Summerdale

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey, three-bay, stuccoed house with a twin-gabled full-width return to the rear. Main entrance faces south.

South elevation is symmetrical with one window to each side of the central doorway. Roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses with overhanging eaves to gables. Two chimneys, one to each gable, rebuilt in red brick, with plain projecting brick cornice; two pots per chimney, original octagonal earthenware.
Walls smooth cement rendered, lined and blocked, painted white, with rusticated quoins to extremities painted black; projecting smooth rendered plinth painted black. Overhanging eaves have timber soffit and fascia board; metal gutter currently dismantled, on ground; cast iron downpipe to left-hand side.
Windows to first floor are rectangular timber sliding sash, 1 over 1 with horns, in stop-chamfered reveals, with hood moulds and bracketed cills. Windows to ground floor are sashed 6 over 9 with horns, in similar reveals, with ornamented keystones to similar hood moulds; projecting stone cills.
Entrance recessed in a segmental arched opening with stop chamfered reveals, and moulded and panelled pilasters rising to a moulded archivolt; ornamented keystone.
Modern rectangular timber door, temporarily sheeted over with plywood panel, set in a moulded modern timber frame with single-pane side lights and plain fanlight, all glazed with translucent glass; all a replacement for original multi-panelled door with patterned sidelights and looped fanlight. Modern red tiles to doorstep.

West elevation comprises the two-storey west gable with the two-storey return extending to the left. Walling of gable and return is as previous to entrance front except left-hand quoins of main gable are painted white. Timber barge boards and timber flush sheeted soffits to overhanging verges, painted white, and carried on shaped brackets.
One window to first floor of gable, similar to those of entrance front except without brackets to cill. One window to ground floor, similar to those of entrance front except sashed 6 over 6 and no keystone to hood mould. Rear return has roof slated as main roof, with overhanging eaves as previous; gutter looks like PVC, painted white; downpipe to left-hand side, over quoins, is cast iron, painted black. One window in each floor of return, timber, sashed 6 over 6 in similar surrounds to those of gable.

North or rear elevation is twin gabled, almost symmetrical: walling as previous to entrance front; timber barge boards, tongued and grooved soffits, and shaped brackets to overhanging verges, painted white.
Each gable has in the centre a pair of shallow buttresses up to first floor window head height, capped by what looks like a concrete lintel, in line with the chimneys surmounting each gable; chimneys of red brick similar to previous, but no pots. Chimney breast to left contains a modern unpainted metal circular flue pipe between the buttresses supported on a metal bracket at the bottom, breaking through the lintel over the buttresses, and passing through the eaves soffit above.
PVC hoppers and what looks like PVC downpipes. Cast iron soil and waste pipes.
Central rear entrance contained in a recessed open porch set in a moulded rectangular opening: doorway comprises a modern rectangular glazed and panelled door, with single-pane side lights on plinth walls; all glazing of translucent glass. Porch walls and ceiling smooth cement rendered and painted; floor of terrazzo; modern tiles to doorstep.
Two small windows above rear entrance, one in each gable: rectangular timber sliding sash, 4 over 4 with horns, in stop-chamfered reveals; projecting concrete cills, painted. Two larger windows to each floor in main part of each gable, sashed 6 over 6 with horns in similar surrounds, but three of the original windows to the left-hand gable now replaced with rectangular timber fixed lights and top-hung vents to 6 over 6 pattern.

Extending to the left of the rear return is a set-back short single storey wing projecting from the east elevation of the return and itself forming a short return to a long outbuilding range along the east side of the rear yard.
North elevation of wing has a hipped roof, slated as previous to main house; wall is smooth cement rendered, lined and blocked, painted white, with a black painted flush plinth. PVC gutter and downpipe, both painted white.
Two windows, rectangular timber fixed lights with top-hung vents, to 6 over 6 pattern, in similar surrounds to rear elevation of house.

East face of rear return of the house, mostly covered by the projecting wing: walling rendered as previous; similar slated roof and overhanging eaves; looks like PVC gutter, painted; PVC soil pipe, painted.

East gable of house, on south side of the projecting wing, is two-storey, rendered as previous, painted white, with rusticated quoins to left-hand extremity, painted black, but without plinth; some rubble stone walling visible at base where render stops short of ground. Overhanging verges, similar to west gable; one window to each floor, rectangular timber sliding sashes, 1 over 1 with horns, set in stop chamfered reveals with painted stone cills.

South elevation of single storey wing: hipped roof slated as previous; walling of coursed basalt rubble, with projecting brick eaves course; rock faced granite quoins to right-hand corner; small opening in top course of stonework, in central position, now closed with concrete brickwork; unpainted PVC gutter and downpipe; one window, rectangular timber fixed light with top-hung vent, in plain reveals with iron or steel lintel and projecting concrete cill.

OUTBUILDINGS: These consist of three main blocks arranged around the sides of a large tarmac yard to the rear of the house. The short east wing attached to the east elevation of the house returns northwards at its eastern extremity to form the long east wing of outbuildings around the yard: hipped slated roof; east elevation has PVC and metal guttering; walling of coursed basalt rubble, with a number of small openings now closed with concrete bricks; granite quoins to extremities.

North elevation of north wing of outbuildings has slated roof, walls partly of coursed basalt rubble and partly rendered; elliptical brick archway into yard through wing, partly blocked and containing ledged timber doors.
Short block of low single storey stone outbuildings projects to the north, containing stores.

South elevation of north wing of rear yard is of coursed basalt rubble with red brick dressings, partly rendered: contains timber fixed lights and PVC fixed lights and top-hung vents. PVC gutter with cast iron downpipe. West gable rendered and contains rectangular PVC fixed lights with top-hung vents.

West elevation of east wing of rear yard is of coursed basalt rubble with red brick dressings; later timber fixed lights; ledged timber doors except one at south end which is a modern glazed small-pane replacement with sidelights and fanlight. PVC and metal guttering, with cast iron downpipes.

West side of rear yard is occupied by a two-storey rendered and slated outbuilding with similar timber windows and ledged timber doors. Rendered exterior steps to south end on east side. West elevation of similar character to east elevation.

SETTING; The house stands in a very rural area surrounded by agricultural land, with distant views of the countryside from the entrance front. It faces away from the main road and is set back from it within its own grounds, with the courtyard of outbuildings between it and the road. Approached by a tarmac driveway from the main road which ends in a tarmac area in front of the house.

Main entrance gateway is comprised of a pair of recessed square piers of basalt rubble with moulded and chamfered granite dressings and moulded granite caps, containing a pair of ornamented iron gates; curved screen walls of basalt rubble with granite copings, terminating in end piers similar to gate piers. Screen wall linked to outbuildings by a coursed basalt rubble wall with basalt rock copings.

Front boundary to road formed by a hedge on top of a basalt boulder and earth revetment. At western extremity of front boundary is a rear driveway recessed between curved rendered walls surmounted by hedges; tarmac rear driveway leads into rear yard through modern iron gates and piers. Grassed garden between front boundary hedge and north wing of outbuildings enclosing rear yard.

Abutting the west gable of the house is a gateway comprised of a pair of ornamented Victorian cast iron piers, with looped and finialled double gates. Returning to south from gateway is a curved screen of similar ironwork railings on a low rendered plinth wall.
Garden to south bordered by a ranch style timber fence.

Historical information

Precise date of building not known but it appears, named as Ballybentragh, on the OS map of 1857. The OS map of 1832 appears to show a previous house.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1832, Co Antrim 50.
2. OS Map 1857, Co Antrim 50.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This is an early to mid-19th century house which has lost a number of its original features.