Warringsford Orange Hall

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached symmetrical single-storey roughcast rendered Orange Hall, dated 1907 and located to the north side of Tullinisky Road in the hamlet of Waringsford. Rectangular on plan with projecting gabled entrance porch and modern concrete block lean-to abutment to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles and plain bargeboards to gables; yellow-brick chimneystacks to gables and finial to porch. Plastic rainwater goods on projecting eaves with replacement fascias and soffits. Walling is painted rough-cast render on a painted brick plinth with angle buttresses; rubble stone plinth course to rear; dentilled string course to gables at eaves level. Windows are replacement timber casements with projecting painted sills surmounted by camber-headed flush brick voussoirs with keyblock.

The principal elevation faces south and is symmetrically arranged with two windows to either side of a projecting gabled porch. Porch has angle buttresses and square-headed double-leaf six-panelled timber door in stop-end chamfered recess accessed via a concrete step; corbelled timber drip mould and inscribed marble plaque to gable reading “WARINGSFORD/ ORANGE HALL/ SITE GRANTED FREE BY/ W.C.HERON ESQ. J.P.D.L./ OPENED 5TH NOVR 1907/BY MRS R.M.LIDDELL”. Camber-headed leaded-and-stained glass window to left and right cheek.

The west gable is blank.

The north (rear) elevation has three windows; to left of centre is a concrete block lean-to abutment (of no interest).

The east elevation is blank.

Setting

Situated on its own small plot to the north side of Tullinisky Road, adjacent to a modern housing development to west. Gravelled to front and sides, enclosed by mature hedgerow and bounded to road to south by roughcast rendered wall on a contrasting plinth with saddleback coping.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: roughcast
Windows: timber
RWG: Plastic

Historical information

Waringsford Orange Hall (dated 1907) is first shown on the fourth edition OS map (1903-20) as a rectangular structure with front porch captioned ‘Orange Hall’. The building enters valuation records in 1909, the tenants were the Trustees of the Orange Society, and the hall was leased from William C Heron. The Hall was valued at £4 and the surrounding garden at 5s. Valuer’s notes gave the dimensions as 44x24x16 and 8x7x12 for the porch.

Waringsford was established when Henry Waring (d.1716), fifth son of William Waring of Waringstown, built a mansion house on a site to the north east of the present village. However, the growth of the village can be attributed to Ervine’s Grain Mill which was a successful enterprise up until at least the 1970s. (Musgrave and Thompson)

The hall was opened in 1907 on a site granted by William Cowan Heron, of ‘Altafort’ in Skeagh, a prominent local benefactor, Deputy Lieutenant of the County and JP, perhaps best remembered for the Cowan Heron Hospital in Dromore. (Doloughan) Over the years, as well as providing a home for a number of bands and lodges, the hall has hosted fund raising concerts and social events. Latterly it has been a base for the Waringsford and Tullinisky Community Development Association. (Dromore Leader)

Not long after its opening, the hall was immortalised in a song written by Private W H Wallace, later killed in France in 1915, “Although it is a village small in the West of County Down, In the Parish of Garvaghy, three miles from Dromore Town – Our Orange standard’s planted there, the cause we will maintain, Within our lovely Orange Hall in Waringsford Demesne”. (http://voiceofulster.blogspot.co.uk)

The hall was re-opened in September 2007 after a thorough renovation programme. Officers and members of the lodge gave their time and efforts and some materials were donated. The professional tradesmen involved were Alistair Farrell (electrician), James Kerr (plumber), C & P Plastering and AB Kitchens. (Banbridge Leader) Tens of thousands of pounds were spent on the hall, gathered by means of grant-aid and fundraising. The refurbishment included the additional of a new toilet block to the rear of the hall and the reconstruction of the roof. The hall was rewired and a new kitchen, ceiling and doors added. (Dromore Leader)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/28/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1903-20
2. PRONI VAL/12/F/4/2/4 Annual Revisions (1930-35)
3. PRONI VAL/12/A/3/6 Valuers Notes 1909
4. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/2 First General Revaluation (1933-57)
5. PRONI VAL/3/D/4/3/H/6 First General Revaluation (1933-57)
6. Banbridge Leader 17th September 2007
7. Dromore Leader 7th September 2007

Secondary Sources

1. Doloughan, A “When Ballyvicknakelly School closed its Doors” Dromore and District Local Historical Group Journal, Volume 4 (available at www.lisburn.com)
2. Musgrave, G and Thompson, P “A Rough Field, The Story of Garvaghy Parish County Down” (available at www.lisburn.com)
3. (http://voiceofulster.blogspot.co.uk)n

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A detached symmetrical single-storey roughcast rendered Orange Hall, dated 1907. An example of a modest early twentieth-century rural Orange Hall, which appears to have retained much of its simple detailing and character. However, it is of a late date and not one of the best examples of the type and its interest has been compromised by extensive interior alterations.