PAROCHIAL HOUSE

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An attached four-bay two-storey-over-basement late eighteenth-century house, possibly to designs by Charles Lilly, located on the east side of Castle Street, Killough. Symmetrical composition comprising rectangular main block with lower flanking monopitched wings further abutted by twin projecting single-storey porches terminating either end. The north wing is further extended to east by a service wing which is perpendicular to the main house.

Pitched natural slate roof, rendered chimneystacks to gable ends of main block and service wing, original ogee profile cast-iron gutters and downpipes, uPVC soil vent pipe to rear. Flanking wings are monpitched; service wing extension is double-pitched. Walling is ruled-and-lined rendered with slightly projecting contrasting plinth and projecting masonry platband between floors; painted to principal elevation only. Windows are generally 6/6 timber sliding sashes, except where otherwise stated; first floor and outer ground floor windows are set in plain square-headed reveals with recessed aprons; the central three windows at ground floor are set in round-headed recesses; painted masonry cills throughout.

Principal elevation faces west; it is three windows wide to first floor; ground floor is five windows wide in total, comprising three windows to the main block (note that the central window is false), and a single window to each flanking wing. The platband between floors extends across the flanking wings, and their respective eaves are each finished with a plain raking band returning to the main block, corresponding to a half-pediment, containing a roundel window. The north porch projects into the street line and serves as principal access. It has a shallow rebated segmental opening with impost mouldings containing an original timber door with beaded muntin, eight fielded panels and original cast-iron door furniture; it is framed by a pair of Ionic half-pilasters with acanthus motif to capitals. Moulded lintel architrave over with plain fanlight, sandstone threshold accessed by wide granite platform with twin cast-iron bootscrapers, accessed by two granite steps; enclosed to either side by rendered brick dwarf walls with granite coping, terminated by a pair of octagonal granite piers. The south porch is identical, although retains a pair of urns at roof level; the south door is a twentieth-century timber replacement. The south porch was not inspected (see surveyor’s comments).

The north gable is abutted by the monopitched flanking wing, further extended by the service wing; exposed section is blank. Windows are uPVC casements throughout, including mid-twentieth-century picture windows to the east end of the service wing. A segmental opening at right side leads to a former basement kitchen, now accessed by concrete steps and having timber sheeted doors. The extreme right end is abutted by a single-storey former meat store (abutting the rear wall of the porch). The east end of the service wing is abutted by a single-storey lean-to rubblestone extension, having a single uPVC window with brick dressings. The south elevation of the service wing is blank.

The rear (east) elevation has four equally-spaced openings to each floor of the main block; those to ground floor are timber French windows with plain transom lights over. To left, the lean-to flanking wing has a plain timber fire door and small fixed four light window at high level (see surveyor’s comments); it is centrally abutted by the garden boundary wall, and other openings are located on the opposite side.

The south gable is abutted by the lean-to south flanking wing, which is itself fully abutted by the adjoining parish hall. The exposed gable is blank.

Setting:
The house is street fronted in the centre of Killough village, with mature trees lining the pavement directly in front. The composition is extended at north along the street by a range of lofted outbuildings (forming one side of a parallel outbuilding complex) and at south by an early twentieth-century parish hall. The street frontage of the outbuildings and the hall has been rendered and painted as the main house. The outbuildings are a mix of random rubble stone and brick, with vestigial lime wash; that to west has a pitched slate roof with angled ridge tiles; the street elevation has a central square-headed coach door with modern replacement timber sheeted doors; there is a six-light fixed window to left, and a boarded window to right. The yard elevation has two timber sheeted coach doors to ground floor; that to centre has a large semi-circular brick relieving arch over; to right is a round-headed opening with rudimentary spoked fanlight; loft has two timber sheeted loading doors. The east range has a monopitched roof with terracotta ridge tiles, three door openings including a segmental-headed opening, two doors and a four-light window with crown glass; all have timber sheeted doors. The east (garden-facing) wall is blank with the exception of a timber ledged door between the yard and the garden, covered with an extension of the monopitched roof. The yard surface is generally tiled, with an area of original cobbles to north end. To rear is a large enclosed garden; the boundary wall to north and east is rubble stone, that to south is rendered over brick and has a timber door leading to the ‘Priest’s Field’, an L-shaped plot to rear, bounding the shoreline at east.

