Former rectory

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large, two storey former rectory house built c.1790 but greatly extended to the front in 1864 and again in 1993 when a full height gabled entrance bay was added, along with single storey hipped roof off shoots to the E. As all of this suggests, the building now possesses an irregular, sprawling form, with the undoubted Georgian simplicity of the original dwelling now hidden beneath the somewhat eclectic extensions. The building is located at the end of a short drive to the S of Church Road, roughly a mile SW of Crossgar.

The asymmetrical front elevation faces roughly N. Roughly to the centre of the elevation is a large full height gabled bay which was added in 1993. This bay projects from the right and side of another broader hipped roof bay which was added in 1864 and covers slightly over half of the original front façade. To the right of the elevation is the only section of the original front façade which is still exposed.

To the ground floor of the full height entrance bay is a large, reproduction Georgian style door screen with panelled timber door, large semicircular fanlight with tracery and sidelights also with tracery. The doorway is reached via a short flight of steps. To the first floor of the bay is a sash window with Georgian panes (most windows are largely identical to this. To the left of this bay (on the 1864 section) is a single window to both floors. To the right of the bay (on the original front façade), there are two windows to both floors, with two more to a semi-basement level.

The E elevation has an even more complex appearance than the front. To the left and centre is the large two and a half storey gable of the original section of the house. To the ground floor of this a recent (1993) single storey offshoot has been added which consists of an of an octagonal, hipped roof summer house-like section, (with semicircular headed Georgian-paned sash windows to five of its faces), which is linked to the gable itself via a further hipped roof conservatory (with sash windows much as main house). To right on the elevation is a full height canted bay (actually the E face of the front bay added in 1864), and to right again is the E face of the 1995 entrance bay. The main gable of the original section has a window to right on ground floor (to immediate right of the conservatory). There is another window to right on the first floor and two smaller windows to attic level. There is a window to each face on both floors of the canted bay to right. The entrance bay has a window to each floor of its E face.

To left of the W elevation is the large W face of the entrance bay, which has two windows to ground floor and three to first floor, and to right is the W gable of the original house which has a window to right at semi-basement level and two small attic windows. Late Victorian-looking water pump to right of semi-basement window.

The rear elevation is exposed to semi-basement level to left. At semi-basement level there is small lean-to section with timber sheeted door to W face and squat four pane window to S face. Directly above this are two windows, then a single window (to first floor) and then a single attic window set in a gabled half-dormer. To the centre of the rear elevation is the original full height, hipped roof, stairwell projection which has a timber sheeted door with fanlight and gabled projecting hood, to low ground floor level. Directly above this is a tall window, with a slightly shorter one above this. To right of the stairwell projection there is a tall lean-to projection which (in its present form at least) appears to date from 1993. This has a group of three windows to its S face, that to centre with a semicircular head and set within a small gable. Directly above the lean-to is a single window to first floor, with an attic window as that to left. To E the left the lean-to is abutted by the conservatory section (see above E elevation).

The façade is finished in unpainted lined render with rough cast to rear. There is a small date panel (‘1864’) to gable of entrance bay (which was taken from the front of the bay to which this bay was added). ‘Crow-stepped’ eaves course to gable of entrance bay. Dentilled eaves course to 1864 front bay.

All sections of the roof are slated. Three large rendered chimney stacks. Cast iron rw goods.

Two storey rubble-built outbuildings to SW.

Historical information

This (former) rectory is shown on the OS map and recorded in the 1836 valuation returns. At this stage the house consisted of the main 2 and a half storey gabled section, with the stairwell projection to the rear, and was described in the OS memoirs (also of 1836) as ‘in every respect characteristic of a glebe house’. The compilers of the aforementioned valuation regarded the house as of reasonable age at that stage, probably late 18th century. It is likely that it was built at the same time as the original (C of I) Kilmore parish church, i.e. c.1790.

The building remained in its original form until 1864, when the then incumbent, [?Rev John Mussen], was forced to add the large two section to the front to cope with the demands of his very large family (apparently he had 13 children!). The building was sold by the church into private hands in 1993, the new owner adding the large gabled entrance bay and off shoots to the east.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/30/1 OS map, Down sh 30, 1834
2 ‘OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of Co Down IV’ ed. Angélique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1992), p.88
3 PRONI VAL/1B/386 1st valuation, Kilmore, c.1838
4 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster directory’ (Henderson, Belfast News-Letter 1852-)
5 PRONI OS/6/3/30/2 OS map, Down sh 30, 1858
6 PRONI 2nd valuation, Kilmore, c.1863 [in print]
7 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

Large, two storey former rectory house built c.1790 but greatly extended to the front in 1864 and again in 1993 when a full height gabled entrance bay was added, along with single storey hipped roof off shoots to the E. As all of this suggests, the building now possesses an irregular, sprawling form, with the undoubted Georgian simplicity of the original dwelling now hidden beneath the somewhat eclectic extensions.