New Grove House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A single-storey four-bay 18th century Georgian farm house, as an addition to the front of an existing earlier dwelling. The oblong addition provides a regular frontage to a courtyard arrangement to the rear, consisting of an earlier L-shaped rear block and two storey outbuildings. Located at the end of a very long drive way on the north side of the Ballylesson Road, directly south of Edenderry village.

Hipped natural slate roof with clay ridge tiles and leaded hips. Large smooth render chimney set back behind the principal ridge line. Cast-iron rainwater goods with semi circle gutters fixed to cyma-recta moulded corbel course at eaves level. Walling is rough-cast render painted white. Windows are 6/6 timber box-sash with horns, painted white, with stone cills, painted bright blue. The doors are modern timber glazed.

The principal elevation faces south and is asymmetrically arranged. The front door is located left of centre and is accessed by modern paved steps with a round section metal handrail. The modern door with associated side lights has a radial fanlight over, embraced by a segmental arched opening, with long-and-short stone surrounds, painted. Three ground floor windows to the right; two to left. The far left corner returns to form a segmental bow to the left elevation.

The left elevation is two bays wide. The right hand bay forms a broad segmental bow with a large 8/8 Georgian sash window; left bay has a single 6/6 sash window with a hipped timber casement dormer over.

The rear elevation is two-storey over basement with slight lower two-storey return to left, and a number of lean-to single-storey additions. Asymmetrically arranged, accumulation of irregular openings including timber sash, timber casement, fixed single pane and crittal steel windows. The courtyard is bounded to west by a two-storey outbuilding and north by abutting wall with coach entrance; gates removed.

The right hand outbuilding abuts the rear elevation at ground floor; no internal access between buildings; slated hipped roof on left; gable ended on right. The outbuildings have multi openings of various types and sizes. The left hand outbuilding abuts rear return; gable ended to left.

The right elevation is formed partially by the side elevation of the principal building and partially by the extending outbuilding return with a variety of different sized and type of steel and timber framed openings.

SETTING

The building is set deep with the rural landscape, largely obscured from view from the long driveway. To the rear of the building there are extensive agricultural buildings some of which pre date 1834, including the slated mono-pitch single-storey red bricked stables. Views northwards are of the disused canal, River Lagan and adjacent mill race. An ancient rath is located to the east of the house which has been over grown by trees and now forms part of the garden.

Roofing Natural slate
Walling Roughcast lime render
Window Timber sash
RWG Cast-iron

Historical information

New Grove appears on the first OS maps 1834 resembling closely the arrangement of the present day building although it is believed to originate much earlier than this. (Brett p.172) The modest architectural styling and details of the single-storey front of the house are in the architectural style and proportions of mid 18th century; however it is believed that this Georgian building was an addition to an earlier two-storey settler’s farmhouse. (Brett p.172) Brett also states that ‘New Grove’ appears on the 1778 ‘Taylor and Skinner’s Roadbook’ and was the residence of Roger McNeill Esq.

The house, according to Brett, is said to have been the residence of the agent for the Purdysburn Estate, of which Narcissus Batt (d.1840) (Rankin F p.60), a pioneering banker of the time, was the owner. The Townland Valuations 1828-40 record the occupier as John Russell and valued the house and outbuildings at £31 16s, however by the time of the Griffiths Valuation 1864 the value had increased to £40, probably as a result of the additions to the buildings as illustrated on the second edition OS maps 1858. The occupier during this period was Crommelin Irwin, one of twelve original members of the first select vestry chosen for Drumbo Parish Church, in 1870. (Rankin F p.63)

It seems that little change occurred to the buildings during the later part of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The house had several occupiers, although the value of the property as recorded by the Annual Revisions remained at £40. It is not until the OS map of 1938 that several additional outbuildings appear to the rear of the house. In 1940 the present owner’s family purchased the building from James Dick and continued to use the buildings for agricultural purposes.

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/3/25A – GriffithsValuation 1856-1864
8. PRONI VAL/12B/20/11A-E – Annual Revisions 1865-1929

Reference - Secondary Source

1. Brett, C.E.B. “Buildings of North County Down” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2002

2. Rankin, J.F. “The Heritage of Drumbo” Parish of Drumbo,1982

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

An asymmetrical 18th century Georgian farmhouse, possibly built as an addition to the front of an earlier building; single-storey to front, two storeys to rear, over basement. The interior of the principal building has retained much of its original character. The overall style, proportions and detailing of the building is mid-18th century Georgian. The rear elevation, part of the earlier block, has been altered, resulting in an informal arrangement, different from the front facade. To the rear of the house there are several early buildings pre-dating 1833, some of which have been extended and altered as part of the historical development of the farm, which adds to the architectural and historical interest of the house.

General comments

Drumbeg Area of Village Character