Roof: Slate
Walling: Render
Windows: Timber
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

Built c.1790 and first shown on the first edition OS map (1833), the house was built for the Lascelles family, who came to the area from Yorkshire in the early 18th century and went on to become wealthy and important figures within the locality. The Lascelles were granted a tenement of land in Killough, c.1721-22, by Judge Michael Ward of Castle Ward and the family’s status was elevated further when Francis Lascelles married the daughter of the town’s wealthiest inhabitant, Frances Feattus. Appointed Resident Agent and General Manager of Killough by Judge Ward, Francis oversaw the development of the village as a principal port to the Bangor estate, which included the construction of the harbour and salt-works. By the time of Francis’ death in 1743, Killough had become one of the busiest ports in Ulster, mainly serving other ports along the Irish coastline.

The house is thought to be the work of Charles Lilly, an architect, builder and carpenter from Dublin who was particularly active in Co. Down, c.1789-90 (DIA). Lilly’s works during this period included the restoration of Down Cathedral and numerous designs in the neighbouring countryside for Wills Hill, the 1st Marquis of Downshire.

Contemporary and historic OS map evidence shows that the footprint of the main house has remained largely unchanged since at least the 1830s, except for some minor alterations to the outbuildings to the north-west and the removal of a small southern rear return in the early 20th century. Site evidence suggests that the present rear return was replaced or raised in height at some point during the early 20th century; the retention of a mono-pitched rubblestone proportion to the north-eastern end indicates that this range was originally single-storied and formed part of the outbuilding complex.

It is thought that the porch to the south-end of the main elevation, was a secondary entrance for the house-keeper or servants, however this porch is no longer internally linked to No.22 as it now serves the adjoining parochial hall, which was built sometime after 1920. An underground tunnel (thought to have been added after the construction of the house), runs beneath the terrace to the rear. Although it remains unclear due to successive alterations, it is likely that this would have linked the secondary (southern) porch and stair, the kitchen and servants quarters to the dining room and bedrooms.

The Townland Valuations (c.1836) show that the house, which was occupied by an Arthur Atkinson and had a rateable value of £16, was the most expensive within the town of Killough. During Griffith’s Valuation (c.1862) the rateable value rose to £31 (1864-78), although no changes are evident on contemporary OS maps, and this figure remained unchanged until the First General Revaluations (c.1930-35). In 1876 a Charles Kelly took over as occupier, in 1883 he was replaced by a Rev. Jeffery Brennan and from this point the house was in continual use as a parochial house, until recent decades.

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/3/45/1 First Edition OS map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/3/45/2 Second Edition OS map (1859)
3. PRONI OS/6/3/45/3 Third Edition OS map (1900)
4. PRONI OS/6/3/45/4 Fourth Edition OS map (1920-1)
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/381 Townland Valuation (c.1836)
6. PRONI VAL/2/D/3/3 Griffith’s Valuation Map (1859)
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/80B Griffith’s Valuation (1862)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/18/15A-E Annual Revisions (1864-1929)

Secondary Sources
1. Brett, CEB ‘Historic Building, Groups of Building etc. in the Towns and Villages of East Down’ UAHS, 1973

Online Sources

1. DIA (http://dia.ie/works/view/9851/CO.+DOWN%2C+LASCELLES+HOUSE+%28KILLOUGH%29)
2. (http://www.killoughvillageplan.org/uploads/1/9/2/4/19244659/killough_haa_2014.pdf)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
W. Northern Ireland/International Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

The former Parochial House is an elegant late-eighteenth century house with neoclassical characteristics, prominently located on Killough Main Street, within a conservation area. The house was built c.1790, possibly to designs by Charles Lilly, who is known to have been working in County Down at the time. An assured and experienced hand is apparent in the formal proportions of the design, elegantly composed on symmetrical plan, comprising a modestly propotioned central block balanced by twin porches on either side. Of interest is the false central ground floor window, indicative of the mid-Georgian concern for harmony and balance in archtectural design, regardless of internal function. The twin entrances, as well as enhancing the composition, do have a functional purpose, serving to maintain separation between gentry and servants and of some socio-historic interest in terms of the functioning of an eighteenth-century household. The partial remains of a servants' 'tunnel', is a particularly interesting survival, originally allowing for passage of servants unseen from street to kitchen, although now blocked at one end. The house retains fine gardens and boundary walls to rear, and interest is enhanced by the survival of an original coach-yard to one side, also retaining a high proportion of original fabric. As a former Parochial House, the building has been of some social interest, and it adds considerably to the quality of the village streetscape.