Laurel Hill

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay single-storey with attic stone and brick house, built c.1835 with single-storey former thatched house perpendicular to rear, built c.1800. Rectangular on plan facing north set back on the south side of Chapel Road accessed via long tree-lined avenue and front lawn with several stone and sheeted iron outbuildings arranged around informal yard to the east.

Half-hipped natural slate roof with black clay ridge tiles and pair of symmetrically-placed yellowbrick chimneystacks with octagonal clay pots. Replacement moulded aluminium guttering to boxed eaves and cast-iron downpipes. Galleted uncoursed blackstone walling with redbrick linings to all openings. Square-headed window openings formed in redbrick with original 6/6 timber sash windows and painted sandstone sills.

Symmetrical front north elevation is four windows wide with a central square-headed door opening having original double-leaf flat-panelled timber door opening onto sandstone step with replacement timber trelliced canopy.

Single-bay one and half storey rough cast rendered east side elevation has replacement timber bargeboard, replacement 3/6 timber sash window to the attic level and original 6/6 timber sash window to the ground level with smooth rendered decorative surrounds. The single-storey former thatch dwelling extends the east elevation southwards with decorative rendered surrounds, as above, uPVC windows and timber door.

South rear elevation abutted by single-storey former thatched house to the east side. Exposed galleted stone walling with a central three-centred brick arch now filled with uPVC window.

Single-bay one and half storey west side elevation has replacement 3/6 timber sash window to the upper level, original 6/6 to the ground floor, replacement decorative bargeboard and exposed stone walling.

Setting:
Set well back on the south side of Chapel Road on a slightly elevated site. Front and rear lawns to the west side of the house and large informal yard to the east with rough-cast rendered outbuildings having natural slate roofs and timber sash or steel casement windows. A double-height barn to the southeast has elaborate king-post trusses to the corrugated iron roof. A long straight bitmac avenue is set perpendicular to the road enclosed by mature trees and also enclosing a front garden with pair of swan-neck rendered walls and piers supporting wrought-iron gates to former front avenue.

Roof Natural slate
RWG Replacement aluminium / cast-iron
Walling Galleted blackstone and redbrick
Windows Timber sash

Historical information

The current rear return of Laurel Hill (which was originally a one-storey cottage) first appears on the first edition Ordnance Survey map (1832) as a rectangular building situated between Aghalee and Upper Ballinderry. The Townland Valuation records that William John Turtle took over the farm and house from a Mr. Thomas Walkington in 1837. The valuer assigned a rateable value of £7. 9s. 11d. detailing a 2b class house measuring 60 ft by 20 ft and one-storey high, having a cow house (still extant), depicted on the 1832 map as an oblong building to the north-east of the house.

Subsequent editions of the Ordnance Surevy indicate that the current single-storey house was constructed by 1857 and was attached to the former cottage which became its rear return; two additional out offices were also added to the farm stead by that time. In 1859 Griffith’s Valuation valued the house at £12. and noted the presence of four small houses, built by Turtle, which were valued between £0. 10s. and £1. 5s; the valuer observed that Laurel Hill was a ‘very neat cottage with good approach.’ There was no further discernible change to the farm on the later editions of the Ordnance Survey maps. Turtle occupied Laurel Hill until 1870 when it was occupied by a Mr. Isaac C. Turtle who took over the house and owned the separate dwellings until his death in 1890. A stained glass window in Trinity Church Aghalee was erected to Isaac Turtles’ memory by his sister in the year of his death (HB19/03/020) At that time the farm was bought by a Mr. James Quinn who took down a number of the houses which had lain vacant for some time. The 1901 census tells us that Quinn (59) was a Presbyterian farmer who lived at Laurel Hill with his wife Jane (43) and their four children. At that time Quinn employed two farmhands. The building return records the house as a 1st class dwelling consisting of 13 inhabited rooms. By 1911 the current out offices were used as a stable, coach house, cow house, piggery, fowl house, boiling house, potato house and a barn. Quinn owned the farm until his death in 1921 when his widow Jane Quinn came into possession and resided there until the end of the Annual Revisions in 1930.

Brett believes that the single-storey, formerly thatched, cottage was erected c.1800, and the house was likely built c. 1835 making it likely that Thomas Walkington built the house. At the time he was writing in 1996 Laurel hill was still occupied by a member of the Quinn family (Brett, p. 233). Laurel Hill was listed in 1988 (NIEA File). Field research has found that the earlier one-storey house has lost its original features; however, the original character of the main block has been preserved.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI VAL/1/A/1/63 – Field Map c.1830
2. PRONI VAL/1/B/167 – Townland Valuation c. 1830
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/1/55A – Griffith’s Valuation 1859
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/8 A – Annual Revisions 1862-1873
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 1913-1930

Secondary Sources

1. Brett, C. E. B., ‘Buildings of County Antrim’ Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1996.
2. NIEA File – HB19/03/032.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Detached three-bay single-storey with attic stone and brick house, built c.1835, and attached to a former thatched house, built c.1800. While the earlier house to the rear has lost its original roof and all external and internal fabric, the later symmetrical house retains much of its original character and proportions. Its interest is enhanced by two sets of wrought iron gates, the road side ones having a fine gate screen.

General comments

Listing Criteria R - Age and S - Authenticity also apply.