Broommount

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Symmetrical detached three-bay two-storey with attic rendered seventeenth century farmhouse, with gable-ended return and further two-storey redbrick return added c.1880. Set back on the south side of Soldierstown Road, opposite Holy Trinity Church of Ireland (HB19/03/020). L-shaped on plan, facing north accessed by long winding avenue with large farmyard to the southwest and small range of outbuildings to the southeast.

Steeply pitched natural slate roof with lead ridges and cement coping to slightly raised gables each surmounted by large rendered chimneystacks. Replacement aluminium guttering to the front elevation, cast-iron to remainder. Flint-dash rendered walling with smooth rendered plinth and eaves course, rusticated render quoins and smooth render sill band to first floor. Square-headed window openings with smooth rendered surrounds, painted masonry sills and horizontally-glazed 2/2 timber sash windows.

Symmetrical front north elevation is five windows wide with a square-headed door opening having replacement timber doorcase having decorative leaded glazing. Door opens onto front bitmac parking area.

East gable has a single off-centre window opening to each level and a further opening at attic level with uPVC window. The early return continues flush with the east gable having a single window opening to each floor, that to the ground floor having 6/6 timber sash window with exposed sash box. This elevation is abutted by a tall rendered pier supporting pair of wrought-iron gates to the southeast yard.

Rear elevation abutted by gable-ended return to the right and lean-to accretion to the re-entrant angle, with two windows on each floor to the exposed section of the rear elevation and a gabled dormer window to the rear pitch with uPVC window. The return is further abutted by a lower redbrick and stone two-storey return having pitched natural slate roof, roll-moulded terracotta ridge tiles, cast-iron rainwater goods and redbrick walling laid in English garden wall bond, partly rubblestone to the ground floor. The east elevation has a random arrangement of window openings with uPVC windows and a central Tudor-arched door opening with hood moulding and replacement hardwood doorcase. The west elevation of the return is abutted by a single-storey redbrick accretion surmounted by lean-to timber-frame conservatory.

West gable is abutted by a single-storey lean-to with uPVC window to the front and uPVC glazed door to the rear.

Setting:
Set back on the south side of Soldierstown Road accessed via a long winding avenue through the front field with many mature trees. The avenue splits in two on its western approach, one leading south to the large concrete paved farmyard, the other leading to the front of the house. Small enclosed garden at rear of house with low bondary wall consisting of dashed render and random rubble. Gateway to the east gable with flint-dashed rendered piers and wrought-iron gates is abutted by a two-storey rendered outbuilding attached to a cluster of similar rendered outhouses having sheeted doors and natural slate roofs and forming a small yard to the east of the house. Lining the west side of the large yard is a range of single and two-storey rendered outbuildings with redbrick bellcote, sheeted doors and windows and natural slate roofs and the remains of an octagonal horse-training structure to the west. The avenue opens onto the road via pair of flint-dash rendered piers and splayed walls.

Roof Natural slate
RWG Aluminium / Cast-iron
Walling Flint-dash render over rubble
Windows Horizontally-glazed 2/2 timber sash / uPVC

Historical information

‘Broommount’ is recorded and named on the first edition of the Ordnance Survey maps (1832-33) which shows the house and a large number of out offices. Broommount house itself is shown as an L-shaped building. The Townland Valuation c. 1833 classed the house as 1b and recorded a potato house, 2 stables, a barn, boiling house and threshing machine amongst the houses many out offices. The entire site was valued at £26. 4s. Rev. John Dubourdieu’s Statistical Survey of Co. Antrim (1812) tells that the threshing machine was set in motion in 1811 (Dubourdieu).

The Ordnance Survey Memoirs (1833-38) describe Broommount House as the seat of William Gorman, ‘a commodious oblong building 2-storeys high and slated, with a wing to the north end. The offices are extensive and the yard well enclosed.’ The writer states that Broommount may have been built by Dr. Edward Walkington, the Bishop of Down and Connor around 1695, to be used as a residence for the clergy of Aghalee Church. The last clergyman who occupied the property was the Rev. Dean Walsh whose widow sold it to the Gorman family. The valuer states that the Gormans have occupied the residence for around 80 years (c. 1750s) and that William Gorman had made considerable improvements to the property within the previous 25 years.

