BALLYAGHLIS LODGE

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 1 ½ -storey multi-bay 19th century Georgian farm house pre-dating 1834, with adjoining rear outbuildings, added at various stages in the mid-late 19th century and eventually enclosing an internal courtyard. Located off Ballylesson Road, south west of Belvedere House and north east of the crossroads leading to Drumbo, Drumbeg and Hillhall.

Pitched natural slate roof with clay ridge tiles with various hipped and gabled roofing to the rear. Over hanging eaves and verge with timber boarded soffit and barge boards with cast-iron moulded gutters and circular downpipes. Semi circular cast-iron gutters to the rear. Modest chimney-stacks; smooth render painted black with octagonal pots. Walling is roughcast render painted white. The windows are 8/8 Georgian timber sliding sash, no horns with moulded stucco surrounds and extended cills to front elevation only; sliding sash with horns and no moulded surrounds elsewhere. Modern timber front door flanked by side panels and elliptical batwing fan light over, set into arched opening with moulded surround.

The principal elevation faces west and has a three bay symmetrical arrangement. The front door is centrally located with 8/8 sliding sash window to either side; central wall head dormer embracing a diminished round-headed arched window.

The left gable is north facing and has a single 6/6 sliding sash window to the right hand side of the ground floor with a pair of matching windows centrally located on the first floor. The left side of the ground floor is abutted by a single-storey lean-to extension added c.1990. The adjoining double-storey hipped outbuilding enclosing the courtyard was added c. 1885. Two gabled modern additions to the NW face added c.1990. Between the extensions is a modern concrete external stair with mild steel handrail, giving access to a separate first floor accommodation via a modern timber door, with sliding sash windows to either side.

The rear elevation is asymmetrically arranged with various openings throughout; centrally positioned oriel-bay accommodating half landing to the principal stairs. The footprint of a former projecting bay at the rear is evident within concrete hardstanding at ground level, below the oriel window at first floor.

The right gable is SW facing and asymmetrically arranged, comprising single first floor window and two ground floor windows. The right hand side is abutted by a two-storey hipped secondary accommodation enclosing the southwest portion of the courtyard. The far right is a projecting gabled double height outbuilding; modernised c.2005. The majority of windows are 6/6 timber sliding sash with several glazed doors located on the ground floor.

Good range of outbuildings, plain in character. Modernised, retaining a number of pegged roof trusses. Complementary to the main house.

SETTING:
The building is set within its own grounds accessed by a gated entrance located directly adjacent to Ballylesson Road. Two sets of Ulster pillars mark the entrance. A short stone driveway leads up to the front of the house with access to the side and rear. Large mature trees obscure the house from the main road and well maintained lawn and beds surround the house. The backdrop is open rural landscape. The outbuildings enclosing the rear are asymmetrically arranged with modified double glazed openings and concrete cills. General appearance comprises a small lean-to shed located to the right of a coach entrance leading into the internal courtyard; a long ramp access leading to a timber door located on the left hand side and a small modern greenhouse is positioned immediately left of the ramp end. A number of simple cast iron gates and corresponding pillars remain, leading to the rear courtyard and the garden path to southeast of the house.

MATERIALS (main house):
Roofing: Natural slate
Walling: Roughcast Render
Window: Timber sliding sash
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

Previously known as Belvedere Cottage, Ballyaghlis or Ballyaughlis Lodge was built in the Belevdere estate in the early 19th century. The first edition of the OS map 1834 captions the building as ‘Belvedere Cottage’ and illustrates the plan form as the principal building with adjoining outbuildings on the right hand side and to the rear.

The Townland Valuations 1828-40, record the occupier as Henry Hardman and the house and outbuildings have been valued at £14 16s. By 1858 the second edition OS map shows additions to the adjoining outbuildings on the right hand side, by which stage the Griffiths Valuation in 1861 increased the value to £18 10s. The occupier had changed to William Higgins, lessor to Andrew Durham who also lived in Belvedere House.

The Annual Revisions from 1862-1923 records numerous occupiers through the rest of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, although the value remained unchanged at £18. The present building is similar to how it was illustrated on the OS map of 1901, when additions to the left hand side by W.R.Watters in 1884 (Rankin K p.74) fully enclosed central courtyard, however was not until the 1938 edition OS map that the building is captioned ‘Ballyaughlis Lodge’. The name change could be credited to Edward S. Clarke who in 1926 moved into the house and whose family would remain there until his daughter Mary B. Clarke died in 1982. Clarke himself was the Managing Director of the Island Spinning Mill in Lisburn. (Rankin K p.74)

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/326 – Townland Valuation 1828-1840
6. PRONI VAL/1A/3/9 – Townland Valuation Field Map 1830
7. PRONI VAL/2B/3/25C – GriffithsValuation 1856-1864
8. PRONI VAL/12B/20/10A-E – Annual Revisions 1862-1923

Reference - Secondary Source

9. Rankin, K “The Linen Houses of the Lagan Valley, The story of their families” Belfast, Ulster Historical Foundation, 2002

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

Evaluation

A 1 ½ -storey multi-bay 19th century Georgian farm house pre-dating 1834, with adjoining rear outbuildings, added at various stages in the mid-late 19th century and eventually enclosing an internal courtyard. Located northeast of the crossroad that leads to Drumbo, Drumbeg and Hillhall, the building is elevated within open rural landscape, with two sets of Ulster pillars marking its entrance from the road. Externally the principal element, the cottage, has retained much of its style and character and this is matched by a fine interior with good examples of historic detailing consistent for its time and style. The range of the historic outbuildings has a simple rural character (with some early timber trusses retained) and adds significant interest to the quality of the overall setting. Late 20th century additions, although not wholly sympathetic, do not detract to any significant extent. Originally known as Belvedere Cottage and associated with the Belvedere House (HB19 23 021), which sits immediately to its northeast, Ballyaghlis House is of local importance through its connection with the linen industry.

General comments

Modern extensions detract from the architectural interest of the building.