The Manor House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey, five-bay house of sandstone construction in a classical style, with a later two-storey, five-bay wing built of basalt in neo-Georgian style, to one end, terminating in a modern two-storey rendered end block of plain character. Main entrance faces west.

Entrance elevation: main house has end bays rising to shallow pediments and containing Ionic pilastered canted bay windows to ground floor; iron balustrade running from bay window to bay window at first floor level.
Hipped roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses, with terracotta ridge tiles; one chimney, to right-hand side, red brick with moulded stone cornice and modern pots. Walls of sandstone ashlar with panelled pilasters to extremities of main façade and pedimented bays; low projecting plinth, platband, modillion cornice and blocking course. Cast iron downpipes from concealed gutters.
Entrance portico of four unfluted Ionic columns with Ionic responds at each end; pilastered doorcase in reconstituted stone: central doorway containing a pair of rectangular timber double doors glazed and panelled with similarly glazed and panelled sidelights; glazing 2-paned with margins; panels octagonal with fluted fans to corners; modern handle and lock. Sandstone flagged doorstep extending width of portico. Balcony balustrading of wrought iron in a form of neo-classical style which looks like work of the 1920s.
Windows are rectangular timber sliding sash, vertically hung, with horns: 1 over 1 to ground floor bay windows, with 12 over 2 coupled windows in first floor end bays above, and 9 over 2 in first floor central bays. A modern glass globe lamp on a metal bracket is affixed to each end of the first floor.
At the northern extremity of main house the entrance façade returns for a short distance before basalt wing extends.
Return walling is smooth cement rendered lined and blocked, with the sandstone plinth, platband, blocking course, cornice, and pilaster all returning from the front elevation.

1920s basalt wing: built of roughly course basalt rubble with later reticulated cement pointing; raised sandstone platband and frieze; centre of façade rises to a shaped pediment with semi-circular window and two sandstone urns of abstract design.
Roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses with dark toned ridge tiles; concealed gutter behind parapet. Four cast iron downpipes with small plain hoppers.
Ground floor windows are rectangular timber, sliding sash, vertically hung, 6 over 6 with horns, in exposed sash boxes, set in plain reveals with segmental headed flat arches containing a sandstone keystone.
First floor windows are timber 9-pane horizontally pivoted, with segmental heads and unusual segmental cills. Central bay has a rectangular timber sliding sash, 6 over 6 with horns, surmounted by a radial fixed fanlight, set in a semi-circular arched sandstone surround, recessed in a semi-circular arched basalt opening with sandstone keystone and imposts; projecting sandstone balcony with wrought iron balustrading of stripped classical design incorporating miniature cast iron urn finials. Entrance in ground floor below is a rectangular timber 4-panelled door, raised and fielded, with narrow 2-pane sidelights and a 6-pane rectangular fanlight, recessed in a rusticated sandstone surround with flat arch to the head and unusual oval sandstone mouldings to the base; this opening was originally a window, with bottom now lowered, including oval mouldings.

End block: wall smooth rendered and lined, with a slightly raised platband and frieze. Windows are rectangular metal fixed lower lights with top-hung upper lights set in plain unmoulded reveals, with projecting concrete cills. Cast iron downpipe as previous.
Roof is continuous from 1920s wing, hipped at extremity.

North end of end block is of similar character to west elevation.

Rear elevation of end block is of similar character to west elevation, with addition of a canopy over doorway: poor quality plywood fascia soffit on a pair of rolled steel joists.

Rear elevation of 1920s basalt wing: of similar character and materials to entrance front but without pedimented feature. Cast iron downpipes as previous to entrance front.
Central doorway containing similar doorcase to entrance front but set in plain opening; segmental headed flat arch with sandstone keystone; modern metal ironmongery; two concrete steps.
Two windows to right to ground floor, sashed as previous to entrance front.
Central large semi-circular arched window to first floor above doorway in similar recessed surround to entrance front; two windows to right to first floor, as previous to entrance front. First floor to left of central window is blank walling; ground floor to left of central doorway is covered by a projecting single storey curved bay.

Single storey curved bay has a conical slated roof, glazed rooflights, smooth rendered walls, lined and blocked, divided into broad rectangular recesses, with a pair of recessed rectangular timber double doors, small paned, with modern metal handle.
Moulded gutter with cast iron downpipes.

North elevation of original house: hipped roof slated as previous to entrance front; wall smooth cement rendered and lined; cast iron gutter with cast iron downpipe; one window to first floor, rectangular timber sliding sash, 2 over 2 with horns.

Rear elevation of original house: two-storey in part and three-storey in part; roof comprised of three hips; slated as previous to entrance front. Three chimneys of red brick with projecting plain stone cornices and stone caps, with short stub pots. Walling is mainly rendered with roughcast, with a projecting eaves course, and a projecting panelled sandstone pilaster with modillion cornice at left-hand extremity, returning from south elevation; right-hand portion of wall is smooth rendered. Windows are mainly rectangular timber sliding sash, 4 over 4 with horns, set in plain reveals, with projecting concrete cills, but there are also timber casements and top-hung vents. Cast iron gutter and downpipes; appearance of elevation spoiled by an attached steel trough carrying cables across first floor level. Projecting forward from the right-hand end of the rear elevation is a lower two-storey rear return or wing which then returns to south to form a courtyard: slated roof and roughcast rendered walls, with a flat roofed two-storey addition; original timber sashed windows, later versions, and modern metal fixed lights and casements.
Extending to left-hand side of rear elevation is a single storey height screen wall, of whitened rubble stone construction, mainly roughcast rendered linking with a single storey wing of roughcast outbuildings to enclose the rear yard; ledged timber doors to outbuilding, with slated roof and metal rainwater goods.

