Brookfield

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large, mainly formal and mainly two-storey complex, originally a Quaker-run agricultural school, built in 1836 and extended c.1860s-70s, but now largely derelict. The complex comprises of what were various classrooms, a variety of farm outbuildings, a head master’s house and a matron’s house, and what were probably dormitories. It is prominently located on a rise to the south side of Halfpenny Gate Road, roughly 2.3km north-east of Moira. To the immediate west is an associated Quaker Meeting House of 1874 [HB19/02/059], which ceased to be used in 2000.

At the time of the survey, the headmaster’s house was occupied, however, the remainder of the buildings are in various stages of dilapidation, ranging from ‘exposed to the elements’, to partial and complete collapse.

Roughly-speaking, the complex comprises three ranges of varying size, set parallel on a north-south axis to the immedate south of the road. Farther to the west are various single-storey outbuildings arranged around a square farmyard.

The most easterly range (Range one) lies a short distance to the west of the meeting house, and appears to be largely of 1836, but extended southwards post-1859. Two-storey with a long asymetric east-facing frontage, this range accommodated the head master's and the matron’s houses to the north end, with various classrooms to ground floor to the south and (possibly) dormitories to first. Two rear returns link Range One and Two to the west, these returns creating a small internal court which serves as a rear yard for the former headmaster’s house. The return to the north fronts right on to the roadside and is part-two, part single-storey and may incorporate the fabric of a pre-1836 dwelling.

Range two, to the west of Range One, has a formal, symmetrical, west-facing two-storey frontage, with a central three-stage tower topped with a now near collapsed, bell-cote, and a return to the north and the south end. The central portion of this range may be of 1836, but the rest is post-1859, with the tower believed to been added in 1871. It appears to have accommodated only classrooms.

Range three lies further to the west of the far west, and has a much smaller footprint than its neighbours. It is two-storey and appears to have been a farm outbuilding, possibly, in part, dating from 1836. A 3m high brick wall spans between the second and third ranges and in encloses a yard. The resultant wall obscures half of the formal front of range two; the enclosed area appears to have acted as a ‘farm yard’, possibly used for teaching purposes.

To the immediate west of range three is a further arrangement of farm outbuildings set to the north and south side of a large yard.

RANGE ONE
The front of this range faces east. The majority of the range to the south and centre appears to have housed classrooms (and possibly dormitories), whilst to the north of centre is the matron’s house, and to the north again, the head master’s house. The matron's house has two doorways (one within a mainly glazed late-Victorian looking projecting gabled porch to the south) indicating that this range once contained a third dwelling. To both the north and south ends of the 'house' section there is an east facing gable, that to the south projecting slightly, with the aforementioned gabled porch taking up its ground floor level.

Head Master’s House
This dwelling is roughly rectangular in plan, consisting as it does of the very northerly end of range one, much of the return to the west running along the roadside, and a lean-to projection within the rear yard. The return is part single and part two-storey and may have been constructed in two phases, and (as stated above) may contain the walls of an a pre-1836 structure.

The east-facing front of the house is irregular, being gabled to the right (northern) end, and with the doorway to the left of centre. Window openings are mainly flat-headed. Frames to the return section of the house are generally 2/2 sliding sash; to the rear yard there are some modern casement frames. The front door opening is semicircular arched and has an unusual moulded, shouldered surround; the glazed timber-panelled door is recessed, creating an open porch.

Walls are roughcast render and rainwater goods are, part missing, part uPVC and part cast-iron. Eaves and verges to the returns are overhanging with painted timber fascias and bargeboards. There is an eaves course to the original section. The pitched roof is slated with chimneystacks are only located on the ridge of the two-storey return section; one is rendered the other a brick-faced replacement.

Matron’s House
This house, which, as stated above, may incorporate what was orignally a separate dwelling, is L-shaped in plan, taking the southerly return. To the rear there is a later single-storey lean-to return. The house and its return complete the enclosure of the rear yard belonging to the former headmaster's house.

Like its neighbour to the north, the east-facing frontage is irregular. To the left side is the full-height gabled projection with the glazed porch, now much overgrown. Within the porch is the entrance, which has moulded pilasters and archivolt and a raised keystone, with the timber-panelled door is surmounted by a radial fanlight. The 'extra' door opening to the right side (which must have originally served a separate dwelling) matches that of the head master’s house; this has a timber panelled door and a plain fanlight. Window openings are flat-headed and frames are sash with 3/6 to first floor and 6/6 to ground. Walls are finished with roughcast render and the pitched roof slated with to ridge chimneystacks, one rendered the other a brick replacement.

