Grove Hill

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Unusual and mildly picturesque one and a half /single storey house- with small gabled half dormers, overhanging roof and odd, conservatory-like bays to front- which may have assumed its current form in the later 19th century. The building is located to the W of Mill Road, c.2 miles NW of Downpatrick. The house is set on a slight slope descending E to W.

The front elevation faces directly N and is asymmetrical. The large central portion of the elevation is one and a half storey, with single storey wings to either side. The front façade of the central portion has two odd, square, single storey bays to the first floor, glazed to all sides and with shallow, lead covered, hipped roofs. To the E face of the bay to the left there is a glazed door. To the immediate left of the same bay (on main façade) there is a small window with PVC frame (all frames are PVC). To the upper floor there are two similar windows set in small half-dormers. The front façade of the E wing has a single similar window, with a large tripartite window to the front of the W wing.

To the gable of the E wing there is a large single storey flat roofed garage with garage door, pedestrian door and window to its S face.

The W elevation has a complex appearance. To the left is the gable of the W wing, which has a window (as front) to right. To the right of this there is the W face of a large, two storey rear return. To the ground floor of this return there is a small lean-to which links to a single storey, flat roofed extension. The lean-to has a (PVC) door and window, the extension has a large picture window. The upper floor of the W face of the return itself has a small window, much as front.

The rear elevation consists of gable of the return to left and the rear of the main house, to right. The gable of the return has two windows to each floor, those to ground floor grouped close together, with those above widely spaced. The E face of the return has two similar windows to the first floor with a large window to left on the ground floor. To the right on the ground floor (and set in the intersection of the return and the main rear façade) is a flat roofed porch extension with PVC door to S and large glazed area to S and E. Directly above this porch (to façade of main house) are two windows, much as front, with that to right set within a small, gabled, half-dormer- again much as front. The rear façade of the E single storey wing has a glazed door.

The entire façade is finished in rough cast and painted. The roof has a slight overhang to all parts except the return. The roof is covered in natural slate. Cast iron skylight to W side of return roof. Four rendered chimney stacks to main house (symmetrically arranged), one to the gable of the return. Metal rw goods.

To the S of the house there is an L shaped two storey outbuilding with a part hipped, part gabled, slated roof. To the E façade of the building there are a series of large, brick headed, elliptical archways, two of which have been filled with modern garage doors, with another largely blocked up (leaving only two open).

Historical information

The 1834 OS shows a building on the site of the main from portion of the present house, which the (near) contemporary valuation returns tell us was single storey (9ft in height). The revised OS map of 1859-60 shows what appears to be the same building (now marked ‘Grovehill’), but with a return to the east side of the rear. The building may have assumed much of its present form in the latter decades of the 19th century when the front portion was raised in height to allow for an upper floor. However, it is difficult to be certain of the date of this, for the overhang to the roof, internal detailing and large return could all suggest an early 20th century alteration. It must be said, however, that the odd, almost vernacular, lack of openings to the front façade could point to a much earlier mid 19th century date, as could the presence (until recently) of Georgian paned sash window frames to many of the openings.

The owner of the property in 1836 is recorded as one William Perry. The Perry family were still in residence in 1886. Around c.1900 the property was acquired by a family named Orr.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/30/1 OS map, 1834, Down 30
2 PRONI VAL/1B/372 1st valuation, Inch, c.1835-38
3 PRONI OS/6/3/30/2 OS map, 1860, Down 30
4 PRONI 2nd valuation (in print), Inch, 1863
5 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886), p.207
6 PRONI OS/6/3/30/3 OS map, 1901, Down 30
7 PRONI OS/6/3/30/4 OS map, 1920, Down 30

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Unusual and mildly picturesque one and a half /single /and two storey house with small gabled half dormers, overhanging roof and odd, conservatory-like bays to front. The building probably began life as a pre 1834 single storey dwelling, which probably assumed its present shape in the late 19th century when an upper storey was added to the main central portion; the large two storey return may date from the early 1900s, as may the odd single storey bays to the front. The property now sports PVC window frames and doors throughout, with a large flat roofed garage extension to the east side and modern kitchen and porch extensions to the rear.