The Park

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey three-bay farm house pre-dating 1834. Rectangular plan form with linear abutments. Located off Park Road approximately 2 miles south east of Dromara village.

Pitched natural slate roof with clay ridge tiles; replacement uPVC rainwater goods; roughcast rendered chimneys with corbelled upper courses with replacement pots. Painted smooth rendered walling; undercut plinth. Replacement 2/2 double glazed timber sliding sash with vertical glazing bars; masonry cills; slightly projecting contrasting rendered reveals; first floor windows diminished in height. Four (raised-and-fielded) panelled door with bolection mouldings and beaded muntin; brass ironmongery; square-headed tripartite overlight.

The principal elevation faces north and is symmetrically arranged. Centrally positioned front floor with windows either side; first floor windows directly over.

The left gable has a single first floor window. Abutted at ground floor level by a gabled single storey former outbuilding set back from main block. Double leaf doors at left with single window to the right; to north, single storey lean-to outshot to re-entrant angle; blank gable; rear comprises single window to the left, bipartite window to the right.

The rear elevation is symmetrically arranged. Central projected wind-break porch with timber sheeted door; single windows either side at ground floor and central diminished-in-scale first floor window.

The right gable has a single first floor window right of centre.

Setting

The building forms part of a group of historic single and two-storey farm buildings set in a rural landscape. The buildings are secluded and screened from public view by the natural landscape and vegetation. The site is accessed via replacement gates on squared rough cast piers with pyramidal caps; adjoining rendered walls. Sweeping curved private lane lined with hedgerows. The lane terminates at the rear yard via a secondary set of wrought-iron gates. The yard is enclosed by single-storey outbuildings and stables; smooth painted rendered walling, pitched natural slate roofs; timber sheeted doors and fixed timber framed lights. Abutting the stable is a one-and-a-half storey cottage; converted into rented holiday accommodation; smooth painted rendered; pitched natural slate roof; replacement top hung casement windows with glazing bars; replacement timber framed door with glazed panels. The interior significantly altered; kitchen hearth modified. Further south is a two-storey outbuilding with exposed rubble masonry walling; cut masonry quoins; brick surrounds to openings; timber lintel over gable first floor opening; ramped earth to first floor on the east elevation; timber sheeted and corrugated-iron door; pitched slated roof. North of the yard is a modern single-storey stable block. Small garden addressing to the front elevation of the house; various other historic wrought-iron and cast-iron gates located throughout the site with rubble masonry walls and piers.

Roofing: Natural slate
Walling : render
Windows: Timber
RWG: uPVC

Historical information

The Park consists of two early-19th century farmhouses that were constructed prior to the first edition of the Ordnance Survey map in 1834; the map notes that both current dwellings had been constructed by that date. The two-storey farmhouse is situated to the north of the site whilst a one-and-a-half-storey cottage is located to it's south side. In the 1830s The Park was the residence of Joseph and David Campbell, local farmers who resided in the separate farmhouses. The Townland Valuations note that David Campbell lived in the north most dwelling which was valued at £3 13s. (and is currently utilised as the main dwelling) whilst his brother Joseph resided in the southern house which was valued £4 7s.

By the second edition of the Ordnance Survey map in 1859 there had been little discernible alteration made to either dwelling although by Griffith’s Valuation (c. 1861) David Campbell had vacated the site and his northern house was occupied by Joseph Campbell; Joseph’s southern house was subsequently occupied by a Mr. John Campbell (unknown relation). The northern house may have undergone some alteration between 1834 and c. 1861 as the value of the property was increased to £5 10s. by the latter date; there was only a small increase in the value of the southern house from £4 7s. to £4 10s. Griffiths Valuation notes that both John and Joseph Campbell let their properties from Arthur Edwin Hill-Trevor (1st Baronet Trevor) son of the Marquis of Downshire.

In 1884 Joseph Campbell vacated the northern house (presumably upon his death) and was replaced as occupant by John Campbell’s son, John Campbell Jnr. John Campbell Snr. died in 1894 at which time he appears to have been residing at a property named ‘New House’ in Crossgar (PRONI Wills). Upon John Campbell’s death the southern house was occupied by Joseph McCance, John Campbell’s nephew.

In 1901 the southern farmhouse lay vacant and was not recorded in the census of that year, both John Campbell (75, Presbyterian) and Joseph McCance (36, same) were described as farmers and resided at The Park with a number of servants and John Campbell’s sister Eliza (59). The census building return described the northern house as a 2nd class dwelling that consisted of three rooms and possessed a large number of outbuildings including three stables, three cow houses, two piggeries and a barn amongst its out offices.

John Campbell vacated the site by 1909 when Joseph McCance was recorded as occupant of both properties; the 1911 Census notes that McCance resided at the northern house with his wife Agnes (39), his Aunt Eliza and a number of farm and domestic servants. Although the 1901 census building return noted that the northern dwelling possessed only three rooms, in 1911 the census noted that it consisted of nine rooms; this inconsistency is likely an error as there does not appear to have been any alteration to the site on the later editions of the Ordnance Survey maps (1902; 1919-20) and there was no change in the valuation of the site during the period which would have resulted from alteration work. Joseph McCance continued to reside at The Park until his own death in 1937 at which time his widow Agnes came into possession (PRONI Wills).

When the First Survey visited the site in 1969 ownership of The Park had reverted to the Campbell family when a Mr. J. D. Campbell was recorded as occupant. The Park was listed in 1977 and continues to be occupied. There have been modern alterations to the northern dwelling. The outbuildings and additional dwelling survive.

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/29/1 – First edition Ordnance Survey map 1834
2. PRONI OS/6/3/29/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey map 1859
3. PRONI OS/6/3/29/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey map 1902
4. PRONI OS/6/3/29/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey map 1919-1920
5. PRONI VAL/1/A/3/29 – Townland Valuation map 1833
6. PRONI VAL/1/B/356 – Townland Valuation c. 1830
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/50A – Griffith’s Valuation c. 1861
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/9A – Annual Revisions 1864-1874
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/9B – Annual Revisions 1875-1884
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/9C – Annual Revisions 1885-1897
11. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/9D – Annual Revisions 1898-1911
12. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/9E – Annual Revisions 1912-1929
13. PRONI Wills Catalogue (8 Apr 1894; 10 Nov 1937)
14. Census of Ireland (1901 / 1911)
15. First Survey Record – HB17/11/015 (1969)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A two-storey three-bay farm house pre-dating 1834. The dwelling and the associated outbuildings form a good example of a historic rural smallholding with much of the original character, style and proportions surviving. Although there have been some alterations and modernisation, many historic features of interest survive. The outbuildings and setting add are much as originally developed. The whole is a good example of the type of small farmhouse and yard that is becoming increasingly rare hereabouts.