29 Ballydyan Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Part two, part single storey gabled farmhouse which may have assumed much of its present shape c.1870s, but now sports a large modern flat roofed porch to front. The property is set on the E side of Ballydyan Road, roughly 3 miles S of Saintfield.

The asymmetrical front elevation faces roughly N. To the centre and right the elevation is two storey. To the ground floor centre and left of the two storey section there is a large modern flat roofed porch / conservatory, with door to W face. To the left of the porch (on single storey portion) is a large window with sash frame with Georgian panes (10/10). To the right of the porch is a similar window. To the first floor are three unevenly spaced sash windows (all 6/6).

Both the E and W elevations are blank.

Roughly to the centre of the rear façade of the two storey section there is a two storey flat roofed projection. This has a small PVC window at ground level to both E and W faces, with a PVC door to the ground floor of the S face and a PVC window above this. To the left of the projection (on rear façade of main section of building), there is a large window to the ground floor and a smaller one to the first floor. Both these are similar in size as those to front but have PVC frames. To the right of the projection is another window with PVC frame, with a further window to the far right (on single storey section), as that to far left.

The building is finished in painted lined render with in-out quoins to front. The roof is slated with an overhang to the two storey section. Three yellow brick chimneys (to gables). Cast iron rw goods.

Opposite the front of this house is a rath which acts as a garden. It has been landscaped with steps opposite the house. Around the rest of the boundary the original earthen bank topped with trees survives.

Historical information

A building is shown on this site on the OS map of 1834, which the contemporary valuation records state was single storey. The present house, with its differing roof height and asymmetrical window arrangement suggests that its roof was raised at some point and that it contains the fabric of the pre 1834 dwelling. It is difficult to be certain when the building was heightened, however, the roof overhang and yellow brick chimneys suggest some time between c.1870s-1900, but the Georgian paned sash windows appear c.1840s-50s. It is possible, given the preponderance of such window frames throughout the Irish countryside well into the late 1800s, that the work may have been carried out after c.1870.

The large front porch was added c.1970. The building has been further altered bteen the Second Survey and 2004.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/30/1 OS map, Down sh 30, 1834
2 PRONI VAL/1B/330 1st valuation, Kilmore, c.1836
3 PRONI OS/6/3/30/2 OS map, Down sh 30, 1858
4 PRONI 2nd valuation, Kilmore, c.1863 [in print]
5 PRONI OS/6/3/30/3 OS map, Down sh 30, c.1901

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Part two, part single storey gabled farmhouse which may have assumed much of its present shape c.1870s, but now sports a large modern flat roofed porch to front and PVC window frames to rear. Not of special architectural or historical interest.