Monteith

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Small one and a half storey late Georgian house which may originally have been a mill manager’s house, set in a mature site with a number of outbuildings and a former dwelling, 5 miles SE of Banbridge.

The house is T-shaped with the front elevation facing West. It is approached from the road via a dog legged drive. Wrought iron gates and circular rendered pillars provide the entrance from this drive to the house itself.

Front elevation (W) is symmetrical with a central 8 panelled door (panels are set flush with the framing), with ¾ length glazed lights to each side and a spoked segmental fanlight. The door jambs are reeded. The whole arrangement is set in a moulded projecting classical surround. To either side is a 6/6 timber sliding sash window also set in a moulded projecting surround with a central keystone. There is a projecting plinth and eaves and alternating quoins. The wall is finished in a hard roughcast render. To the left is a simple circular field stone pillar with a pedestrian wrought iron gate. There is an ogee cast iron gutter, but no downpipes. The rain water may well be connected along the North elevation to the water tank at the rear. The return has half round cast iron guttering and downpipes.

The North gable is rendered as the front with only 2 openings on the first floor. They have timber sliding sash windows, one 6/6 and the other 1/1. Apart from the front elevation all other openings are without surrounds.

The South gable is rendered as the front with a concrete block single storey lean-to shed, now roofless and evidence of where a small conservatory was once attached. There is a single window opening to the first floor. Window boarded over.

The roof has natural blue/black slate with a blue terracotta ridge tile and rendered chimney stacks at each gable. The verges have raised skews.

The rear elevation has a single 6/6 timber sliding sash window on the ground floor to the south of the return.

The return is rectangular and roughcast rendered with a pitched and natural slated roof. There is a rendered chimney stack, set in from the gable.

The South elevation of the return has a 4 panelled timber door on the ground floor and a 6/6 timber sliding sash window beside it. On the first floor are two 4/4 timber sliding sash windows. The East gable is plain rendered with a vertically sheeted timber door at first floor, which leads to higher ground at the rear via a first floor bridge. According to the present owner this door gives access to a small workshop that is not accessible from the main house.

On the North side of the return is a small rendered projection supporting a cast iron water tank.

There are various other buildings on the site with mostly a farming use. To the South is a small brick and stone chicken house, now in poor condition. To the SW is a former potato house, stable and pig house. It is partly single and partly 2 storey – rendered rubble stone walls with a pitched natural slate roof. At the roadside further to the West is a single storey dwelling with a storage area underneath. This is of rubble stone construction, rendered and with a pitched natural slate roof.

To the SE are a number of agricultural outbuildings. A range of now roofless, stone single storey byres and pig houses, a barrel vaulted silo and a substantial stone, gabled barn with red brick dressings to the openings. This has a natural slate roof.

Historical information

A building is shown on the first and second OS maps of 1838 and 1861 of the same size, position and orientation as the current house, without the return. The return is shown on the third OS map of 1931.

The first valuation records a house measuring 42’ 9 x 26’ 0 and 14’ 6 high. This may well be the same house that exists today. It is likely that its appearance may have been less formal, as the current render and door and window surround mouldings are cement based and are more likely to have been added in the later nineteenth century. The first valuation also record that there was a corn mill (18’ 0 x 18’ 0 x 16’ 0) and 2 corn kilns (39’ 6 x 20’ 0 x 8’ 6) and (39’ 6 x 19’ 6 x 12’ 0) on the site. The corm mill is situated across the road and has been converted to a dwelling. It is possible that the potato house and stable was originally one of these corn kilns. The mill had a 15’ 6 x 4’ 6 overshot wheel with a ‘good supply of water in winter’. There were also offices (41’ 0 x 21’ 0 x 6’ 6).

In 1838 the house and mill complex was owned by the Marquis of Downshire and leased to Abel McClelland. In 1861 the house was leased to Martha McClelland. In 1903 it was leased to a Mr Mulligan and by 1928 it had passed into the ownership of Rachel Jelly a relation of the current owner.

References:
Primary sources:

1. PRONI VAL/1A/3/34 Ordnance Survey Valuation Map, 1st Ed 1838 Down sheet 34
2. PRONI VAL/1B/352 First Valuation, Parish of Annaclone 1838
3. PRONI VAL/2A/3/34 Ordnance Survey Valuation Map, 2nd Edition 1861 Down sheet 34
4. PRONI VAL/2B/3/56 Second Valuation, Parish of Annaclone 1861
5. PRONI VAL/12B/126/1A – 1E revisions to the Second Valuation
6. Ordnance Survey Map, 3rd Edition 1931

Secondary Sources:
1. EHS Monumnents and Buildings Record. IHR 03298.000.00 (Corn Mill)
2. EHS Monuments and Buildings Record. SMR DOW 34: 46 (enclosure)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Good quality one and a half storey late Georgian house, with a mixture of formal and vernacular detailing.

General comments

*BUILDING PRESERVATION NOTICE DATED 23/08/2005*