The Hill

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey with attic three-bay farmhouse built c.1840; rectangular plan form with modern two-storey rear return. Located at the end of a long lane off Ballydown Road approx 1mile south east of Banbridge town centre. Scheduled monument site DOW034006 adjacent to the south east.

Pitched natural slate roof with clay ridge tiles; replacement uPVC rainwater goods; red-brick chimneys with pots. Ruled-and-lined rendered walling with raised flush quoins; projecting plinth. Original 6/6 timber sliding sash windows; no horns; granite cills; cement moulded surrounds (unless otherwise stated). Four panelled bolection moulded timber front door with moulded surrounds and cast-iron ironmongery; three pane side lights with horizontal glazing bars and aprons; fan light over; all embraced by segmental arched opening with raised cement voussoir surround with enlarged key block. Granite steps.

The principal elevation faces north west and is symmetrically arranged. Centrally positioned door flanked by a single window. Three first floor windows directly over.

The left (north east) gable is symmetrically arranged. Two ground floor windows. Diminutive 3/3 attic sash window located in the gable head.

The rear (south east) elevation is asymmetrically arranged. Single uPVC replacement first floor window to right bay. The remaining elevation is abutted by a two-storey flat roofed L-shaped return; timber casement picture windows throughout.

The right (south west) gable is asymmetrically arranged. Single modern timber glazed door to ground floor right with a single uPVC replacement first floor window directly over. Abutting rubble wall to the ground floor left.

Setting

The farmhouse is located on an elevated site overlooking rural landscape. Roughcast rendered square gate piers at entrance to site; surmounted by pyramidal caps with wrought-iron gates. The outbuildings to the rear vary from vernacular roughcast predating 1830 to 20th century corrugated iron structures. Early “K6” type telephone kiosk located adjacent to right gable.

Roofing: Natural slate
Walling: Render
Windows: Timber / uPVC
RWG: uPVC / cast iron

Historical information

Field inspection suggests that the Hill, a two-storey farmhouse, dates from c.1840s, however prior to this date a number of farm buildings and a previous dwelling had already been built on the site. The first edition of the Ordnance Survey map records that the original dwelling was situated to the south-east of the site (approximately where the modern two-storey return to the current house now stands). The map also notes that the two outbuildings to the south-east of the site date from at least 1833; a number of other outbuildings appear on this map to the south east and east, however they have since been replaced with 20th century corrugated iron structures. The current house on the site was constructed between 1833 and 1859 when it was first depicted on the second edition of the Ordnance Survey map. The new house abutted the original dwelling which extended from the rear of its south-west elevation and stood until at least the 1970s.

The contemporary Griffith’s Valuation of 1859 records that The Hill, and its farm buildings, were occupied by a Mr. John H. Crothers, who was described as a Gentleman (PRONI Wills). The valuer noted that Crothers let the property from John. Joseph Whyte, a member of the landowning Whyte family of Loughbrickland who administered a large estate in the area; the site was valued at £16 in 1859.

John H. Crothers continued to occupy The Hill until c.1892 when a Mr. Hugh Glass briefly came into possession. The PRONI Wills Catalogue holds a will for a Mr. Hugh Glass, a solicitor from Banbridge; however his death occurred in December 1891 at which time his widow took over sole possession of their dwelling which was named ‘The Lodge’ (the Ordnance Survey maps first name the site as ‘The Hill’ in 1902-03. The Annual Revisions continue to record the occupant as Hugh Glass until 1895 when Thomas Mathers, a farmer, took over possession of the site.

The Mathers family have continued to reside at The Hill since c. 1895; the 1901 Census records that Mathers (30, Methodist) resided at the farm with his wife and their young family. The Census Building Return described the farmhouse as a 1st class dwelling that consisted of nine rooms and possessed a number of out offices including a stable, cow house, piggery, boiling house and a barn which were located in the out buildings to the south and east of the house. In 1908 Mathers purchased the site from the Whyte estate; however in 1911 the census of that year downgraded Mathers’ site to a 2nd class dwelling. Thomas Mathers continued to reside at the Hill until the end of the Annual Revisions in the area in 1929; the value of the site remained at £16 throughout this period.

The Hill continues to be occupied by the Mathers family. The Hill was listed in 1977 and since that time the original dwelling which abutted the rear of the current house has been demolished and replaced with a modern two-storey return. This change occurred sometime after the site was depicted on the 1975 Ordnance Survey map which continued to depict the original dwelling. The original farm buildings to the east and south-east of the house have also since been replaced with modern corrugated-iron outbuildings.

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/34/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/3/34/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey map 1859
3. PRONI OS/6/3/34/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey map 1902-1903
4. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/64/A – Griffiths Valuation c. 1862
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/6/A – Annual Revisions 1864-1874
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/6/C – Annual Revisions 1874-1884
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/6/E – Annual Revisions 1885-1894
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/6/F – Annual Revisions 1895-1906
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/6/G – Annual Revisions 1906-1914
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/6/H – Annual Revisions 1915-1929
11. PRONI Wills Catalogue (14 Nov 1865; 13 Nov 1869; 10 Dec 1891)
12. Ulster Towns Directories (1861-1918)
13. Census of Ireland 1901 / 1911
14. First Survey Record - HB17/07/040 (1972)
15. Ordnance Survey Map – 221-9 (1975)

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 two-storey with attic three-bay farmhouse built c.1840. Overall character and proportions survive and early 20th century decoration adds interest. The rear extension detracts from the main building but the original building survives virtually intact with detailing and fabric as well as its plan form. Its setting survives with the yard of earlier farm buildings adding to its interest and representing the evolution of the smallholding. Generally a good largely unaltered example of a building of this type.