Marymount

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey gabled house five windows wide to the entrance front. Main entrance faces south.

South elevation symmetrical; roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses; two chimneys, one on each gable, smooth cement rendered with projecting string course and cornice, with battered caps; chimney to left recently re-rendered, now with less pronounced batter to cap; two modern pots to each chimney, with wire cowls. Cast iron gutter, with cast iron downpipe to right-hand side.
Walling of cement render finished with dry pebble dash of mixed stones including white; with rusticated smooth cement rendered quoins to extremities; projecting smooth cement rendered plinth; projecting eaves course and eaves board. Windows are rectangular timber sliding sash, vertically hung, 6 over 6, with horns, in exposed sash boxes, set in raised and stop chamfered smooth cement rendered surrounds; projecting stone cill, painted. Windows look like recent replacements to original pattern with old glass panes re-used.
Central doorway contains a rectangular timber 4-panel door, with decorated sidelights and a radial-glazed fanlight, all set in an elliptical arched opening with raised rendered rusticated block dressings.
Stone flagged doorstep.

West gable rendered as entrance front. Two narrow windows to ground floor, rectangular timber sliding sashes, 4 over 4, with horns, set in similar surrounds to entrance front. One similar narrow window to first floor at left-hand side. One small rectangular timber single pane window to attic at left-hand side, with surrounds as previous.
Overhanging eaves with white painted soffit; black painted barge board.

Rear wall of main block, to right of rear return is two-storey; walling of cement render wet and dry dash of black stone chippings; projecting stone at base of corner with west gable; cast iron gutter; barge board on west gable returns as short fascia to roof overhang. One window in ground floor, rectangular timber sliding sash, 6 over 3, without horns, in exposed sash boxes but left-hand side of window covered by wall of rear return; painted stone cill set flush with wall.

Extending to left and set back is a lower two-storey rear return; slated roof as previous; cast iron gutter; walling rendered as rear wall of main block. Two windows to first floor, rectangular timber fixed light with top-hung vent set in plain rendered reveals with projecting concrete cills, painted; two windows to ground floor, of similar type but wider; to right-hand side, a rectangular timber door, modern stained wood panelled and glazed, with radial top lights; modern handle and letterbox.

Extending to the west and to the north from the end of the rear return is a two-storey wing to the return.

South elevation of wing to return: hipped roof, slated as previous; one chimney, smooth cement rendered with projecting battered cap; two modern pots. Wall rendered as previous wall of rear return. Cast iron gutter with cast iron downpipe terminating above a plastic barrel.
Four windows to first floor, rectangular PVC fixed lights with top-hung vents, projecting concrete cills; two window to ground floor similar to first floor; to left-hand side of ground floor is a large rectangular doorway with flush double doors mounted on old iron hinges, set in wooden frame; to right-hand side is a rectangular modern glazed and panelled door with modern handle.
West wall of wing of rear return is two-storey, of basalt rubble, roughly coursed, with projecting brick eaves course; hipped roof slated as previous; cast iron gutter; one window, large rectangular fixed light, looks like PVC frame, set in block surrounds of old brickwork, with recessed stone cills.

North elevation of wing on rear return is of basalt rubble; hipped roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses; one small original 2-pane roof light to right-hand side; one chimney, smooth cement rendered with projecting plain cornice and battered cap; two modern pots with wire cowls.

Projecting forward is a lean-to open fronted shed of basalt rubble walls with red brick dressings to jambs of opening; corrugated iron roof on a steel girder to front.

To left of right-hand lean-to shelter is another lean-to shelter with corrugated iron and corrugated perspex sheets carried on a timber raftered roof structure supported on two circular cast iron posts.
Rear wall within shelter to left has a modern rectangular 4-panel stained wooden door set in a brick dressed opening; to right of that is a modern rectangular window, looks like timber, fixed light with top-hung vent, in old brick block surround.

Rear wall of main block to left of rear return is two-storey; walls rendered as rest of rear wall; roof slated as previous to entrance front; cast iron gutter; cast iron soil pipe; one window to ground floor, rectangular timber sliding sash, 1 over 1, with horns, set in exposed sash boxes; plain rendered reveals, with projecting stone cill. Three windows to first floor; two to left are sashed 1 over 1 similar to ground floor; one to right is semi-circular headed, sashed 6 over 6, with horns, set in exposed sash boxes, with similar reveals and cill to previous.
Projecting to left-hand side is a small lean-to outside toilet with walls rendered with dry dash of small grey stone chippings, and corrugated iron roof on a timber fascia or sole plate; no rainwater goods; one door in east side, rectangular timber, cut down from a 4-panel door, set in crude timber frame and head.
Projecting from centre portion of wall of main block is a large black painted water tank at eaves level, supported on three steel beams carried on angled steel struts.

East wall of rear return is two-storey; slated roof as previous; wall rendered as rear wall of main block; cast iron gutter, with cast iron downpipe terminating two-thirds down wall from gutter and discharging into a length of PVC downpipe inserted in a plastic barrel. One doorway to ground floor to left-hand corner; rectangular flush timber door, glazed, with moulded frame, set in plain rendered reveals.
Chimney on ridge marks junction of actual rear return and wing to rear return, both in same plane with continuous walling and slate courses to roof.
East wall of wing to return has one window in ground floor, rectangular timber fixed light with top-hung vent, in plain-rendered reveals and recessed rendered cill.
One doorway in first floor, to right-hand side, rectangular timber modern glazed door, set in crude timber frame, in later crude smooth cement reveals; door opens onto a modern steel fire escape stairway with tubular hand rails and flat iron balustrading.
Projecting from centre of overall east wall of return and wing is a small wooden boilerhouse with cylindrical modern metal flue pipe.

East gable of main block is similar to west gable with similar window to attic, to right-hand side, no window to first floor, and only one window to ground floor.

SETTING:
The house stands in a very rural area, facing the main road, set back from it within its own grounds with a lawn in front. The main approach is by a driveway from the road, up to a hard surface in front of doorway.
Main gateway comprised of a pair of bulky smooth rendered and painted piers of octagonal form with moulded cornice and weathered caps; later double gates of ledged and slatted timber.
Front boundary formed by a hedge.
Projecting from the west gable is a painted concrete blockwork screen wall separating the front garden from the rear yard; contains a pair of square rendered posts with a flat ironwork gate.
To the west of the house stand a number of rendered and slated outbuildings and corrugated iron sheds of no architectural interest grouped around a yard which is approached by a driveway to the west off the main road but not marked by gate piers or gates.

Historical information

Precise date of building not known but it appears on the OS map of 1832. The wing and extension to the rear return were added later and appear on the OS map of 1902.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1832, Co Antrim 50.
Secondary Sources
1. UAHS, West Antrim (Belfast, 1970), pp 14, 23 plate g.

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

This is an early 19th century building in a vernacular Georgian tradition which retains a number of its exterior and interior features but has undergone a number of inappropriate alterations.