11 Hilltown Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Much altered one and a half storey house, once a small gothick set piece lodge probably dating from the late 1700s, now largely modern looking, with only its pointed arch doorway hinting at its age and former appearance. The property is set on the N side of the Hilltown Road, to the SW of Bryansford village.

The front (S) façade is symmetrical. In the centre is a pointed arch doorway with granite surround, within which is a recessed modern glazed door. To each side of the doorway is a large window with modern frame.

The W gable has a modern window to the upper level. The E gable is blank. To the rear there is a large, modern, two storey flat roofed extension which merges with a modern flat roofed dormer. Both have modern openings.

The façade is finished in a salt & pepper pebbledash render. The main gabled roof has a slight overhang and is covered in natural slate. PVC rw goods.

Historical information

Before modernisation, this house was a small gothick set piece, with distinctive crow-stepped gables with ‘bap’ stones, small pointed arch sash windows and a pointed arch doorway. It seems likely that it was built as a steward’s lodge for the neighbouring Tollymore estate, and, like the near by gothick follies, was built by the 2nd Lord Limerick in the 1770s-80s. The present owners (quoting information supplied by Lady Roden) believe it was also originally intended as one of a pair, although its twin was never built. The property is shown on the OS maps from 1834 onwards (though it was not noted in the first valuation survey). It retained its original looks until c.1973, when a previous owner removed the crow-steps, enlarged the windows and added a large modern extension to the rear.

Many of the
references listed below refer to Bryansford village area as a whole, and not necessarily this property in particular.

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), p.10.
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

Much altered one and a half storey house, once a small gothick set piece lodge probably dating from the late 1700s, with crow-stepped gables and pointed arch openings, now largely modern looking, with only its pointed arch doorway hinting at its age and former appearance.