Mutton Hill

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An asymmetrical one-and-a-half-storey three-bay roughcast rendered house with canted glazed porch addition; built c.1820 and remodelled c.1850; located to the north side of Dromore Road in Banbridge. Rectangular plan with polygonal porch to front; two-storey extension (c.1850) to rear creating parallel ridges; abutted at southeast by a single-storey porch.

Pitched natural slate roof with ridge tiles and raised verges; four tall roughcast rendered chimneystacks having tall clay pots. Mixture of cast-iron and extruded aluminium ogee rainwater goods on projecting eaves. Windows are replacement multi-paned timber casements (timber sliding sash where noted) with projecting granite sills; tripartite multi-paned dormer to southwest, canted oriel window to northwest elevation of rear block.

The principal elevation faces southwest; two multi-paned casement windows flank a polygonal multi-paned porch screening the original elliptical entrance; four-panelled timber entrance door with brass door furniture, spiderweb fanlight and geometric sidelights. Tripartite wall-head dormer 2/2 (vertical astragals) flanked by 2/2 (horizontal astragals) diminutive in width; glazed cheeks.

The northwest elevation has a 6/6 timber sliding sash window to left of centre at first floor and two to left of centre at ground floor. Extended by gable of rear extension which has a diminutive window to attic, canted oriel window to first floor, 6/6 to northwest with 2/2 to cheeks; multi-paned window to ground floor.

The northeast elevation is entirely abutted by the Victorian two-storey extension and single-storey lean-to porch. Rear extension has asymmetrical fenestration with two 6/6 windows to first floor and three windows at ground floor; lean-to porch to left is slightly recessed and has a modern glazed timber door and timber casement window; opening to southeast with a modern timber-sheeted door.

The southeast elevation has a projecting chimneybreast containing a 6/6 window to attic and multi-paned timber casement window to ground floor. Extended by gable of rear extension which has a 2/2 window to attic.

Setting

Set on an elevated rural site to the north side of Dromore Road. Accessed via a long tree-lined avenue. Gravelled driveway to front of house accessed via two roughcast rendered gate piers supporting replacement timber gates. Yard to rear accessed via a set of painted gate piers with pointed stone caps, having a variety of rendered and white-washed outbuildings all with timber-sheeted half-doors and some with original fenestration. The earliest is a rubble stone block to south abutting the southeast corner of the house; multi-paned window and timber-sheeted door to south gable; timber-sheeted half-doors to east elevation. Stable block to east has raised stone verges and weathervane with original wrought-iron latch-gate to southeast gable. To south of the yard is a Victorian slated dog kennel with wrought-iron railings and latch-gate.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Roughcast
Windows: Timber
RWG: Cast-iron / extruded aluminium

Historical information

The current Georgian dwelling house, in a gentrified vernacular idiom, is shown on the first edition OS map of 1833 as a structure of linear form. A range of outbuildings to the rear and twin gate lodges are also present. The house has clearly been remodelled by the time of the second edition of 1860 and extends much further to the rear. Gardens planted with trees and laid out in pathways surround the house at this time. The 1860 edition captions the house, ‘Mutton Hill’ and a ‘gate lodge’ is captioned at the head of the entrance driveway. Dean dates the gate lodge, now demolished, to c.1820 and gives a photograph and description. (Dean)

The house could not be identified in the Townland Valuation as the reference map is missing. By the time of Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) the occupier was William Campbell Evans who leased the house from James Henry MD. The house and outbuildings, including the gate lodge and a labourer’s house, were valued at £21.10s, the valuer commenting that the house had a south aspect and was in ‘a commanding situation, good view from house of Banbridge and district’. The associated land amounted to over 22 acres. Dimensions were given for the single-storey house, its two-storey return and a further single-storey addition to the rear. In 1873 the house was taken over by Elizabeth S Evans who died in 1885 and was followed in 1887 by Hugh N Simms, and William W Larmour in 1904. (Will of Bessie Sally Evans 28th July 1885; Belfast Newsletter 30th July 1885)

Hugh Neill Simms was a ‘bank accountant’ from Dublin who worked for the Provincial Bank in Banbridge and lived with his Tyrone wife and three daughters, aged 20, 14 and 9. (Census 1901; Belfast Newsletter 7th April 1891) The family employed a single domestic servant. The house had twelve rooms and was designated first class by the census.
William Wright Larmor was a civil engineer who lived with his Donegal wife. Larmor was assistant county surveyor for County Down and engineer to Banbridge Rural District Council during the period that he lived at Mutton Hill and was responsible for a number of manses, schools and at least one church in the area. (www.dia.ie)

In 1919 the gate lodge and labourer’s house were separated from the valuation of the main house and the valuation was consequently lowered to £17. Contemporary valuer’s notes give a plan and dimensions of the house and outbuildings. In 1922 the property passed to Frederick W Crothers and in 1954 to Sara Crothers, followed by Ivan Watson in 1955.

The First General Revaluation of 1933/4 saw the house revalued at £21 and £5.15s for agricultural outbuildings. Associated valuer’s notes give a plan of the house and outbuildings showing a number of single and double storey buildings to the rear, largely of rubble masonry and slate or tin-roofed and some wood and felt structures. The outbuildings included a wash house, byre, barn and garage.

The accommodation comprised: downstairs a square hall and two receptions at the front, a large kitchen, scullery, pantry and wash house. Upstairs were two attic bedrooms at the front, a bathroom and separate WC, two full storey bedrooms at the back, a maid’s room and attics used for storage only. The electric light, originally provided by a plant on the premises, was later from the town supply. The valuer commented that the house was old and had been modernised but was ‘of peculiar design internally’.

The house was listed in 1977 and repair works were undertaken in the late 1970s including renewal of external window shutters (now gone). In 1987 the original entrance porch was extended and the entrance doors moved to one side. (HB file)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/27/1 First Edition OS Map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/3/27/2 Second Edition OS map 1860
3. PRONI OS/6/3/27/3 Third Edition OS Map (c1900)
4. PRONI OS/6/3/27/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1903-18
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/348A Townland Valuation (1828-40)
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/64C Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
7. PRONI VAL/12/A/3/9 Valuer’s Notes (1919)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/6A-H Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/7A-C Annual Revisions (1899-1930)
10. PRONI VAL/12/F/4/1/1 Annual Revisions (1930-35)
11. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/4 First General Revaluation (1936-57)
12. PRONI VAL/3/D/4/3/E/2 First General Revaluation (1933-57)
13. PRONI Will of Bessie Sally Evans died 28th July 1885
14. Belfast Newsletter 30th July 1885
15. NIEA HB file

Secondary Sources

1. Dean, J. A. K. “The Gate Lodges of Ulster: A Gazetteer.” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1994.
2. www.dia.i.e.

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A one-and-a-half-storey three-bay roughcast rendered house built c.1820 and remodelled c.1850. Mutton Hill is an unusual house in a gentrified vernacular idiom, with polygonal glazed porch. An architectural hybrid of the Georgian and Victorian styles, historic fabric from both periods has survived and much character has been preserved. The Victorian modifications have resulted in a floor plan of note. The various outbuildings to the rear yard add to the interest of the site and the setting of the house. This is a good example of developed vernacular in virtually original condition.