Woodbank

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A symmetrical three-bay, two-storey-over-semi-basement detached Georgian house with outbuildings and gate lodge, built c.1780 and extended c.1860; situated on a large mature site west of Moyallen Road north of Gilford. Rectangular plan with full-height bowed bays; modern uPVC conservatory to southwest. Abutted to rear by a two-storey L-shaped return and extension (c.1880).

Hipped natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and rendered chimneystacks, each having seven tall terracotta pots. Cast-iron rainwater goods on ovolvo moulded eaves course with cast-iron hoppers. Walling is block marked cement rendered with quoins and corbel course between basement and ground floor. Windows are uPVC replacements in simple smooth rendered architraves with stone sills (unless otherwise stated). Ground floor windows to bow bays have dividing pilasters.

The principal elevation faces northwest and is five openings wide to first floor and basement. Central entrance comprises later Tuscan entrance porch with round-headed margin-paned timber sliding sash windows. Eight-panelled timber entrance door with transom light in moulded architrave, accessed by four enclosed sandstone steps; corner pilasters with entablature. Porch is flanked by two 2/2 narrow timber windows. Basement enclosed by parapet wall and decorative painted railings.

The northeast elevation has bow bay to right with three windows to first floor and a tripartite window to ground floor. Left section has two windows to first floor and a large window insertion to ground floor.

The rear (southeast) elevation has two widely spaced windows to first floor and three windows in deep reveals to ground floor; abutted at right by a single-storey entrance porch. Abutted at left by the two-storey return and extension. The rear return houses a cloakroom and toilet; abutted by the extension (both c.1880) which is a separate dwelling (not accessed). Northeast has a recessed bay to right with projecting entrance porch containing a modern half-panelled timber door. Projecting bay to left (toilet block) has replacement fenestration. Extension comprises entrance bay to left with an original full-length timber panelled and glazed porch to ground floor containing a four-panelled timber door. The northwest elevation has a variety of fenestration, including a segmental-arched window to far left and two large multi-paned windows to ground floor right.

The southwest elevation has bow bay at left with three windows to first floor and a large plate glass window insertion to ground floor. Right bay has a window to centre and a uPVC double-leaf door with transom light to ground floor; abutted by the uPVC conservatory.

Setting

Situated on a large mature site surrounded by farmland and bounded by mature trees; accessed from east via a tree-lined driveway. Gravelled to front and lawned to three sides. Swimming-pool to rear. Paved yard to rear of house enclosed by decorative cast-iron gate and railings. Tarmacadamed yard to east with an L-shaped block of two-storey smooth rendered outbuildings with tin roof (those to east perhaps with Belfast roof truss) and carriageway entrance to right. Variety of timber-sheeted doors and some timber casement windows.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Smooth render
Windows: uPVC
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

Woodbank is a former linen bleacher’s house, built in the late eighteenth century by Abraham Atkinson, linen draper of Stramore, on the site of an older house of the late seventeenth century. The house appears on the first edition OS map of 1834, captioned ‘Wood Bank’ as a house on a roughly rectangular plan, close to the course of the River Bann, with outbuildings to the south and east and an uncaptioned gatelodge to the north. The house is surrounded by expanses of open ground divided by rows of trees, which are likely to have been at one time bleach greens. The second edition of 1858 shows changes in the plan form including a more substantial rear return and valuation records suggest that remodelling took place c.1860 when the house was taken over by James Dickson. By 1858 the gatelodge to the north has gone and has been replaced with one further south along the Moyallan Road.

These lands adjoining Gilford were originally settled by the Kennedy family who built a house here in 1693 and appear to have been farmers and linen bleachers. The Kennedys lived at Woodbank until 1791 when their lands, which included the plots that Bannvale, Elmfield and Woodbank now stand on, was divided up and the leases sold. A survey of the townland of Ballymacanallen dating from 1800 shows a two-storey house, without the bow-end that is present today, as the property of Abraham. Having built Woodbank, Abraham Atkinson died in 1809 and the house and lands passed to James Christy of Stramore, partner in the Moyallon Vitriol Company, and on Christy’s death in 1820 to his daughter Mary Bell. Mary Bell lived with her husband, Abraham Bell, in New York where he ran a Quaker shipping and commission agents. The house appears to have been let to various tenants during the period following Atkinson’s death, including William Dawson, a relative and business associate of the Christys. (Rankin)

When Mary Bell died in 1832, her husband Abraham Bell inherited Woodbank and the tenant at this period was linen merchant Hugh Law. (Rankin) Law built a mill (now gone) in the village of Gilford c.1830 but the venture seems to have been shortlived and the land on which the mill was built was sold shortly afterwards to Dunbar McMaster who built their own spinning mill on a plot further to the north. (Valuation Records; Logan)

The Townland Valuation of 1828-40 notes the occupier as Hugh Law, the house and offices being valued at £34.8s. Dimensions are given for the house and numerous outbuildings including a ‘lapping room’, a large airy room lined with windows where the bleached linen would be measured and folded into lengths before being taken to a linen hall to be sold. A mill house is also listed suggesting that there was a bleach mill on the site.

