Diamond Hill

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A four-bay single-storey direct-entry vernacular house with extensions and outbuildings, built c.1800 and located at the end of a long lane to the west of Braniel Road, Lisburn. Rectangular on plan with single-storey extensions at a lower level to each side. Projecting porch to front (later) and single-storey extension under catslide roof with flat-roof porch to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with roughcast rendered chimneystacks each having a single clay pot. Partial cast-iron half-round rainwater goods. Walling is rubble stone and brick, roughcast rendered and painted white. Windows are mainly 2/2 timber-framed sliding sash with vertical glazing bars and horns, in deep reveals with projecting painted masonry sills.

The principal elevation faces southeast and is irregularly arranged; projecting porch to left of centre with two windows to either side (that to far right is at a greater distance). The flat-roof porch is a more modern addition and opens to northeast with a modern timber door; to southeast is a timber-casement window opening to top.

The southwest gable is abutted (at a lower level) by an extension with a corrugated tin roof; southeast elevation contains two leaded casement windows; northwest elevation contains two early timber-sheeted doors accessed by rubble stone steps; gable is abutted by metal-framed conservatory.

The rear elevation (northwest) has a window to far left and is almost entirely abutted by a lean-to containing three timber casement windows with a single window to the northeast elevation. Abutted at right by a flat-roof porch with modern timber door and a window to the right cheek; accessed by three masonry steps.

The northeast gable is abutted by an extension (at a slightly lower level), now housing a garage. Metal shutter and canopy to gable; elevations are blank.

To the rear of the dwelling is a double-height slated rubble stone barn with red-brick dressings, abutted at north gable by a single-storey lean-to; south gable has external steps leading to early timber-sheeted door. East elevation faces yard and contains two timber-sheeted stable doors, flanked by two timber-framed windows with smaller timber-sheeted opening above. Lean-to has timber-sheeted door and metal-framed lattice window. West elevation has a single opening to attic at centre and is punctuated at mid-height by a series of diminutive openings.

Northeast of the house is a stable-block with corrugated tin roof, partially restored with concrete blocks and two replacement stable-doors. Right section contains three early stable doors and two metal-framed lattice windows. To southeast is a variety of agricultural buildings arranged around a yard, the earliest of which is a linear single-storey range with rendered walls, metal-framed windows and early timber-sheeted doors. To north is a large corrugated metal agricultural shed; to west is an earlier corrugated metal shed, abutted to south by a timber shed with pitched felt roof opening onto the yard.

Setting:

Located at the end of a long lane and surrounded to all sides by farmland; small raised lawned and shrubbed garden to front partially enclosed by roughcast rendered walls with a cast-iron latch-gate; bounded to lane by grass verge. To the rear of the property is partially ruined rubble stone slated byre and corrugated metal outhouse and shed. Modern wrought-iron and metal farm gates gives access to farmland to north, east and west.

Roof: Pitched natural slate
Walling: Roughcast render
Windows: Mainly 2/2 timber sash
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

A single-storey vernacular farmhouse first appearing on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1834 as an oblong structure situated in the townland of Hill Hall. The 1834 map shows that none of Diamond Hill’s current outbuildings had been constructed at that time; however, the stable block extension, abutting the south-west gable, and the extension (now used as a garage) abutting the north-east gable, may have been constructed by this early period as there is no discernible change to the length of the farmhouse on the later editions of the maps. By the second edition of the Ordnance Survey (1859) a small return or out office can first be seen, however this has since been replaced by a single-storey lean-to which was constructed in the early 20th century; the former byre to the north of the dwelling had also been erected at this time.

The first recorded occupant of this dwelling was a Mr. Robert Diamond, a local famer who let the property from the Marquis of Downshire; Griffiths Valuation tells us that the house and its out offices were valued at £2 10s. in 1861. By 1901 the house had passed to a Mr. George Diamond (57) who lived at the farm with his niece Mary Jane Diamond (21). The Census Building Return tells us that the dwelling originally possessed a thatched roof until at least 1911; the house was described as a second class dwelling which possessed five or six inhabited rooms. The third edition of the Ordnance Survey map (c. 1901) could not be consulted; the fourth edition of the maps for 1919-20 depicts the rubble stone barn to the west of the dwelling for the first time, although it is likely that the barn was constructed much earlier. The 1911 census out office return records that aside from the stable block and barn, the farm possessed a cow house, piggery, fowl house, boiling house and a potato house several of which were housed in the surviving outbuildings.

The three more modern farmbuildings situated to the east of the dwelling, including an additional stable block and a corrugated metal shed barn, were constructed between 1920 and the current edition of the Ordnance Survey map in 1969 (165-12). Field research conducted at the site has found that the former byre to the north of the dwelling has fallen into a partial state of ruin whilst the north-east extension to the house has been converted for use as a garage; although despite these alterations the farmhouse and its surviving outbuildings are in a relatively good state of preservation and continue to be occupied.

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/15/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1834
2. PRONI OS/6/3/15/2 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1859
3. PRONI OS/6/3/15/4 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1919-20
4. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/25C – Griffiths Valuation 1861
5. Census of Ireland 1901 / 1911
6. Ordnance Survey map 165-12 (1969)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Diamond Hill is a four-bay single-storey direct-entry vernacular house with extensions and outbuildings, built c.1800 and located in an unspoiled rural setting with laned access off Braniel Road, Lisburn. Relatively well-preserved and retaining an early appearance, this dwelling is a rare survival of a type once common in the area. Some of the architectural detailing has been retained, along with an early floor-plan and an early rubble stone barn to rear. Although of interest it is not considered of special interest.

General comments

This record was completed without access to original source material held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.