Classrooms
The southern end of Range One appears to have housed classrooms to the ground and (possibly) dormitories to first. This portion is heavily overgrown and appeared in dangerous condition. The original rectangular plan form has been retained.

The roof is pitched and slated; this has part collapsed. Walls are roughcast render. Window openings are flat-headed; most frames are missing but sufficient remain to note that all were sash; those to ground floor were 6/6 and those to first were 3/3. A door opening is semi-circular arched.

RANGE TWO
This lies to the immediate east of Range One, with the returns to the rear of range one linking to its east facade. This range is E-shaped in plan, consisting of a long main rectangular section, (somewhat longer than range one) with projecting returns to the north and south ends and a central three-stage clock tower completing the what is a (generally) formal west-facing the formal frontage.

The formal central section is two-storey; to either side of the central three-stage bell-cote tower are regularly arranged flat-headed window openings. These have 6/6 frames to the tall ground floor openings and 3/6 frames to the shorter first floor openings. To the ground floor of the tower is a segmental-arched door opening, to first floor there is a segmental-arched window opening and to the third level is the remains of a clock face; this is surmounted by the timber remains of a bell-cote. The addition to the north side, which follows on from the return stretching from the north end of range one, is road-fronted and single-storey. The addition to the south side is two-storey. Window openings are similar to the central section but have brick dressings. Walls were finished with lime render, much now fallen away revealing random rubble field stone construction; quoins are formed in red clay brick. The roof is pitched and slated with gable skews; it has an eaves course and brick chimneystacks to the ridges.

RANGE THREE
This lies to the west of Range Two with a large yard between them and is 'joined' to it by a 3m high brick wall. This two-storey range is roughly ‘L’-shaped, with a return to the northern end, facing on to the roadside; however much of this northern end has partially collapsed. It appears to have been used as a byre with a hayloft over.

The walls are rubble fieldstone with brick quoins and the roof pitched and slated. Large areas of walling are blank; but what openings there are are regularly arranged. The windows are flat-headed and with brick dressings, and mainly have timber ventilation louvers. Door openings are also flat-headed with brick dressings. Some doors and window frames are missing. Walls are rubble fieldstone with brick quoins.

FARM OUTBUILDINGS
To the west of Range Three there is a long line of piggeries. The roofs are part collapsed. Two further buildings are in an advanced state of collapse (or were demolished). Remaining walls are of rubble fieldstone and the remaining sections of the roofs slated.

Historical information

This complex, built in 1836 with significant later 19th century additions, originally functioned as agricultural school, founded by the Ulster Province (Quaker) Meeting. It was intended for the education of those children whose parents had been disowned by the Society, for, as Quaker historian David M. Butler states, due to disunity amongst the sect there were many such children, to whom the Quakers felt they owed a care. The terms of admission were broadened in 1876 to include children of Quaker parents of limited means, and -in 1885- for selected pupils whose families were unconnected with the Society of Friends. The school appears to have been largely the creation of the Richardsons, the owners of the large mills at Bessbrook and Glenmore (Lambeg) and one of Ireland's leading Quaker families. Historian Neville H. Newsome states that Brookfield would not have survived for as long as it did, had it not been for the Richardsons' support.

The school's avowed purpose was to 'train young people up in religious life and conversation' however its aims were also practical, with the boys were expected to work part-time on the attached farm, giving them a grounding in agriculture and farm management, as well as making the school self-sufficient in food. Girls worked in the dairy and kitchen and also did dressmaking. In 1869 it was reported that Brookfield consisted of 66 children (37 boys and 29 girls), all boarders.

Regarding the buildings themselves, previous to 1836 this site was partly occupied by a long thatched house recorded in the October 1834 valuation as the home of William English and measuring 75ft x 22 x 13 with a return of 10½ x 12½ x 6. This house fronted directly on to the road and its position appears to correspond to the long part two and part single-storey return to what was the school headmaster’s house. It is possible that some of the fabric of this earlier structure was incorporated within the present building, the physical evidence in terms of wall thickness would seem to suggest it was.

