Rosebank

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Long, two storey farm house of probable pre 1834 origin, but which may have been raised to its present height in the mid to later 1800s. To the rear is a large 20th century return. The property is located at the end of a lane to the S of Glasswater Road, c.1.5 miles N of Crossgar.

NOTE- As yet the writers have only been able to survey the front façade of this house in any sort of detail, and even this they had to observe from a distance.

The front façade faces N and is asymmetrical. The the right of centre is a [?]timber framed conservatory-like porch with hipped roof, finial, and double door to E side. To the left of the doorway are three, unevenly spaced, windows with sash frames with vertical glazing bars (2/2). The windows have moulded surrounds. To the right of the porch are two similar windows with six more slightly shorter versions to the first floor. The front façade is finished in an early 20th century looking dry dash with in / out quoins.

The E gable appears to be blank and finished as front. To the rear there is a large two storey gabled return with mainly modern windows. There appears to be a large modern looking single storey extension to the W of the return.

The gabled roof is slated and has four rendered chimney stacks.

Historical information

A building is shown on this site on the OS map of 1834. This building is recorded in the contemporary valuation records as a relatively old single storey house with what appear to be the same footprint dimensions as the present property. It is likely therefore that this house is pre 1834, but has had its roof raised at some point. The return is largely 20th century, as are the extensions.

From the 1830s (and possibly before) until 1913 the property was in the hands of the Clarke family. In the latter year it was acquired by the present owner’s father.

The dimensions of the original section of this house and the arrangement of the front façade openings match those of another (now abandoned) farm house on the opposite side of the Glasswater Road. One would almost suspect that the same builders were responsible for the raising of the roof of both.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/23/1 OS map, 1834, Down 23
2 PRONI VAL/1B/331 1st valuation, Killinchy, c.1835-38
3 PRONI OS/6/3/23/2 OS map, 1860, Down 23
4 PRONI 2nd valuation (in print), Killinchy, 1863
5 PRONI OS/6/3/23/3 OS map, 1901, Down 23
6 PRONI OS/6/3/23/4 OS map, 1920, Down 23

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Long, two storey farm house of probable pre 1834 origin, but which was probably raised to its present height in the mid to later 1800s. To the rear front a hipped roof conservatory-like porch has been added, and to the rear there is a large two storey return and other extensions (with mainy modern windows) of 20th century construction. The randomness of the openings to the front façade betrays this property’s vernacular origins.