The house and land was auctioned in 1861 and bought by James Dickson of neighbouring Elmfield House for £2,500 and in Griffith’s Valuation James Dickson is listed as the occupier. (Rankin; Valuation Records) The valuer notes that Dickson’s brother-in-law, John Blair, was actually living in the house but that this was ‘probably only a temporary occupation’. Dimensions are given for the house and outbuildings and a gate house is also listed. The valuation is initially £16 but is raised to £25 and then £42, indicating remodelling and improvements at around this time. A ‘Gate Lodge’ is first captioned on the second edition of 1858.

The house was subsequently let to a series of tenants; Richard Falkner (1869), George G Tyrrell, solicitor (1870) and in the mid-1870s the tenant is listed as John George McMaster, brother of Hugh McMaster of Gilford Mill. Their younger brother, Henry Barnett McMaster, was also resident at this period. (Belfast Newsletter). The rent was said to be £100 per year.

By 1881 the house had been purchased by Joseph Collen who was a brother in the firm Collen Bros, building contractors, a firm which is still in existence today and has been associated with some very significant Irish buildings, such as the main hall of the Royal Dublin Society (1884). (www.dia.ie) Although some of the appearance of the house, including the gate lodge, is consistent with a date of c.1880, valuation records do not record any rises in the valuation after Joseph Collen bought the house. In 1886 Collen began to advertise the house in the pages of the Belfast Newsletter, “Gentleman’s residence. To be let or sold, that beautiful residence known as Woodbank...The Grounds and Lands contain 51a 3r 27p Statute measure and are beautifully planted &c. The River Bann flows round one side and the Moyallon Road...the other side. This district is one of the nicest in the North. The Dwelling-house is in good order, and has all the necessary accommodation for a Gentleman’s Family. The Offices and Yard are good, and well situated. There is a good Garden and in fact everything that is desired for a Country Residence. All of the Land is of best quality and is under Grass. It is held for ever at the yearly rent of £12. For further particulars, apply to Joseph Collen.”

By 1892 the Collen Brothers had let the house to St John Braddell who lived in the house for some years and was still present at the time of the 1901 census. Braddell was a retired and pensioned first clerk in the record and writ office at the four courts in Dublin. The pages of the Belfast Newsletter reveal that Joseph Collen had advertised for a tenant for some considerable time and may have met Braddell because Collen Bros had been engaged to build a new law library at the Four Courts. This building was completed between 1894 and 1896. (www.dia.ie) Braddell was a native of Cork and lived with his Waterford wife and two adult sons who derived their income from land. The family had a staff of three, all young women from County Tyrone, a cook, a housemaid and a kitchen maid.

However, by 1906 the house was again vacant and the 1911 census captures the tenancy of William James Strain, farmer, who was living in the house with his wife, five young children and his mother-in-law, together with three older men who were working as farm labourers. Strain was the tenant until 1921 when the house was taken over by David Huston. In around 1930 the house was bought as a wedding present for Frederick Maynard Sinton who unfortunately died in a car accident in 1936 (Rankin; Will of F M Sinton). His widow and their children continued to live in the house. The Sintons are descendants of Thomas Sinton, the founder of linen manufacturing firm Thomas Sinton and Co Ltd of Tandragee, a firm which was active until the early 1990s. (Rankin) The house has been extended to the rear and the kitchen modernised.

The house remains in use as a dwelling.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/26/1 First Edition OS Map 1834
2. PRONI OS/6/3/26/2 Second Edition OS map 1858
3. PRONI OS/6/3/26/3 Third Edition OS Map 1901-2
4. PRONI OS/6/3/26/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1920-21
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/350 Townland Valuation (1828-40)
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/48C Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/8A-F Annual Revisions (1864-1930)
8. PRONI VAL/12/F/4/12/2 Annual Revisions (1930-35)
9. PRONI Will of F M Sinton, died 1936
10. Belfast Newsletter, 9th February 1876
11. Belfast Newsletter, 9th July 1886

Secondary Sources

1. Logan, R A “A Window on the Past, A History of Gilford County Down” Banbridge Chronicle, (n.d.)
2. Rankin, K “The Linen Houses of the Bann Valley, The story of their families” Belfast, Ulster Historical Foundation, 2007
www.dia.ie

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A symmetrical three-bay, two-storey-over-basement detached Georgian house with outbuildings, built c.1780 and extended c.1880; situated on a large mature site. Despite replacement uPVC windows throughout, architectural detailing is largely intact and the building retains much of its external character and original composition. Much historic fabric and detailing survives and the setting and associated outbuildings contribute to the historic interest of the building. The gate lodge (HB17/01/033B) forms part of the group. The house is a good example of an earlier house extended and updated in Victorian times and demonstrating this progression, relating to the development of the linen industry in the area..

General comments

Please note this record has been renumbered is was previously recorded as HB17/01/033