76 Ballylesson Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Single-storey, four-bay Gothic revival, former Parochial School and master’s house dated c.1840; rectangular in plan with central canted two-storey bay breaking eaves and adjoining double height former school hall built c.1890; Located directly off the Ballylesson Road east of the ancient monument ‘Giants Ring’ and north of Drumbo Parish Church.

The former master’s house has a natural slate pitched roof with various ridge details; part crested red clay, part plain clay and leaded. Galvanised steel rainwater goods fixed to paired timber eaves brackets, supporting stone soffits; timber barge boards to gable end. The school hall has a natural slated roof with crested red clay ridge tiles with exposed timber rafters at eaves level, with matching galvanised rain water goods; a highly decorated fretted gable barge boards with quatrefoil and cusped detailing to front gable and entrance porch; a clipped verge to the rear gable. The chimneys stacks are cement rendered, natural finish, rising to cornice level, painted black with paired large octagonal pots over. The walling is ruled-and-lined cement rendered. The windows are 2/2 timber sliding sash with horns of varying sizes, and timber paired and triplicate gothic segmental pointed arches with timber lattice fixed lights with stone head and label moulding over; stone cills throughout. The doors are modern timber with glazing.

The principal elevation faces east and is asymmetrically arranged; single-storey with double-storey hipped canted entrance bay with accommodation over, located off centre to the right. Chimney-stack located over ridge with smaller stacks to either side. A large date stone inscribed with “Drumbo Parochial School AD 1840” located over front door.

The left elevation is single-storey gable ended with no openings.

The rear elevation is principally single-storey with double storey forming the rear of the entrance bay, with the gable end school hall to the left hand side. Various window sizes with additional rear access to the left through double doors into the kitchen area, and a single door to a living area. A single modern roof light located above kitchen access.

The right elevation is abutted by a double height gable ended former hall with east facing principal elevation; single storey pitched porch centrally located. The original front doors have been removed with new opening to either side to create a portico, flanked by narrow triangulated openings with fixed lights. The south elevation is asymmetrically arranged with a double projecting chimney stack rising above eaves level left off centre flanked by two large sliding sash windows, with projecting single-storey piers located to the right hand side with two smaller sliding sash windows located adjacent. West gable has double height projecting canted window centrally located on school hall gable elevation; timber framed with sliding sash openings; modern concrete cill and lead covering over. Multiple service ducts.

Setting

The building is set within small grounds with the perimeter of the right elevation and rear gable elevation bordering onto an adjoining field. There is a small yard to the rear and a lawn to the front. Large mature trees obscure the house from the road.

Roofing Natural slate
Walling Cement render
Window Timber sash
RWG Galvanised steel

Historical information

The ‘Parochial School’, is first captioned on the 1858 OS map, shown without the two-storey block on the right hand side. Griffiths Valuation recorded the building as a teachers apartment and valued it at £6 5s. On the front elevation an inscription reads “Drumbo Parochial School AD 1840”

The double height school room was added in 1889 by WJ Watson, an architect from Newry (Brett p.232) supported by a rise in value to £8 15s, indicated in the Annual Revisions of 1890.

The OS edition of 1901 shows the building as it appears today although it is captioned as ‘Ballylesson School’. The building continued to serve the local area as a primary school until 1950, when it was transferred to the parish from the ministry of education at converted into the parish hall at the cost of £1300. (Brett p.232)

A new parish hall built in 1991 resulted in the old school buildings being sold off and subsequently converted into a single residence. Evidence from a watercolour painting c.1980 shows the previous appearance before conversion.

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/2B/3/25B – GriffithsValuation 1856-1864
6. PRONI VAL/12B/20/11A-E – Annual Revisions 1865-1929
7. PRONI VAL/12B/20/12A – Annual Revisions 1923-30

Reference - Secondary Source

1. Brett, C.E.B. “Buildings of County Antrim” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society and Ulster Historical Foundation, 1996

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
V. Authorship

Evaluation

Former parochial school with adjoining school masters house dated c.1840 in a Gothic revival style. Externally the building has retained its essential form and character with the school hall in particular having particularly interesting fretted barges to the road facing gable and porch. Some internal features of interest remain and the exposed roof truss is of particular interest. Functioning as the Parochial School and later and later as Ballylesson Primary School before becoming the parish hall, the building is of social interest for the local community

General comments

Drumbeg Area of Village Character