Willowbrook House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay two-storey Georgian house, built c.????, located to the north of Burnside Road. The plan is rectangular with a single storey flat roofed extension to the north.

The roof is pitched and slated, with two roof-lights to the north pitch, and brick chimneys to gable ends, each with multiple clay pots. The walls are basalt coursed rubble with quoins. The windows are replacement timber framed exposed box 8/8 sliding sash with stone voussoirs and masonry sills.

The principal elevation faces south. The central bay has an elliptical headed entrance with granite voussoirs to ground floor, surmounted by a window to first floor level. The flanking bays have one window to each level. The entrance door is replacement timber panelled where two large panels are surmounted by three small square panels below and above the lock rail. The door is flanked to each side by slender pilasters and plain glazed sidelights, and is surmounted by Greek key frieze and cornice, above which is an ornamental segmented fanlight. The elevation is abutted to the east by a modern lean-to conservatory with gable-end, on rubble plinth.

The west gable has a replacement timber panelled entrance door with glazed lights to ground floor. There is a single 3/6 sliding sash window to first floor and one to attic level, diminished in size.

The north elevation has a single ground floor window to the west. At first floor level, a central 6/6 sliding sash window is flanked to each side by a small 3/6 sliding sash window. The elevation is abutted by extension with a single window to the east and a modern door with sidelights to the west.

The east elevation has a small 3/6 sliding sash window to attic level, and doorway to the north corner (now enclosed in conservatory). The elevation is abutted to the north by a single storey extension with one window.

Setting

The building is set within mature gardens in a rural
setting. There is a single storey outbuilding to the north-east constructed of random rubble. The site is bounded to the road to the west by rubble stone walling with circular pillars to the north and south of the house. The wall connecting these is roughcast, as are the pillars to the south.

Roof covering Natural slate
Walling Coursed rubble
Windows Replacement timber framed 8/8 sliding sash
Rainwater goods Half-round cast iron gutters with round downpipes

Historical information

The house appears on the 1st edition OS map of the area, dated 1834. There is an outbuilding to the north-west and a small building to the north-east of the house shown on the 2nd edition map, dated 1857. By 1902, the 3rd edition OS map, the outbuilding to the north-west has been demolished and the house was marked as Willowbrook House.

The Townland Valuation of 1836 states the property was the house, yard and offices of John Coleman, with a value of £4.2s.0d. The Griffiths Valuation, dated 1859, indicates that John Coleman was the ‘Townland and Occupier’ of the land, (‘Immediate Lessor’ is the Marquis of Donegal), and the ‘Immediate Lessor’ of the house, yard and offices, of which the occupier was Revd. John Gillespie. The value is listed as £13.0s.0d.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/50/1 -First Edition OS Map (1834)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/50/2 -Second Edition OS Map (1857)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/50/3 -Third Edition OS Map (1902)
4. PRONI VAL/1/A/1/50 -Townland Valuation Map (1836)
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/163 -Townland Valuation Field book (1836)
6. PRONI VAL/2/A/1/50A, B, C -Griffiths Valuation Map (1859)

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 symmetrical detached three-bay two-storey Georgian house in a secluded rural setting. The house has been restored in recent years, including being stripped back to bare basalt walling but retains the appearance of a late Regency dwelling. Original features survive, including an attractive example of a Georgian doorway with an ornamental fanlight and the plan form has been largely maintained. Although there are modern extensions to the north and east, the overall character of the house and its setting is largely intact.