Beech Hill

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached two-and-a-half-storey roughcast rendered house, built c.1830, located on a large site to the north of Derriaghy Road, east of Derriaghy town centre. The former farmhouse comprises a symmetrical central two-and-a-half storey block aligned east-west, abutted at north and south by one-and-a-half-storey perpendicular single-bay returns. Further extended at north by two-storey block, built c.1830, aligned east-west with continuous outshot at south; north elevation is attached to an L-plan two-storey multi-bay outbuilding, enclosing the north boundary.

Roof is pitched natural slate (with the exception of the central two-and-a-half storey block which is hipped); painted bargeboards supported on exposed timber corbels with decorative timber finials. Four rectangular roughcast rendered chimneystacks with single clay pots to gable of north and south one-and-a-half-storey single-bay returns. Rainwater goods are painted ogee profile cast-iron, cast-iron downpipes remain largely intact. Walling is roughcast rendered with stepped rendered quoins, moulded sill courses and cornice. Windows are painted 1/1 timber sliding sashes with horns contained within square headed openings with moulded architrave and projecting concrete sills.

Symmetrical two-and-a-half storey block faces east and is abutted by smooth rendered single-storey porch with lean-to natural slate roof supported on exposed timber rafters; flanked by single window at each side; tri-partite window at first floor surmounted by horizontally extended dormer to hipped roof. Entrance porch comprises double-leaf glazed timber door with leaded transom light contained within moulded architrave; each cheek contains 1/1 timber sliding sash with leaded lights.

At south two-and-a-half storey block is abutted by one-and-a-half-storey single-bay return; exposed section at right contains single window at right at ground floor; two windows at first floor. One-and-a-half-storey return south elevation contains two windows at ground floor surmounted by multi-paned timber wall-head dormer with lean-to slated roof; south gable has two (diminished) windows at first floor with no moulded architrave.

At north the two-and-a-half storey block is abutted by one-and-a-half-storey single-bay return; exposed section is blank. One-and-a-half-storey return south elevation is abutted by single-storey flatroof extension containing double-leaf timber glazed door at ground floor, extension surmounted by multi-paned timber wall-head dormer with lean-to slated roof; north gable continuous outshot of lower two-storey block built c.1830.

West elevation central two-and-a-half storey block contains large modern timber casement at ground floor and two (closely spaced) windows at first floor. One-and-a-half-storey single-bay return at left has two windows, that at right is blank. East gable is detailed as south block with stepped quoins and moulded architraves; two windows at ground floor, single window at first floor.

Attached two-storey block (with continuous outshot) at north, built c.1830 is plainly detailed with plain timber eaves board and half-round rainwater goods; west elevation contains replacement timber glazed door at left (now functioning as principal entrance); north elevation is abutted at left by higher two-storey L-plan outbuildings. Exposed section at right contains three windows at ground floor, that at right diminished in height; two windows at first floor.

Setting:

Outbuildings at north are two-storey L-plan with irregular fenestration. North-south aligned block, west elevation is abutted off-centre at right by lean-to entrance porch with tiled lean-to roof flanked by double door at right and timber half door with transom lights and small timber casement window at left; five unequally spaced windows at first floor of varying sizes. South elevation contains two diminished windows at ground floor, single at first floor. East-west aligned block has been closed from the large forecourt at west by construction of a boundary wall, this block appears to have been refurbished. West forecourt is enclosed from the Derriaghy Road by a tall splayed rendered blockwork wall with square piers. Roughcast rendered walling enclosed the remainder of the site along the Derriaghy Road and a former pedestrian entrances remains comprises square ruled-and-lined rendered piers with pyramidal caps supporting double-leaf cast-iron gates with ‘Beechhill’ plaque; this access is no longer in use; large garden to east.

Roof: Natural Slate
Walling: Roughcast render
Windows: 1/1 timber sliding sashes
RWG: Ogee profile cast-iron

Historical information

The building is shown on the first OS map of 1832-3, situated to the west of Milltown, in a rural area dotted with farmhouses. The building assumes much the same plan form as today with a main house and outbuilding parallel to each other. In Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) the farm is listed as the property of Robert Christian and the 18 acre plot is leased from the Marquess of Hertford. The house and outbuildings are valued at £3.10s.

The farm is first captioned ‘Beech Hill’ on the fourth edition of 1920-1. In recent years the area to the south of the farmhouse has been developed into housing estates but the wider setting of the farm remains rural.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/64/1 – First Edition OS Map 1832-3
2. PRONI OS/6/1/64/2 – Second Edition OS map 1858
3. PRONI OS/6/1/64/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1901
4. PRONI OS/6/1/64/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1920-1
5. PRONI OS/6/1/64/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1920-31
6. PRONI OS/6/1/64/6 – Sixth Edition OS Map 1920-39
7. Griffith’s Valuation online (1856-64)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A detached two-and-a-half-storey roughcast rendered house, built c. 1830-1840, located an a large site to the north of Derriaghy Road, east of Derriaghy town centre. The building retains many design features of the period and some original fabric externally. The layout also appears to remain unchanged from its original form. The building is historically interesting as the arrangement of blocks indicate a development of the former rural site, although the site is now largely surrounded by modern housing. Despite it's interest it is not considered to be of sufficient quality to merit listing.

General comments

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