Belvedere House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey, four-bay, Georgian country house built c.1790, rectangular plan form with extensive outbuildings attached. It is located off the Ballylesson Road, North of Drumbo Village.

A hipped slate roof with clay ridge and hip tiles, with four chimney stacks located over either side elevation and over the hipped apex. Corbel course eaves with semi-circular cast-iron gutters and circular downpipes, throughout. The walling smooth render painted with projected plinth and quoins painted white. Georgian timber 6/6 sliding sash windows, with no horns, to ground floor with diminished 6/3 sliding sash to the first floor; plain reveals, stone cills, painted white. Timber door with six bolection moulded raised-and- fielded panels, with stucco moulded architraves.

The principal elevation is east facing and is symmetrically arranged; centrally located Tuscan portico rising to an entablature, accessed by four stone steps. Two windows located to either side of the front entrance with four windows at first floor, directly over ground floor openings.

The left elevation is abutted by a two-storey gable-ended double-pile historic extension c.1860, projecting northwards; lower eaves and ridge level. A further abutting modern single-storey pitched roof extension, adjoining adjacent single-storey outbuildings. On west face is modern single storey additional accommodation.

The rear elevation is symmetrically arranged with centrally located two-storey canted bay, with leaded hips, flanked by single ground and first floor window openings to either side. Four modern roof lights uniformly arranged.

The right elevation has three window openings to ground and first floor with a large four-flue chimney stack emanating just above eaves level rising above ridge level.

Setting:

The house sits at the crest of a hill at the end of a long sweeping driveway enriched by mature trees and vegetation. A large lawn to the rear and right, and a car parking area to the front. To the left, the adjoining outbuildings lie adjacent to further agricultural buildings with associated paddock.

Roofing Natural slate
Walling Smooth render
Windows Georgian sash
Rwg Cast-iron

Historical information

The first edition OS map 1834 captions ‘Belvedere’ although it appears significantly different to the footprint of the present building. While the main body of the building is apparent there are significant adjoining buildings to the north and south elevations. During this period the Townland Valuations 1828-40 had the building valued at £33, 16s. By 1858 the OS map shows the building as being of closer resemblance to what is there today. Griffith's Valuation 1863, records Elizabeth Callwell as the occupier and values the buildings at a notably higher rate of £70. This suggests the remodelling or extending the house or outbuildings. The Annual Revisions 1865-1929 record Francis Dwyer as the successor to Callwell, sometime prior to 1879, who is recorded to have remained occupier of the building until David Thompson in 1916, during which time the house remain at the value of £70.

Belvedere (also spelt Belvidere) was built in the late part of the 18th century. The first owner to be identified was James Watson Hull who, after making his fortune working for the East India Company in Bombay, returned to Ireland in 1786 and subsequently purchased Belvedere, near Ballyaughlis.( Rankin F p.29)

A copy of a Belfast News Letter for Tuesday 6th of March 1792, used for an under wall lining, was recently discovered by the present owners during more recent restorative works thus suggesting that the building dates from around this time. (Brett p.167)

In 1793, the house was sold to Andrew Durham (Rankin p.136) who remained in the house at the time of the writing of the OS Memoirs where it is recorded, “Belvedere House, a fine house around which there is a good deal of planting, is the residence of Andrew Durham J.P.” (p.56)

Robert Callwell purchased the house in 1844. (Rankin p.136) After his death, his widow Elizabeth remained there until the 1869 when the house was purchased by Francis Dywer, who later died in 1907 leaving Belvedere to his widow Bessie who lived on at the house until 1916. (Brett p.167)

The present owner state; it’s believed that the house was used during the second world war by the American Army, who used the basement under the outbuildings for storage of weapons, although this is unsubstantiated.

In 1948, Belvedere was purchased by Johnny Morrison of the Ulster Spining Company, for his sister who was the wife of Brigadier Broadhurst, who family remained with the house until it was sold in 1993 to Gordon Mackie ‘a director of the world famous company, James Mackie & Sons Ltd, which manufactured textile spinning and weaving machinery’ (Rankin K p.136) who restored successfully after it was allowed to fall into decay and dereliction. (Brett p.167)

By 2007 the house had again fallen into disrepair, and underwent major internal restorative work by the present owner.

Reference – Primary Source

1. PRONI OS/6/1/9/1 – OS Map 1834
2. PRONI OS/6/1/9/2 – OS Map 1858
3. PRONI OS/6/1/9/3 – OS Map 1901
4. PRONI OS/6/1/9/7 – OS Map 1938
5. PRONI VAL/1B/327 – Townland Valuation 1828-1840
6. PRONI VAL/1A/3/9 – Townland Valuation Field Map 1830
7. PRONI VAL/2B/3/25B – GriffithsValuation 1856-1864
8. PRONI VAL/12B/20/11A-E – Annual Revisions 1865-1929

Reference - Secondary Source

1. Rankin, K “The Linen Houses of the Lagan Valley, The story of their families” Belfast, Ulster Historical Foundation, 2002
2. Brett, C.E.B. “Buildings of North County Down” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2002
3. Rankin, J.F. “The Heritage of Drumbo” Parish of Drumbo,1982
4. Day, A. and P. McWilliams, eds. “Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland, Volume Seven, Parishes of County DownII, 1832-4, 1837” Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1991

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A two-storey, four-bay, Georgian house built c.1790 located off the Ballylesson Road. Externally the building has retained much of its Georgian style and proportion, retaining essential features such as windows and rain water goods. The modern single storey additions to the north and west do not detract from the interest of the building and display clarity between the old and the new. The building has undergone several restorations following periods of neglect and dereliction, including re-roofing and major internal work. Situated on the crest of a hill, this house is enhnaced by its mature setting and is of local interest.

General comments

Drumbeg Area of Village Character