Whatever the case, it is clear from the OS map of 1857 that the school as it originally stood was considerably smaller than at present, consisting of most of the long range [Range One] to the east with the long return to the north stretching along the roadside, and the shorter return extending from the western side of the range into a large square-looking block, which appears to have been the earliest section of the present large central wing [Range Two]. Located further west was a roughly L-shaped building, which seems to have been close to, but not exactly on the same site of, the present (somewhat overgrown) largest of the farmyard ranges [Range Three]. The valuation of 1862 notes the buildings as containing a 'master and mistress's (ie matron's) house' as well as 'schools, dining hall, dormitories and infirmary', with these components (which were probably all within the eastern range) measuring 33yds x 8 x 2(storeys), 7 x 3 x 1, 25 x 6½, 5 x 3 x 1, 13 x 7 x 2, 21 x 7 x 2½ and 4 x 4 x 1½. The outbuildings the amounted to 9 x 2 x 1, 18 x 6 x 2, 9 x 6 x 1, 14 x 6 x 1, with a 'ploughman's house of 9 x 7 x 1. The presence of a 'house as laundry' is mentioned by the valuers the following year; this may have been the house that appears to have been incorporated into the matron's dwelling.

We cannot be certain when the remainder of the long central wing and the rest of the farm buildings we see today to the western side were added to the site. The complex appears as present on the 1900 OS map, and, judging from its style of the various buildings in question it is probable that they were constructed in the 1860s. According to an article by George R. Chapman, whose mother was a pupil, and later Head-Teacher of the girls' side, the clock tower was built in 1871, from money donated by Joseph Pease of Darlington, 'the father of the railway system in England.' The only comment in the valuations* which gives any clue to building work within the complex dates from 1886 when the 'house' was 'improved', but this is probably a reference to the headmaster's and matron's dwellings which have elements of late 19th century detailing. It is possible that it was at this point that the matron's house was amalgamated with its neighbour to the south.

Lack of funding forced Brookfield to close as an official Quaker establishment in 1922. The school buildings were transferred for a nominal sum to the headmaster, Charles Bennington, and the farmland and farm buildings sold off to a local Quaker farmer, William Green. Bennington and his wife, and later their son, Crawford, continued to run a private boarding an day school until 1930, when the entire complex was sold to Mr. Green. By 1941 the property appears to have come into the ownership of an Arthur and James Swain, and the buildings are described as dilapidated. They were still in the hands of the Swains up until at least 1972.

*Unlike other schools, Brookfield remained subject to valuation for many years, and only appears to have been granted exemption in the 1870s.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL1A/1/67 OS map, Co. Antrim sheet 67, with valuation
references, 1832(-c.38)
2 PRONI VAL1B/177 First valuation, Magheramesk parish, October 1834
3 PRONI VAL2A/1/67 OS map, Co. Antrim sheet 67, with valuation references, 1857(-c.62)
4 PRONI VAL2B/1/62B Second valuation, Magheramesk parish, 1862
5 PRONI VAL12B/8/14A Annual valuation revision book, Magheramesk ED, 1863-79
6 PRONI VAL12B/8/14B Annual valuation revision book, Magheramesk ED, 1880-89
7 PRONI VAL12B/8/14C Annual valuation revision book, Magheramesk ED, 1890-1908
8 PRONI OS6/1/67/3 OS map. County Antrim sheet 67, 1900
9 PRONI VAL12B/8/14D Annual valuation revision book, Magheramesk ED, 1908-29
10 PRONI VAL3C/1/27 First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Lisburn Rural ED,
1936-57
11 PRONI VAL4B/1/52 Second General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Lisburn Rural ED,
1957-72

Secondary sources
1 Newhouse, Neville H., ‘History of Friends School Lisburn, (1974)
2 Chapman, George.R., “Friends Agricultural School- near Moria, 1836-1922” in 'Review- Journal of the Craigavon Historical Society', vol 5. no.3 (1986)
3 Butler, David M., 'Quaker Meeting House of Ireland' (Irish Friends Historical Committee, 2004), pp.152-53

Internet sites / articles
1 http://www.moirabaptist.org/History/Moira%20history%202-lords%20and%20labourers.pdf
2 http://www.lisburn.com/books/friends-school/friends-school3.htm

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
V. Authorship

Evaluation

In terms of social history this complex is something of a rarity, having been built as a Quaker school for 'disowned' children, which specialised in the teaching of agricultural practices. It was certainly unique in Ulster, and, as far as can be discerned, within Ireland as a whole. In terms of architecture it is a prominently sited largely mid 19th century collection of buildings, most of which are still standing, including a clock tower. Unfortunately the school buildings are generally in poor condition and only the former headmaster's house, matron's house and part of the school buildings forming a courtyard behind the two houses have sufficient architectural detail remaining, added to the important historical interest, to justify listed status.

General comments

This was previously recorded as HB19/22/065