylight. The walls are harled rubble stone and the S and E elevations are heavily overgrown with trimmed ivy.

Principal elevation faces S. Central bay is half the width of the other two bays and contains the front entrance. Two low stone steps rise to the Georgian door which has six-raised and fielded panels and without a letterbox.

Doorcase is of painted timber with large moulded pilasters on square bases rising to moulded brackets. These support a moulded entablature canopy with angled dentils. The canopy has a diminishing moulded roof that terminates just below the central first floor window.

There is a single window above the doorcase and the left and right bays each have two windows at ground and first floors. All windows are 6/6 exposed box sliding sashes without horns and with painted stone cills . All windows are equally spaced and retain their crown glass.

Right (E) elevation is symmetrical and incorporates the E side of the rear return. It has five windows (as those to façade) to each floor. The central one and right end one at to first floor have been replaced and have modern glass.

End (N) gable of the rear return is smooth rendered with a small 2/2 sash window set to the right of ground floor. The W facing cheek of this return is almost completely abutted by a one and half storey annex (see later). The remaining wall of the return is dashed and has a small 3/3 window at first floor left and a 3 paned window at first floor right. Ground floor right at corner with rear wall of main house has a small lean-to with a slate roof and a segmental headed 1/1 margin paned sash window.

Annex has a pitched natural slate roof aligned W-E with its E gable abutting the rear return. It has a tall dashed chimney to roughly centre of its ridge. Walls are dashed with smooth rendered basecourse. Its N facing elevation has from left to right: a t&g sheeted door, a 2/2 fixed window with cill, a t+g sheeted door, a pair of full height t+g sheeted barn doors. Its end (W) gable is blank but for two small windows in attic gable. Its rear (S) elevation fronts a narrow passage and runs parallel to the rear wall of the main house. This elevation is not dashed. It has a doorway to left and a Georgian glazed modern window at right.

The rear (N) elevation of the main house is blank and exposed rubble stone.

Left (W) gable has a window (as those to façade) set at left on each floor. The attic gable has two small 4/2 sash windows.

Setting:

The Tullymurry Road forms the SE boundary of the gardens and is lined with beech trees and beech hedges along its length parallel with the garden. Mature gardens of beech trees and rhododendron bushes. Main drive runs from S and is accessed from road by a pair of wrought iron gates with spearheads to the dog bars and main bars. They hang on one-piece dressed granite piers with pyramidal heads.

Historical information

A building is shown at this location on the 1834 OS 6" map, but it does not appear to share the same alignment as the present house. Unfortunately, the first Valuation map of around the same date is missing, so it is not possible to ascertain from the first Valuation book whether its dimensions match those of the present house. On balance, it is probably of mid 19th C date.

It is shown in its present form and captioned 'Tullymurry House' on the 1859 OS map, At the time of the 1862 Valuation, it was occupied by Dr J Marshall. Its valuation increases from £20 to £23 in 1877 on account of new outbuildings being erected. However, this reduces on £15 in 1892 on account of its dilapidated state.

Primary sources:
1. OS 6" map, 1834, Co Down sheet 41 (PRONI OS 6/3/41/1).
2. OS 6" map, 1859, Co Down sheet 41 (PRONI OS 6/3/41/2).
3. Second valuation book, 1862 (PRONI VAL 2B/3/58B, plot 10).
4. Valuation revision book, 1877 (PRONI VAL 12B/22/9A, p.55).
5. Valuation revision book, 1892 (PRONI VAL 12B/22/9C, p.69).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A symmetrical two-storey /three bay, L-shaped house. This attractive house has an impressive timber doorcase, along with many other original details. Mature gardens and an intact farmyard with assorted iron gates (HB16/14/008B) adds to its importance.