22 Pond Park Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Set in the suburban northern outskirts of the city of Lisburn, this is an elegant example of a fine two-storey villa designed in the Italianate Palazzo style of late Victorian era. It is, however, something of an anachronism, it was in fact constructed in 1903/4. Set within a large well-tended suburban garden, the removal of boundary enclosures now creates more a feeling of park than garden. The plan is roughly square with a rectangular two-storey projection to the east side. To the rear, there is a single-storey flat-roofed extension and an enclosed yard with a detached two-storey coach house / stable.

All windows are boarded over and window frames are only visible from the interior; generally these are 1/1 timber sash. Transoms are raised above the middle position; a practice common Edwardian times.

The front façade is symmetrical. Somewhat crude later brick planter and concrete flagged steps with modern tubular steel handrail, rise to the front entrance. The timber (fielded) panelled door is set within a timber glazed screen and all is set within an elliptical-headed opening. This is flanked by engaged pilasters that rest on a panelled base and is surmounted by fluted console brackets; these support a projecting cornice on which rests a balustraded parapet. The entire door case is set on a shallow advancing two-storey bay. To either side is a single-storey flat-roofed canted bay; window openings to these are flat-headed rest on a continuous sill course and reveals have stopped chamfers. The cast-iron ogee gutters rest on projecting dentals. Window openings to first floor are arranged in single and in pairs; all are semi-circular headed with moulded arch reveals and keystones. Reveals are as before and mullions, in the paired arrangements, are engaged pilasters with ‘garland’ capitals.

To the left side the west façade has a single-storey bay as before. A window opening to the right of the ground floor moulded surround and is surmounted by a moulded cornice on decorative dentals. As before, first floor windows are semi-circular headed with a pair to the right side and a single to the left.

The ground floor of the rear north much is obscured by flat roofed extension. As before, first floor windows are semi-circular headed with a pair to the right side and a single to the left. To the centre there is a large metal fire escape stair.

The east façade has a window opening to the right of the ground floor; this has a moulded surround and is surmounted by a moulded cornice on decorative dentals. To the first floor there is a semi-circular headed pair of openings to the right side. To the left side there is a square-headed landing window opening. The projecting two-storey bay to the right side has plain, flat-headed window openings.

Walls are finished with plain render with moulded and chamfered quoins to most corners. Walls rest on a chamfered plinth and have string / sill courses to ground and first floors; at first floor there is a further string course at the impost level of the window arches. The centre of the hipped roof is flat and has decorative cast-iron cresting. Chimneystacks are rendered with moulded caps and decorative clay pots. Projecting eaves have cast-iron gutters and are supported on dental brackets.

Historical information

HB19.04.006 22 Pond Park Road, Lisburn

This house was built in 1903-04 for William John Frazer at a cost of £1,360, and is marked as ‘Rathvarna House’ on the OS map of 1920, standing on what was then a still largely rural area to the north of Lisburn. Set within spacious grounds it originally possessed a drive to the south opening roughly where the present Leydene Court intersects Pond Park Road. The identity of the architect is not known.

Reporting on the construction of the house when it was nearing completion (‘not yet plastered’), the valuers tell us that the roofs of the main block and the various projections to the north and north-east were finished in Vulcanite, whilst the roofs of the bays were slated. This appears somewhat odd considering the bays are almost flat and the main roof, although it has a central flat section, is hipped.

In 1919* a Sarah Allingham is recorded as the occupier, with a John Pickering succeeding her in 1924. The property was acquired by a William Norman McNally in 1950, with a Peter A. Simms listed as the occupant in 1969. In latter years the property has been in the hands of the SEELB and has been used as a ‘youth resource centre’, but appears to have been vacated in or just before 2006.

*Frazer may have been killed in WWI. There is a ‘WJ Frazer’ on the war memorial at Lisburn.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL12B/8/5D Annual valuation revision book, Island Kelly ED, 1900-08
2 PRONI VAL12A/1/107 Valuers’ office notebook, Lisburn RD, 1903-06
3 PRONI VAL12B/8/5E Annual valuation revision book, Island Kelly ED, 1908-29
4 PRONI VAL12D/1/64K OS map, Co. Antrim sheet 64, with valuation
references, 1920(-35)
5 PRONI VAL12F/1/14/2 Annual valuation revision book, Island Kelly Ed, 1930-35
6 PRONI VAL3C/1/28 First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Lisburn North ED, 1936-56
7 PRONI VAL4B/1/49 Second General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Lisburn North RD, 1957-72

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Set on a prominent location overlooking Pond Park Road, this property is an eye-catching early 20th century ‘suburban’ villa with an abundance of fine -although for its date, somewhat unfashionable- Italianate detailing. Both externally and internally it is largely original, moreover its outbuildings to the north have been retained as well a large chunk of its grounds, complete with some mature trees. Development pressures have meant that many buildings such has this have either disappeared in recent decades, or been compromised by a loss of context, however the attributes which must have made this a desirable residence for the Edwardian populace have largely survived.