Ballymacarron House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Ballymacarron House is a large two storey gentleman farmer’s residence of c.1840s with a hipped roof and semi basement. It is set at the end of a long curving drive to the E of the Ringdufferin Road, c.3 miles N of Killyleagh.

The front (E) façade is symmetrical. In the centre of the ground floor are a broad flight of stone steps (bordered by a box hedge) which lead to the entrance. The entrance has been greatly altered (possibly c.1960) and consists of a plain sheeted door with narrow four pane ‘sidelights’. The area immediately around the door and sidelights is finished in cement render and the whole ensemble is enclosed with plain ‘pilasters’ which link to an equally plain entablature with simple cornice. This surround may be original, however its clean lines look modern. The marking on the render above the entablature suggests it may have been topped with a blocking course at one point. Did this entrance once have a portico?

To the left of the entrance are two sash windows with Georgian panes (6 over 6) and two the right are two more sash windows, this time with horizontal glazing bars only. At semi basement level directly below these latter two windows are two windows with Georgian-like panes and shallow segmental arch heads . To the left of the entrance steps the ground rises and the basement is largely enclosed, with the three windows (which appear to have frames as right) lit via lightwells.

The S façade has a large lean to timber conservatory to the ground floor which is open to the right hand side. To the far left the conservatory joins to a gabled rear return (see below). Within the open right hand side of the conservatory there is a sash window to the ground floor of the S façade, with Georgian panes as front left. To the left of this (within the enclosed section of the conservatory) there is a glazed door. To the first floor of the S façade are two sash windows, as front left.

The N façade has a sash window as front right, with two similar (but narrower) windows to the first floor. To the far right on the first floor is a doorway with an early to mid 20th century door which leads to a small concrete ‘cat walk’ which bridges over the basement ‘moat’. The basement itself has three sash windows, with Georgian panes.

To the left of centre at the rear is a full height projection with a lean to-like roof (which the render suggests was once have been flat and probably once held a water tank). The W face of the projection has a partly glazed door to the basement level (which is ground level on this façade) with two small sash windows (with vertical glazing bars) to both ground and first floors. The N face has a small single light [?fixed pane] window to the basement level. To the S face there is a small sash window to each level.

To the left of the projection (on the main rear façade) there is a sash window to the ground floor and one to the first floor. That to the first floor is larger and has a horizontal glazing bar to both sashes, that to the ground floor has a glazing bar to the bottom sash only.

To the far right of the rear façade there is a two storey gabled return. The N face of this return has a timber sheeted stable door to the left on the ground (actually basement level) floor. To the right of this is a double sash window with Edwardian multi pane glazing. To the first (actually ground) floor is a centrally located multi pane casement window with a half dormer window directly above it with similar panes. This half dormer appears to be an extension to the window directly below it.

The S face of this return is single storey and has a large window with multi pane glazing. The gable of the return is blank.

To the basement level of the rear façade between the full height projection and the return there is a partly glazed door with an elliptical arch fanlight (with spoked tracery). To the right of this is a large triple sash window with Georgian panes and a segmental arch head to the whole opening. Directly above this window is a sash window to each floor, each with Georgian panes. To the left of these (at stair landing level) is a similar window.

The façade is finished in unpainted lined cement render with chamfered quoins to front. The rear façade is mainly finished in unpainted rough cast, apart from part of the basement level which is in random fieldstone (greywacke) rubble. The basement windows to the N and E are set within a tall base, much of which is covered in creeping plant growth.

The roof is hipped and has rough cast rendered chimney stacks, one irregularly placed to the N. Also to the N side there is a small gabled dormer with four pane window. The roof is covered in natural slate. There is a chimney stack to the gable of the rear return.

Two sets of 19th century looking wrought iron pedestrian gates in garden to S and W of house.

To the N of the house there are a group of outbuildings, probably mainly dating from the latter half of the 19th century and the remains of a walled garden which may be contemporary with the house. The outbuildings are linked in a U shaped formation and two storey to the NE and single storey to the W. The group is largely gabled with walls in fieldstone rubble with brick dressings to the openings. The coursing of the stone, as well as the brick dressings, to the two storey section to the NE suggests that it was built in two phases. The roofs are covered in natural slate.

The single storey section to the SW houses stables and a garage with four traditional timber sheeted stable doors (with four pane fanlights) to its NE façade with a modern up and over garage door in the centre.

The two storey section houses a tack room and stores and has two pedestrian doors, four windows and a large carriage entrance to the ground floor on the SW façade with five small openings to the first floor. Two of the openings to the first floor have mid 20th century looking two pane window frames whilst the rest to this floor are louvered. To the ground floor the doors are relatively modern partly glazed models whilst the windows have a mixture of traditional sash and mullioned and transomed frames. The large carriage arch has timber sheeted doors. To the SE gable of the two storey section there is a single storey lean to section attached, whilst above this the gable sports a small nine pane window and a small clock face. The lean to has an elliptical arch headed carriage entrance to the SW and a large mid 20th century modern window to the SE.

The NE façade of the two storey section has an elliptical arch headed carriage entrance to the right, with timber sheeted store door directly above, whilst to the left there is a large rubble built lean to with a small breeze block piggery attached. The NW gable of the two storey section has a modern ground floor window (which does not appear to be original), with evidence of a blocked up former doorway to the left of this.

The single storey section to the NW has a large shallow elliptical headed archway running right through it, to its NE end. To its NW façade there is a timber sheeted doorway wind a small six pane window to either side.

The walled garden is to the SE of the outbuildings; it retains much its (reasonably) high rubble wall, but does not appear to be used as a garden anymore.

Historical information

Ballymacarron House is shown on the revised OS map of 1858 along with the walled garden and some outbuildings. It is noted in the second valuation survey of c.1861 as the property of a John Hart, with the substantial rateable value of £22. The building was bought by the present owner’s family in 1929.

Judging from the style of the building, it could date from c.1840, however, the rear return may be late Victorian/Edwardian. The window openings to the north façade may have been altered at this stage also, possibly in conjunction with changes to the layout of the ground floor rooms to the north side (the differing window frames to the right of the front façade also suggest this). The alterations to the main entrance may date from the mid 20th century and may have entailed the removal of a portico.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/24/2 OS map, 1st rev. 1859, Down 24.
2 PRONI 2nd valuation Killyleagh, c.1861. [In print in PRONI search room.]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Large two storey (with semi-basement) hipped roof gentleman’s residence of perhaps c.1840s, whose front entrance has lost its original character due to a mid 20th century alteration. The openings to the north façade may have been altered in late Victorian/Edwardian times.

To the north of the house there is a collection of rubble built outbuildings which may date from the latter half of the 19th century and a (now disused) walled garden which may be contemporary with the house.

General comments

**Under consideration : awaing additional information** 30th March 2004