Cluntagh House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Substantial two storey hipped roof strong farmers house of c.1845-50, with gabled return to rear. The property is set on the S side of Killyleagh Road (at Cluntagh Crossroads) c.2 miles E of Crossgar.

The front façade faces W and is symmetrical. To the centre of the ground floor is the main doorway, which consists of a panelled timber door with ‘radial’ elliptical fanlight and single pane arch headed sidelights with panelled aprons. The doorway has an unusual rendered ‘gabled’ surround which is the mark left by the removal of a former (probably Edwardian) hipped roof conservatory-like porch.

To the left of the doorway is a window with a frame which looks sash with Georgian panes (6/6), but is actually a modern top hung model (most of the window frames are the same as this and all are completely convincing replicas, until one looks at then from close quarters). The window has a smooth render surround with label moulding. To the right of the doorway is a similar window, with three slightly shorter versions to the first floor. The first floor windows do not have label moulding, but do have moulded keystones.

The N elevation consists of the N face of the low two storey gabled return (to left), and the N façade of the main section of the house. The N face of the return has two windows to the ground floor and two (in line) to the first floor, all with replica ‘sash’ frames as front, with those to first floor smaller (6/3) These windows have smooth render surrounds with moulded keystones. The N façade of the main house has two windows, as front, to each floor, but with moulded keystones (and no label moulding) to those to the first floor.

The S façade of the main section of the house repeats the arrangement of that to N , but without a window to right on first floor. In its place is a small window-like recess with label moulding etc. There is a gabled outbuilding sited very close to this façade and a short wall (with gate) spans between the house and the outbuilding.

The rear elevation of the main house has a broad window, with recent four light frame, to left on the ground floor. Roughly to the centre of the first floor is a window as front, but without surround and moulding. To the right of the façade extends the return. The (E facing) gable of the return is blank. To the S the return has been (neatly) extended in lean-to fashion. The lean-to has two casement windows and a partly glazed door.

The façade is largely finished in an early 20th century looking dry dash with in / out smooth render quoins, eaves course and base. The rear façade and the lean-to are lined rendered and painted. The hipped roof of the main house has two tall, centrally located yellow brick chimney stacks, with dentilled corbelling. These stacks (which are probably replacements of c.1880-1900) are set broad side forward. The gable of the return is a smaller stack in similar style. The entire roof is covered in natural slate. PVC rw goods.

To the S of the house the large two storey gabled outbuilding is in rubble and render with modern windows to its W face. To the immediate E of this is a larger gabled outbuilding in rubble, with a series of arched openings (supported on cast iron columns in colonnade fashion) to the ground floor to N. To the first floor on this side are three small windows (with replica ‘sash’-like frames) and a timber sheeted loft door. This outbuilding has been greatly renovated in recent times, with the archways reconstructed as well as the roof.

There is a longer, but lower, two storey outbuilding to the E of the house. This is now largely rendered with modern style windows frames to its small openings. This outbuilding may contain the fabric of a pre 1834 dwelling (see historical information).

Historical information

This house is first shown on the OS map of 1859 and is believed to have been built c.1845-50 by either John or Hamilton Ringland next to a pre-1834 single storey dwelling that had previously been the family home. The fabric of this earlier house may be contained within the long outbuilding that runs along the roadside to the east.

John Ringland is noted as the occupant in the 1861 valuation, holding the lease from Robert Hamilton, with the house recorded as a ‘new’ building building consisting of the main front section of 40ft x 27 x 23, and a ‘shop’ (the return) of 27 x 22 x 15. According to the owner at the time of this survey [June 2000] the shop had once been in use by a butcher (presumably John Ringland) whilst the outbuildings had served as slaughterhouses.

The Ringland family remained in possession of the property until c.1897-1900 when it was acquired (or passed to) James Stewart. Mr Stewart is recorded in the 1901 census as a 30yr-old ‘farmer’s son’ who was living here with his widowed father, Charles, and a single domestic servant, Agnes Kelly, with the house itself noted as a ‘2nd class’ slated dwelling with five windows in front and eight rooms ‘in use by the family’. By 1910 the Stewarts had let the house to John McMullan, who was succeeded as tenant c.1912 by William Berry. Around 1915 it was sold to John Jennings.

Up until this time the property does not appear to have had a name as such; however, on the 1921 OS map it is labelled ‘Cluntagh House’. Confusingly, this had previously been the name of another dwelling which stood on the site of the present no.68 Killyleagh Rd about 0.5km to the east, and which itself subsequently became known as ‘Cluntagh Lodge’.

Sources indicate that the Jennings family, (who presumably gave the building its name), retained the house until at least 1971. It was sold to the current owner in 1982.

An Edwardian style hipped roof conservatory-like porch placed over the front entrance was removed in the 1980s.

References- Primary sources
1 OS maps, County series, Down sheet 23 – 1834, 1859, 1901, 1920
2 PRONI VAL1B/336 First valuation, Killyleagh parish - c.1835-38
3 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ])
4 PRONI VAL2B/3/34B Second valuation, Killyleagh parish - 1861
5 PRONI VAL12B/18/6A-F Annual valuation revision books, Crossgar ED – 1864-1929
6 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886), pp.378-79
7 ‘Belfast Telegraph’ – 23 October 1969. P.11
8 ‘Belfast News-Letter’ – 14 October 1971 p.2
9 Information from owner – June 2000

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Substantial two storey hipped roof strong farmers house of c.1845-50, with gabled return to rear. The sash frames have been replaced with top hung examples, but these look practically identical to the originals. An Edwardian style hipped roof conservatory-like front porch was removed in recent times, but its outline around the entrance is still visible.