Leaburn House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A modified two-storey three-bay detached rendered house pre-dating 1833 and located to the west side of Dunbar Road north of Banbridge town centre. Rectangular on plan with two-storey return and lean-to porch to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles, raised verges and rendered chimneystacks to gables each having a single tall terracotta pot (remainder removed). Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods on projecting eaves. Walling is ruled-and-lined render with raised quoins; roughcast render to rear and gables. Windows are replacement 2/2 timber-framed sliding sash with horns and projecting painted sills, diminished to first floor.

The principal elevation faces east and is symmetrically arranged with five openings to each floor. To centre at ground floor is a elliptical-headed doorcase with moulded archivolt on panelled pilasters; four-panelled timber door with spider-web fanlight is flanked by three-pane side-lights and paired pilasters; accessed via a single granite step.

The south gable is blank.

The west (rear) elevation is abutted to right by the two-storey return with lean-to porch. Two diminutive 2/2 windows to first floor left and 2/2 window to ground floor left. Return has two windows to first and ground floor; angled entrance to porch at left has a half-panelled timber glazed door.

The north gable is blank.

Setting

Situated at the end of a narrow road with lane to northwest leading to Huntly Road; Bann river directly to east bounded by rubble stone wall having modern foot bridge with plaque reading “To commemorate the crossing of King William III close to this point June 1690”. Modern housing development directly to south comprising red-brick two-storey detached and semi-detached houses with gabled dormers with gardens enclosed by modern timber fencing. Leaburn House is lawned to front with mature trees; bounded by low rubble stone wall topped by original railings with polygonal metal piers and latch gate to north with paved pathway to entrance door. Rear yard is bounded to road by a rubble stone and brick wall; accessed to north via a corrugated metal gate.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: render
Windows: timber
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

‘Leaburn House’ is a formalised vernacular gentleman’s residence, originally dating from c1800 (Historic Buildings Inspector's Report 1997) and altered in the mid-nineteenth century. The house has been substantially rebuilt since 2000 and very little original fabric remains.

A structure is shown on the site on the first edition OS map of 1833, but this small, square building appears to have been extended by the time of the second edition of 1860, where it is captioned ‘Leeburn Cott[age]’. The Townland Valuation map for the area is unfortunately missing, making it impossible to identify the early occupier of the building. A row of cottages that appear behind the house on the 1860 edition was known as ‘Jonathan’s Row’, alluding to Jonathan Matchett of ‘Leeburn’, who is listed as a thread manufacturer in an 1843/4 Directory (Belfast Post Office Directory 1843/4)

In Griffith’s Valuation of 1863 the house was listed as the home of Thomas Weir, who leased the property from William Hayes, linen merchant of nearby Millmount House. The house and outbuilding were valued at £7.5s and the property was situated on a small plot of land measuring one rood. The valuer describes the house as plastered and stone finished. It is ‘very neat’ and measures 15 yds by 16 and is 13 feet high.

In 1871 the house was taken over by Jonathan Matchett, perhaps the same man who occupied the house in the 1840s, or perhaps a son. Matchett was followed by Joseph Bell in 1885, Robert Lucas in 1898 and William Neill in 1904. Resident at the time of the 1911 census was Eliza Downey, a 66-year-old widow who lived with her two adult children and their spouses, and her one-year-old grandson. Her son and daughter were linen weavers while her daughter-in-law was a cloth marker, and her son-in-law a pork butcher. The census recorded the house as having seven windows and three rooms and designated it first class. The linen damask weaver, Francis Downey, took over the house in 1927, presumably on the death of his mother.

At the time of the First General Revaluation (1933/4) Francis Downey was leasing the house from the Representatives of John Moreton. The house and offices were valued at £7.5s later raised to £8. Downstairs was a lobby, two receptions, a kitchen and scullery and upstairs were four bedrooms. The valuer commented that the house was in moderate condition but the outhouses in the yard were dilapidated and the situation was poor. The rent was 5s per week later raised to 7s.

The building was listed in 1977 and in 1997 it was noted that the plan and detailing were all c1800 with some alterations made in the mid-nineteenth century to the chimneys, windows and doors. It was a ‘beautiful example’ of its type. By 1999 the house was completely derelict and had been vandalised. Photographs of 2001 show that the roof and part of the front facade had collapsed, no internal walls remained and the glazing had largely gone. (HB file) The house has now undergone a complete renovation and continues as a domestic dwelling.

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 1903
4. PRONI OS/6/3/27/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1903-18
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/41 Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/6A-H Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
7. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/21– First General Revaluation (1936-57)
8. PRONI VAL/3/D/4/3/E/5 – First General Revaluation (1933-57)
9. Belfast Post Office Directory 1843/4
10. NIEA HB file

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Leaburn House is a two-storey three-bay detached rendered house pre-dating 1833. Modified c.1860 to create a more formal design with symmetrical façade, the building has been renovated and refurbished again in recent years and has been substantially rebuilt since 2000 and very little original fabric remains. Loss of detailing includes a central chimneystack and original fenestration; the original doorcase and chimneystacks to gables have survived along with the original garden gates and railings. The setting has been compromised by development of land directly to south with modern red-brick housing and the loss of outbuildings to rear yard. Although of some local significance as one of the older buildings in the area, its interest has been compromised by extensive alterations and rebuilding.