The second edition of the Ordnance Survey map for the area (1858) shows the addition of a new out office but there is little change to the site in later editions of the maps. Griffiths Valuation values the property at £24, let by the Marquis of Hertford and now occupied by his son Stafford Gorman. According to Lewis’ Topographical Dictionary, Stafford Gorman occupied and owned the property of Broommount as early as 1837 (Lewis). There was no change to the valuation of the site until 1895 when Broommount’s offices were valued separately from the house. The offices were occupied by Gorman’s son-in-law William Edward Best, let by Stafford Gorman and valued at £10. In 1895 the house is recorded as in fee and valued at £12.

The 1901 Census return for Broommount house notes that Stafford Gorman, a retired farmer, was born c. 1822 and lived at Broommount with his wife Maria Selina Gorman (73). The census building return lists Broommount as a ten room, first class building; the landholder being William E. Best. According to his Will, Stafford Gorman died on 10th January 1903, leaving £5 to William E. Best (PRONI Will catalogue – 10/01/1903). The 1911 Census returns William E. Best (born c. 1855) as the occupant and landholder of Broommount House, where he lived with his with Elizabeth (42), his mother-in-law Maria Selina Gorman and his sister-in-law. Best was a farmer but is also recorded in the Census as an assistant inspector for the Irish Land Commission (established 1881). The census continues to record a large number of out offices at Broommount, one of which, an octagonal shaped horse training house, still exists but has fallen into a state of disrepair. A number of the other farm buildings still exist and one of the out offices possesses a red brick bell cote.

In 1927 Thomas Hayes occupied the property which was now listed at a single value of £30. The current owners believe that the building was constructed around 1664 and that the roof was originally thatched (NIEA File). Field research has found that many original features of the house remain intact; raised and fielded panelling throughout the house indicates that the house was renovated at some stage in the 18th century when the interior took on a Georgian character. Broommount is an early and fairly intact farmhouse, notable for its well preserved Georgian interior and traces of its 17th century origin, evident particularly in the proportion and the steep pitch of the roof.

References:

1. PRONI VAL/1/A/1/67 – Field Map c.1830
2. PRONI VAL/1/B/166 – Townland Valuation
3. PRONI OS/6/1/67/1 – First Edition OS Map 1832-33
4. PRONI OS/6/1/67/2 – Second Edition OS Map 1858
5. PRONI OS/6/1/67/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1900
6. PRONI OS/6/1/67/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1920-1921
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/58 – Griffith’s Valuation 1859
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/9/2 A – Annual Revisions 1863-1879
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/9/2 B – Annual Revisions 1880-1894
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/9/2 C – Annual Revisions 1895-1905
11. PRONI VAL/12/B/9/2 D – Annual Revisions 1906-1918
12. PRONI VAL/12/B/9/2 E – Annual Revisions 1918-1928
13. PRONI Wills Catalogue (1903).

Secondary Sources

1. Dubourdieu. J., ‘Statistical Survey of Co. Antrim’ 1912.
2. NIEA file – HB19/03/047.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Z. Rarity
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Symmetrical detached three-bay two-storey with attic rendered seventeenth century farmhouse, located on the south side of Soldierstown Road. The flint-dash render and mid twentieth-century appearance disguises a very early structure evident from its steeply pitched roof, diminutive proportions and intact 18th century interior. Retaining many of its original outbuildings and a late 19th century horsewalk, the house and farmyard form a remarkably intact group in an unspoilt rural setting. Despite the later changes, the house is an important example of a modest farm holding and with links to the Church of Ireland church on the opposite side, makes a significant contribution to the heritage of the area.

General comments

Criteria R, S, & T also apply.