2 Bryansford village

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Relatively substantial, and mildly formal, single storey hipped roof house, of possible pre 1834 origin, but whose present appearance is with large return, gabled porch and canted bay, is late 19th / early 20th century. The building is prominently sited next to the junction of the Bryansford Road and the main road running through Bryansford village.

The front (NE) façade is symmetrical. In the centre is a tall gabled porch. The porch has a deep doorway recess within which is set a panelled and glazed door with margin paned fanlight. To the left of the porch is a sash window (vertical glazing bars- 2 panes over 2), with a similar window to the right.

The SE elevation consists of the SE façade of the long rear return (to left), and the short SE façade of the front (main) portion of the house (to right). The façade of the return has two windows, as front. To the right of this the short façade of the main portion has a canted, hipped roof bay, with a sash window to each face, the window to the central face as front, with those to the sides much narrower and with glazing bars.

The NW elevation is arranged as the SE, only handed. To the left is the short façade of the main section, which has a window as front. To the immediate right of this is the NW face of a lean-to section, placed, as it were, in the intersection of the L shape. This face of the lean-to has a single window which now has a modern frame. The SW face of the lean-to has a modern looking window opening. The NW façade of the rear return (to the right of the lean-to), has a modern doorway to the left and a window, as front, to the right. The SW gable end of the return could not be seen in its entirety, but appeared to be blank.

The façade is finished in lined render and painted. The roof is covered in natural slate and has a slight overhang. Four rendered chimney stacks, two centrally located to the ridge of the main section, two to the ridge of the return (all one pot each). Cast iron skylight to the NW of return roof. The porch roof has a bracketed overhang arranged tympanum-like. PVC rw goods.

Low rubble wall to roadside, wrought iron gate to front.

Historical information

A building is shown on this site on the OS map of 1834, which appears to correspond to the main front section of the present house. Unfortunately the building shown on the map was not recorded in the contemporary valuation, however. On the revised OS map of 1859, a similar building is shown, though its alignment to the roadside appears marginally different than the house of today. It is possible that it is indeed the present dwelling, with the large rear return, canted bay and porch added in late Victorian/Edwardian times, however, it is difficult to tell this from its present external appearance alone. On the available evidence all that one can say is that the building’s present form is late 19th/early 20th century.

The building is said locally to have once served as the village post office. If so, then it could be of pre 1864 origin, for the present village post office appears to have operated as such since this date.

The following
references refer mainly to Bryansford village as a whole.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI MIC.147 Roden Papers
2 PRONI D.465 Roden Papers
3 PRONI D.2647 Roden Papers
4 PRONI T.2647 Roden Papers
5 PRONI T.3438 Roden Papers
6 ‘Taylor’s and Skinner’s Maps of the roads of Ireland’ (Dublin 1777), map 8 (Taylor and Skinner’s map shows a group of houses either side of the road running through Bryansford)
7 Linen Hall Library ‘Belfast News-Letter’ 26th April 1785 (Advertisement concerning lodgings in Bryansford)
8 R. Lewis, ‘The post chaise companion or traveller’s directory through Ireland’ (Dublin 1786)
9 PRONI OS/1/3/43 OS maps 1st ed. 1834, Co Down sheet 43
10 ‘Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland vol.3: Parishes of County Down I’, ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1990)
11 PRONI VAL/1A/3/43 Valuation maps, Kilcoo (c.1836)
12 PRONI VAL/1B/362 First valuation records, Kilcoo (1836)
13 Samuel Lewis, ‘Topographical Dictionary of Ireland’ (Dublin 1837)
14 ‘Parliamentary gazetteer of Ireland’ (Dublin 1843-44)
15 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1846), pp.429-31
16 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ])
17 Maps of Lord Roden’s Co. Down estate (c.1855) [Originals in possession of Lord Roden]
18 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1856), pp.491-93
19 W McComb, ‘Guide to Belfast and adjoining districts…’ (Belfast 1861), pp.160-162.
20 PRONI OS/6/3/43/3 OS maps 1st rev.1859, Co Down sheet 43
21 PRONI Second (Griffith’s) valuation records, Kilcoo (1863) [in print]
22 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1856), pp.491-93
23 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1870)
24 Alexander Knox, ‘History of Co. Down’ (Dublin 1875).
25 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886), pp.137-139.
26 UFTM W.A. Green collection WAG 1, 564, 565 Photographs of Tollymore Park etc. c.1900

Secondary sources
1 EHS Records of the first survey of buildings of historical and architectural interest in Tollymore ward (1972-)
2 P.J. Rankin, ‘Historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in the Mourne area of South Down’, (Belfast UAHS 1975).
3 F. Hamond and T. Porter, ‘A tour of the Mournes’ (Belfast ?1991)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Relatively substantial and mildly formal single storey hipped roof house, of possible pre 1834 origin, but whose present appearance, with large return, canted bay and gabled porch, seems late 19th/early 20th century.