Gardener's House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached five-bay two-storey rendered former gardener’s cottage to Hillsborough Castle, dated 1841. Rectangular on plan facing North West, extensively renovated c.1992 and extended to the south gable. Set on a corner site to Moira Road and the entrance to the walled garden complex at the end of a cul-de-sac (Moira Road).

Pitched natural slate roof (reconstructed c.1992) with black clay ridge tiles and three redbrick chimneystacks having black pots. Original cast-iron rainwater goods on iron brackets. Painted ruled and lined render walling with render quoins. Square-headed window openings with painted masonry sills and replacement 3/6 timber sash windows.

Principal asymmetrical two-storey North West front elevation five windows wide with original off-centre timber-frame entrance porch with natural slate roof, decorative bargeboard and finial and replacement timber lattice-work on low rendered wall. Replacement timber panelled door with glazed upper panels and smooth render surround opening into the porch with octagonal clay tiles and stone step to front paved area.

North gable has a single slender window opening with replacement 2/4 timber sash window. Tall rubblestone screen wall abutting north gable with elliptical redbrick carriage arch and replacement timber sheeted gate.

Two-storey South West rear elevation, five windows wide, abutted by single-storey conservatory. Square-headed door opening with moulded architrave surround and replacement timber panelled and glazed door opening onto paved rear patio.

South side gable abutted by two-storey L-plan extension, built c.1992, imitating the details of the main house with pitched natural slate roofs, and pair of dormer windows over pair of elliptical-headed garage doors.

Setting
Red circular sandstone gate piers with domed capstones, mark the entrance on Moira Road, the private entrance to no. 20 is via another pair of replacement iron gates on circular red sandstone piers with domed capstones and inscribed date ‘1841’ from a shared (with no.18) gravel driveway. Granite setts to the entire front and south of site with a tall rubblestone wall flush to the rear elevation enclosing rear garden.

Roof: Natural slate
RWG: Cast-iron
Walling: Ruled and lined render
Windows: Replacement timber sash

Historical information

The Gardener’s House at Hillsborough can be dated by an inscribed gate pier to 1841. It is first shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1858, uncaptioned. Griffith’s Valuation lists the ‘Gardener’s House, office and land’ valued at £4 initially and rising by stages to £6.10s. The house is the property of the Marquess of Downshire in fee and no occupant is listed. The third Marquess was engaged in alterations to the Castle at this time, to designs by William Sands and the gardener’s house appears to have been part of these improvements.

The Marquess of Downshire continues to be listed as occupier in most of the fieldbooks. A single deviation from this occurs in 1884 when a gardener called William Lee is recorded as resident. The house passed to Sir Thomas Dixon in 1910 and then the Ministry of Finance when the estate was bought as a residence for the Governor of Northern Ireland in 1922.

The house was listed in 1996. In 2001, living quarters were installed over the garage. (NIEA file)

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 1902-3
4. PRONI OS/6/3/14/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-20
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/45A-C – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14/A-E – Annual Revisions (1864-1930)
7. PRONI VAL/12/E/102/1/1-6 – Annual Revisions Town Plan ([c.1864]-1909)
8. NIEA file – HB19/05/083

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Two-storey five-bay rendered former gardener’s cottage, dated 1841, within the curtilage of Hillsborough Castle. Extended to the south during the late nineteenth-century, the house lay derelict for many years and underwent a major refurbishment c.1992. While much original joinery was lost during this period, the insertion of appropriate replacements and the re-use of some elements have insured that this house retains much of its original character which greatly adds to the intact appearance of this part of the Demesne. It has group value with the other listed structures at Hillsborough Castle.

General comments

This record has been re-allocated. Originally HB19/05/083.
Additional listing criteria apply-R-Age, S- Authenticity