Brooklands

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached two-storey three-bay Queen Anne-style Edwardian house, built c.1910 on a large corner site at the junction of Harry’s Road and Hillsborough Road. U-shaped plan with projecting rectangular bay and bow window to east; two-storey canted bay and modern conservatory to south; extended two-storey return to north.

Hipped natural slate roof over exposed rafter tails with terracotta ridge tiles and finials; five tall brick chimneystacks having clay pots. Cast-iron ogee and plastic rainwater goods with cast-iron hopper. Walling is English garden wall-bonded red-brick with sandstone dressings on chamfered plinth. Windows are a variety of timber-mullioned casements and 1/1 timber-framed sliding sash with horns, having sandstone lintels with chamfered detail and projecting sills.

The principal elevation faces east; main block is irregularly arranged with projecting right bay. First floor of main block has paired window to either side of a central leaded-and -stained glass stairwell window (at a lower level). To ground floor left is a bow window with six openings having decorative leaded-and-stained glass top sections and leaded roof. To right of centre is entrance accessed by three semi-circular stone steps, comprising segmental-headed half-panelled double-leaf timber door; brick surround punctuated by raised sandstone blocks with large raised keyblock. Doors have three raised-and-fielded panels with multi-paned section above with moulded and dentilled sills; decorative cast-iron letterbox with knocker, door knob and bell-push. Entrance is flanked by a pair of leaded-and-stained glass timber windows in chamfered surround; surmounted by a large segmental-headed timber panelled and dentilled canopy with slightly projecting hood; resting on console brackets with carved trefoil insets. Projecting bay to right has paired windows to first floor; segmental-headed casement window to ground floor having four panes with a decorative leaded-and- stained-glass top section; sandstone blocks to springers and raised sandstone keyblock.

The south elevation has a two-storey canted bay to left with chamfered continuous lintels and three decorative carved panels between floors. To right is a single window to first floor and a modern semi-circular timber conservatory to ground floor, accessed by two brick steps and in sympathetic style to the house.

The west elevation comprises two gables to either side of a recessed bay (that to right is narrower and half-hipped). Recessed bay has a tripartite segmental-headed leaded-and-stained glass window to each floor. Right gable has a diminutive window to first floor; left gable has two windows to first floor; to ground floor right is a raised-and-fielded three panel timber door with multi-paned top section having corbelled sill, surmounted by transom light; abutted by large timber conservatory which abuts the modern section of the return to north (of little interest).

The north elevation has a single window to ground floor left and is abutted to right by the two-storey return, extended to rear in recent years. The original section has, to east, a window to each floor; the north elevation has two diminutive windows to first floor right and two windows to ground floor; skylight to roof.

Setting:
Situated on a large mature site with entrances at Harry’s Road and Hillsborough Road. Replacement red-brick entrance piers at Harry’s Road; original red-brick gate piers at Hillsborough Road entrance, having sandstone caps and chamfered plinths, supporting decorative cast-iron gates. Gravelled driveway with lawned and shrubbed garden to all sides and enclosed by mature trees. Rear garden enclosed to north by painted rendered wall with timber-sheeted pedestrian and vehicular gates. To rear of property is an original slated two-storey outbuilding, much altered with replacement doors and windows and incorporating modern office; this is abutted to east by a large modern garage.

Roof: Hipped natural slate
Walling: English garden wall red-brick
Windows: Timber-framed casements and 1/1 sliding sash
RWG: Cast-iron ogee (some plastic)

Historical information

Brooklands house was constructed c. 1912 as a residence for George Nelson, a local farmer, in the Townland of Culcavy north of Hillsborough. This house replaced a former dwelling which was known as Culcavy House and appeared on the maps from the first edition in 1833. Brooklands house does not appear on the Ordnance Survey maps until the fourth edition in 1919-20; Nelson’s Will tells us that he left Culcavy House and effects of £1,500 to the joint administration of his widow Eileen and their son George Nelson (PRONI Wills Catalogue – 16/02/1876). The 1901 Census tells us that George Nelson (46) took over possession of Culcavy House after his father’s death and resided there with his wife Elizabeth (35) and their two children. The census building return form describes the former house as a 1st class dwelling which possessed a slate roof and contained 10 inhabited rooms

Brooklands House was likely constructed 1910 as the 1911 census recorded that George Nelson and his family occupied a significantly larger dwelling (possessing 14 rooms) than that recorded in 1901. The new house can first be seen on the fourth edition of the Ordnance Survey map (1919-20) which depicts the house as a U shaped building situated to the south-east of the former dwelling. When Brooklands was constructed it possessed a large number of farm buildings; in 1911 the census out office return recorded that Nelson possessed 20 out offices which included a stable, four cow houses, a dairy, boiling house and a large number of stores. Nelson continued to live at Brooklands until at least the late 1930s when his son George H. Nelson was enrolled in Campbell College and supplied the house as his address (Lennon Wylie).

Finn and McQuillan tell us that the original Culcavy House was constructed c. 1700 and had been occupied by the Nelson family since c. 1750; they recorded that the original house stood on the site until around 1912 when Brooklands was constructed (Finn and McQuillan). Brooklands continues to be occupied by a member of the Nelson family and in recent years the north-west two-storey outbuilding has been converted into a modern office and garage. Further alterations to the house since the current edition of the Ordnance Survey map in 1967 include the construction of a modern conservatory which was added to the north-west elevation, and the demolition of the original Culcavy House. Brooklands House continues to be occupied and is in a good state of preservation, the alterations to the house, although numerous, have been sympathetically added.

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/14/1 – First Edition OS Map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/3/14/2 – Second Edition OS Map 1858
3. PRONI OS/6/3/14/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1902-1903
4. PRONI OS/6/3/14/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-1920
5. PRONI Wills Catalogue (1876)
6. Ulster Towns Directory (1910)
7. Census of Ireland 1901 / 1911
8. Ordnance Survey map 184-2 (1967)

Secondary Sources

1. Finn P; McQuillan J., ‘As it was: A changing scene from Culcavy to Long Kesh C. Down’ Unknown publisher: 2004

Online Resources

1. Lennon Wylie Website (Campbell College Register 1894-1954) - http://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Brooklands is a large detached two-storey three-bay Queen Anne-style Edwardian house, built c.1910, on a mature corner site at the junction of Harry’s Road and Hillsborough Road. The proportions and detailing are typical of the Queen Anne style, incorporating leaded-and-stained glass fenestration. Later alterations and extensions are in an identical style and somewhat obscure the original proportions. Although of interest it is not considered of special interest and therefore does not meet the criteria for listing.