Farmhouse (The Grove)

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A slightly asymmetrical three-bay two-storey late Georgian farmhouse; built c.1830 and located down a private lane to the west of Legaterriff Road. L-shaped on plan with conservatory to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles; replacement brick chimneys to centre and decorative clay chimney pots to gables. Cast-iron half round rainwater goods. Walling is smooth render to front and roughcast to remainder with chamfered plinth and quoins. Windows are 2/2 timber framed sliding sash with exposed sash boxes having horizontal glazing bars.

The principal elevation faces north. To first floor are four windows with heads at eaves level; to ground floor is central entrance flanked by paired windows with shallow segmental heads. Bolection moulded raised-and-pointed four-panelled door with cast-iron door furniture surmounted by segmental-headed fanlight with sidelights, accessed by single bull-nosed step.

The east elevation has half-panelled timber door to left at ground floor with window to first floor above.

The south elevation is abutted by conservatory with hipped natural slate roof and timber-framed windows; to left is a small return with catslide roof having window to ground floor and diminutive window to first floor. South gable of return is blank; exposed section has a window to ground and first floor.

The west elevation has single window to ground and first floor at gable; the return has a six flush-panelled timber door with transom light to ground floor with window to right; two windows to first floor.

Variety of rubble stone and brick outbuildings, arranged in a U-shape to west, including a large hay-barn and stables. All with natural slate roof, original timber-framed windows (some sash with original glazing) and brick segmental-headed arches to openings. Some unusual and important detailing such as the honeycomb brick pattern openings to first floor of barn, and the original segmental-headed timber stables doors with cast-iron strap hinges. That to south has carriage entry with original doors.

Setting:
Accessed by long tree-lined lane from north; set in a rural
setting on a mature site. Garden to front enclosed by rendered wall with coping stoned and slender gate-piers surmounted by decorative cast-iron railings. Large garden to east enclosed by mature trees and hedgerow. Stable-yard and outbuildings to west arranged in a U-shape with original rectangular raised bed in centre of yard constructed in rubblestone masonry; original function unknown.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Smooth and roughcast render
Windows: Timber framed sash
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

This farmstead first appears on the 1832 Ordnance Survey map of the area. The house is depicted as an oblong building surrounded by one large and three smaller out offices. The Townland Valuation (1830s) records this house as the property of Mr Mark Peel, a 1A- class dwelling measuring 42 ft by 19 ft by 14 ft high. This farmstead was valued at £5. 13s. and included amongst its out offices a byre and cart house, a potato house, a barn and stable, a corn kiln and a piggery.

In 1859 Griffith’s Valuation recorded the property as ‘House, offices, corn kiln and land’ and increased the value to £8. The second Ordnance Survey map of 1857 indicates the addition of an extension to the north-most office, along with the construction of an additional smaller out office. In 1875 the Annual Revisions recorded that Mark Peel’s three brothers, Joseph, William and Michael, occupied the farm with him. By 1879 only Mark and Joseph Peel continued to hold the property between them. In 1884 the farm was split; a Mr John Peel (another Peel brother) took over residency of the farmhouse whilst Joseph and Mark were then recorded as the occupants of ‘offices and land’ to which they added a house in 1888 valued at £2. 10s. In 1892 John Peel took down the corn kiln at the Grove before leaving his house to Mark Peel in 1894. By 1906 both Joseph and Mark Peel owned their respective houses outright and in 1918 Mark Peel was replaced as occupant by his niece Mabel, in all probability after his death.

The Census Records for the farm tell us that the Peel brothers lived and worked together at the Grove with their families. The 1911 Census records that all three brothers occupied houses at the Grove. It is possible that the house, return and outbuilding form the three residences mentioned, but no tangible evidence remains to support this. The eldest recorded brother, Mark Peel (born c. 1841) occupied the most impressive dwelling, a 1st class building consisting of ten inhabited rooms. Both John (born c. 1842) and Joseph (born c. 1860) occupied the smaller 2nd class homes. The out offices at that time were used as three stables, three cow houses, two calf houses, three fowl houses, a barn, two potato houses, three sheds and a workshop. An extensive farm requiring much work, the census records that at least 12 members of the Peel family lived and worked at the Grove. The last recorded occupant of the Grove in historical records was a Ms. Mabel Blair (nee Peel) who resided at the Grove until her death in 1940 (Glenavy History Website).

The Grove, including its stable yard and a threshing mill, was listed in November 1992. The current owner has resided in the house since 1979 and still operates the site as a farm; all the original out offices, recorded on the 1920 Ordnance Survey map, are still used as farm buildings. The house underwent renovations in 1992 and again in 1998 when an extension and ‘garden room’ were added to the rear of the house. (NIEA file)

References:

Primary Sources
1. PRONI VAL/1/A/1/63 – Field Map c.1830
2. PRONI VAL/1/B/167 – Townland Valuation
3. PRONI OS/6/1/63/1 – First Edition OS Map 1832
4. PRONI OS/6/1/63/2 – Second Edition OS Map 1857
5. PRONI OS/6/1/63/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1900-1901
6. PRONI OS/6/1/63/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1920-1921
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/55 – Griffith’s Valuation 1859
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/8 A – Annual Revisions 1862-1863
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/8 B – Annual Revisions 1869-1881
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/8 C – Annual Revisions 1881-1894
11. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/8 D – Annual Revisions 1894-1912
12. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/8 E – Annual Revisions 1913-1929

Secondary Sources
1. NIEA file – HB19/01/052.

Online Resources
1. Glenavy History: http://www.glenavyhistory.com/index.html

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Z. Rarity
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A three-bay two-storey late Georgian farmhouse; built c.1830 and located in a mature rural setting down a private lane to the west of Legaterriff Road. Architectural detailing remains largely intact and there are some good examples of high-quality finishes to the interior. There is an impressive range of rubble-stone and brick outbuildings, arranged around a yard, that form an important group with the house; of fine quality with interesting honeycomb pattern brick vents they are relatively rare to find in such good condition. There is also important group value with the associated mill (HB19/01/061B), situated directly south of the house, within the site. This farmstead is a good example of its type, the house illustrating the aspirations of the 19th century farmer to emulate the Georgian house style; marking the move away from the vernacular tradition. The group make a significant contribution to the heritage of the area.

General comments

This record has been renumbered previously HB19/01/061
Criteria R,S and T also apply.