Hillside

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

End of terrace two-bay two-storey rendered mid-eighteenth century public house, incorporating two formerly separate houses. Rectangular on plan facing east with two-storey extension attached to rear built c.1975, extended further c.2000. Located on the west side of Main Street, Hillsborough on a sloping site.

Pitched natural slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles and a central redbrick chimneystack with terracotta pots. Cast-iron guttering on iron brackets to rendered eaves course and cast-iron downpipe. Painted ruled and lined rendered walling. Square-headed window openings with painted masonry sills and 6/6 timber sash windows with exposed sash boxes.

Front elevation is four windows wide with an enlarged fixed-pane display window to the northernmost bay beside square-headed door opening with double-leaf timber panelled doors and rectangular overlight, both openings surmounted by timber fascia with console brackets and applied gilded lettering stating 'HILLSIDE'.

South gable is blank with 1930s iron gate on strap iron hinges. Gable fronts onto concrete paved rear access lane.

Rear elevation abutted by single-bay two-storey rendered extension c.1975, having pitched natural slate roof and timber casement windows. Abutting the extension is a further two-storey brick wing built c.2000.

North gable is abutted by adjoining building No.19 (HB19/05/022).

Setting:
Set on a sloping site as part of a terrace of various building types lining the west side of Main Street, Hillsborough. Rear yard built over c.2000 with the remainder used as beer garden accessed via gate to south gable.

Roof Natural slate
RWG Cast-iron
Walling Painted ruled and lined render
Windows 6/6 timber sash

Historical information

Nos. 21-23 Main Street first appears on a map of Hillsborough dated c.1800 as a single house owned by a Mr. Moses Tate. It later appears on the first edition Ordnance Survey map for Hillsborough (1833) situated on the upper half of the hill. It is attached to the street terrace on its north side. The Ordnance Survey map and the more detailed Townland Valuations map of the 1830s depicts No. 21 as one property with the modern 23 Main Street (HB19/05/023B) which possessed a large rear return. The Townland Valuation (1830s) records the occupant as a Mr. James Cregan and lists the building as ‘houses, office and yard’ valued at £8. 8s. Although numbered 21 and 23 Main Street, it is unclear when the two addresses were joined; the earliest maps and valuation records refer to the house as a single building.

By Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) 21 Main Street, now valued at £9 was occupied by Charlotte Cregan (the widow of the previous occupant), who let the house from Moses Tate. The valuer recorded that the house, a 1C+ class dwelling measured 11 yards by 7 yards, possessed a number of out offices including a scullery and a shed. Charlotte Cregan died on 29th May 1875 and at that time left effects of £200 to her son, also called James Cregan (PRONI Will - 02/07/1875). James Cregan resided at 21 Main Street until 1890 when a Mr Richard Heenan took over the premises.

In 1891 the property description was recorded by the valuer as a public house, although there was no change in value due to this. Richard Heenan died in April 1900 and left a large sum of £1,177. 3s. 4d. to his widow, Mary Jane Heenan, after which time she was recorded as the occupant of the public house (PRONI Will – 16/05/1900). The 1901 Census tells us that Mary Jane (41) lived at 21 Main Street with her daughter and three sons as well as her sister Ellen Walker (46). Mary Jane worked in her pub which was recorded as a 1st class dwelling consisting of 7 inhabited rooms, and which possessed a cow house, a barn and a shed in the rear yard. In 1911 Mary Jane still resided with her sister and three of her sons but was then also recorded as the landholder. By this time the building possessed a stable, two sheds and a store. Mary Jane’s oldest son James Heenan (born c. 1892) was employed as a hardware apprentice in 1911 but after his mother’s death in 1915 he became the owner of the public house and inherited effects of £252. 17s. 0d. (PRONI Will – 10/06/1915).

Field inspection suggests an eighteenth century date of construction, and it seems likely that the building was first constructed as two dwellings. A number of original eighteenth century features survive including raised and fielded panelling in a number of the rooms and an early hearth which is located in the bar. A sign outside the pub proudly states that 21 Main Street has been a public house since 1777, but no evidence has been found which supports this. Barry tells us that in the early 19th century the village of Hillsborough possessed no less than 19 pubs and initiatives such as the establishment of reading rooms and coffee houses in the village were undertaken to provide an innocent alternative to the large number of public houses such as the Hillside pub (Barry, pp 36-38). Walker suggests that 21 Main Street was originally designed for use as a public house, although again, there is no evidence of this. It is likely however, that a pub of this age would have served beer from the old brewery which used to operate at the bottom of Main Street until its demolition in 1873. In its recent history the ‘Hillside Pub’ has won many awards including ‘Pub of the Year’ (Walker).

In 1974 Brett wrote that the Hillside Pub was ‘not very suitably painted, with unnecessarily obtrusive signs (Brett, p. 22). In 1975 the First Survey record stated that 21 Main Street had recently been altered; it was listed in December 1976. An extension was added to the pub in 1977 and also in 1985 (NIEA File). Since the First Survey the windows have had Georgian glazing bars reinstated and the pub has been repainted and now operates a restaurant upstairs (First Survey – 1975).

Although its date of construction is uncertain the Hillside bar is a socially significant building in Hillsborough's history.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI VAL/1/B/344 A-B – Townland Valuations 1834
2. PRONI VAL/1/A/3/14 – Field Map 1834
3. PRONI D671/M/8/25 – Hillsborough Map c.1800
4. PRONI D671/M/8/57/1 – Hillsborough Illustrated Map 1803
5. PRONI OS/6/3/14/1 – First Edition OS Map 1834
6. PRONI OS/6/3/14/2 – Second Edition OS Map 1858
7. PRONI OS/6/3/14/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1902-1903
8. PRONI OS/6/3/14/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-1920
9. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/45A-C – Griffith’s Valuation 1856-64
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14A – Annual Revisions 1864-1879
11. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14B – Annual Revisions 1880-1889
12. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14C – Annual Revisions 1890-1908
13. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14D – Annual Revisions 1909-1928
14. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14E – Annual Revisions 1928-1930
15. PRONI Wills Catalogue (1875, 1900, 1915).
16. First Survey Record – HB19/05/023A, 1975.

Secondary Sources

1. Barry, J., ‘Hillsborough: A parish in the Ulster plantation’ (3rd ed.), Belfast, Universities Press., 1982.
2. Brett, C. E. B., ‘Historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in the towns and villages of Mid Down: Hillsborough, Dromore, Dromara, Ballynahinch, the Spa, Drumaness and Saintfield’ Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1974.
3. Walker, S., ‘Hillsborough: An illustrated history and companion’ Belfast: Cottage Publications, 1994).
4. NIEA File – HB19/05/023A.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
X. Local Interest
R. Age

Evaluation

End of terrace two-bay two-storey rendered eighteenth century public house, located on the west side of Main Street, Hillsborough on a sloping site. Retaining much of its original early external character the building was formerly two houses. Recorded as a public house from the late nineteenth century and reputed to be in this use from as early as eighteenth century, the present structure currently operates as a pub and restaurant. Despite extensive refurbishment to the interior and a large extension to the rear, the building contributes to the character of the Main Street and is a socially significant building in Hillsborough's history.

General comments

This record has been renumbered it was previously HB19/05/023 A & B
Listing Criteria R also applies.