2 The Almshouses

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Small, single storey house with gabled porch, one of a picturesque terrace of 1828 (possibly by Peter F. Robinson), originally containing six almshouses and a small court house. The whole terrace was acquired by Hearth and the National Trust in the 1970s and restored 1977-80. In the process each pair of almshouses were amalgamated to form a larger property, (of which this is one), and the court house was split into two separate dwellings. The terrace is idyllically set to the E side of Newcastle Road, at the centre of the small village of Seaforde. To the (W) front there is a large lawn, enclosed by a low rubble wall.

The front façade faces W and is symmetrical. To the centre is a relatively large gabled porch with slated roof and exposed rafter ends. To the S face of the porch is a timber sheeted door. To the front (gabled) face of the porch there is a relatively large window with mullioned and transomed window, with three smaller upper lights of which have lattice panes with four vertically arranged panes to the three (much larger) lower lights. This window has a granite (label moulding-like) hood above. To the N face of the return there is a window, similar in style to gable only narrower. There used to be a doorway to this side, prior to the amalgamation of the houses, c.1979-80.

To the left and to the right of the porch (to main façade is a window, as porch. The front façade is rendered and painted and has a granite base.

To the centre of the rear elevation is a relatively large single storey return which has a roof and is finished as front, but with rendered recessed base. To the S face of the return are two timber sheeted doors with four pane fanlights (the right hand door appears to lead into shed). To the gable is a window, similar in size to front but with three tall lights with Georgian panes. ‘Hood’ over window , similar in style to front. To the N face is a sash window with Georgian panes (8/8). There is a similar window to the main rear façade, each side of the return.

The main roof is hipped, with it and the roofs to the return and porch slated. The main roof has exposed rafter ends also. Two large six-sided granite chimneys with coping, to N and S (shared). Metal rw goods. Paved yard to rear.

Historical information

The terrace to which this property belongs was built in 1828 at the request of Mrs Forde of Seaforde House. It originally contained six almshouses to house six elderly people, along with a small petty sessions court house (to the south end), and may have been built to designs by English architect, Peter Frederick Robinson. The OS Memoirs of 1836 describe the dwellings as contributing ‘greatly to ornament the village’, and state that the almshouses were occupied by ‘6 widows receiving the benefit of charity’. Originally each house consisted of just two small rooms, with an outside toilet.

The court house ceased to be used in the mid 1900s. The almshouses continued to be occupied until the same period, but by c.1970 the whole block was largely vacant. In the early 1970s Hearth (later Hearth Housing Association) acquired the almshouse group from the Forde estate and in 1977 the former court house was converted to two dwellings by the National Trust. In 1979-80 the rest of the terrace was renovated by Hearth, with each pair of former almshouses combined to make three dwellings. New returns were added to the rear of the whole grouping, each containing a kitchen and bathroom.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.366 Forde papers
2 PRONI D.432 Order book of (Seaforde) petty sessions, 1828-30
3 PRONI OS/6/3/37/1 OS map, Down sh 37, 1834
4 Drawing showing the almshouses etc in 1833 [In possession of Mr Patrick Forde of Seaforde House]
5 PRONI VAL/1B/387 1st valuation, Loughinisland, 1836
6 PRONI VAL/1D/3/19 Valuation plan of Seaforde, 1836-38
7 Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams ‘Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland: Parishes of Co Down IV’, (QUB 1992) [1836]
pp.94-95
8 PRONI 2nd valuation, Loughinisland, c.1860 [in print]
9 PRONI VAL/2D/3/14 Valuation plan of Seaforde, c.1860
10 PRONI OS/8/152/1 OS plan of Seaforde, 1904
11 Belfast and Province of Ulster directory (Belfast News-Letter), 1925-
12 PRONI VAL/3G/95/1 Valuation plan of Seaforde, 1935-56

Secondary sources
1 C.E.B. Brett ‘Historic buildings, groups of buildings….East Down’ (Belfast UAHS 1973), p.28
2 ‘Hearth- A review of projects 1999’ (Hearth 1999)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Small, single storey house with gabled porch, one of a picturesque terrace of 1828 (possibly by Peter F. Robinson), originally containing six almshouses and a small court house. The building has group value with the other buildings in the terrace and with the other Seaforde estate buildngs. The whole terrace was acquired by Hearth and the National Trust and restored 1977-80. In the process each pair of almshouses were amalgamated to form a larger property, (of which this is one) and the court house was split into two separate dwellings. A large, sympathetic, single storey was added at the same time.