South elevation of main house: two-storey, with slated roof as previous to entrance front; one chimney, red brick as previous to rear elevation; walls smooth rendered and lined, with projecting rendered plinth; painted sandstone platband; panelled sandstone pilasters to extremities, with sandstone modillion cornice and blocking course. Cast iron downpipe. Windows are rectangular timber sashes, 12 over 2 with horns, set in plain reveals with projecting concrete cills, painted white.
Single storey porch with walls smooth rendered and lined, white painted timber framed glazing on painted cills, rectangular panelled door, moulded timber cornice, moulded cast iron gutter, and later synthetic slated lean-to roof and cheeks.

West face of screen wall projecting forward at right-hand extremity is rendered with a wet dash containing small blackstone chippings, with concrete coping; gable of adjoining single-storey outbuilding has a rectangular timber sashed window, 2 over 2 with horns. Southern elevation of single storey outbuilding is blank, roughcast finish with slated roof and a tall roughcast chimney.

SETTING: The building stands in a rural area at the centre of its own extensive grounds and agricultural land, laid out with lawns, flower beds, mature trees and shrubs in the immediate vicinity of the house.
Approached by a tarmac driveway which ends in a tarmac area in front of entrance. To the rear stand rendered outbuildings of no architectural interest grouped around two yards; to the north-east is a detached basalt house of 1920s date (HB20/13/003B); to the south is a detached flat roofed hostel and dining room college centre, the Boyd Building, built in 1961, of no special merit or interest; to the south-east is the original walled garden containing a new conservatory in Victorian style, in progress of being built in mid-2000; to the east is the original stable yard (HB20/13/003E), with two basalt houses of 1920s date (HB20/13/003C and 003D) further to the east flanking each side of the rear driveway.

To the north is an extensive wooded area containing ornamental ponds, with original late 18th or early 19th century garden and estate structures in the vicinity, as follows.

ICE HOUSE: To the north-east, close to the house is an early 19th century ice house, immediately north of the second rear yard: Tudor arched entrance in brick with brick lined and paved approach passage; brick domed inner chamber covered over on outside with an earthen mound, grassed over and surrounded by trees; sandstone shield over entrance to passage, inscribed with initials of Robert Thompson. Inner opening leading into inner chamber closed by a metal grille.

RUSTIC ARCH: Immediately to the north of the ice house at the east end of the adjacent pond is a free-standing segmental arch of rough hewn and split stone, in the rustic manner of the 'picturesque movement' in British garden design; much surrounded by overgrown leafage.

GARDEN HOUSE: Well to the west of the ponds reached by a woodland walk and standing on a slight eminence and surrounded by trees: a roofless and ruinous arrangement of basalt and brickwork walls comprising an octagonal main chamber with a smaller circular chamber at one end through a Gothic arched opening; harling to exterior of circular chamber lined with smooth render to the interior.

Historical information

Built in 1820 for Robert Thompson to replace an earlier house on the site, but the front not added until later when the house was remodelled c 1823-5 for Mrs Anna Maria Thompson by C.R. Cockerell, architect of London. House originally known as Green Mount. Taken over from William Thompson in 1835 by the Honourable and Reverend Archdeacon Agar. Became the nucleus of an Agricultural College in the 20th century. Refurbished in 1990s.

North wing built c 1925 as a laboratory and dormitory block added to Greenmount Agricultural College for the Northern Ireland Ministry of Agriculture, designed under the direction of R. Ingleby Smith, chief architect to the Government of Northern Ireland; contractors, T. McKee and sons, of Belfast. The laboratory space was on the ground floor with the dormitory above; the Ministry of Agriculture stipulated that the windows of the dormitory should be at such a height from the floor that the spacing of the beds would not be dependent upon the window spacing. A detached house for the principal (HB20/13/003B), two gate lodges (HB20/13/003C and D), main entrance gateway, new byres, tool-sheds, potting sheds, and reinforced concrete silo were also added c 1925 by the same architect.

The previous house was described in 1809 as "the elegant seat of Thompson Esq … this beautiful villa stands on a rising ground, and is completely finished in the modern taste". The present house was described in the Ordnance Survey memoirs in 1838 as follows: "the house, which is spacious, is a handsome and modern-looking mansion, presenting an Ionic front consisting of a portico and a balcony supported by 6 columns … The offices, which are suitable, are near the house. The garden contains 6 acres 3 roods. It is walled and very well stocked. The hothouse includes a tolerable grapery and pinery which, however, from not keeping up the fires, are going to destruction. The demesne and grounds contain 160 acres, 39 of which are laid out in ornamental grounds and planting. The grounds are laid out with great taste and to the greatest advantage. There are 3 handsome ponds, a very pretty flower garden, many nice walks, a little temple with handsomely stained glass windows, all of which are quite out of order and in a state of neglect and ruin." The reference to 6 columns supporting the balcony of the house in 1838 on the entrance front is difficult to reconcile with the present 4-column porch flanked by canted bays.

Precise date of stable yard to the east of the house not known, but it appears on the OS map of 1832.

Precise date of ice house in the grounds to the north-east of the main house not known but a small building appears to be shown in its position on the OS map of 1832 although not named; as it was built for Robert Thompson, it presumably dates from the same time as his house, c 1820.

Precise date of now ruinous summer house in the gardens to the west of the house not known, but it appears to be shown on the OS map of 1857. It may or may not be the hermitage referred to in a topographical description of 1809.

Precise date of the rustic arch in the gardens not known but it is probably the one referred to in the same topographical description of 1809 as joining a small island in a lake to the mainland.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1832, Co Antrim 50 (named as Green Mount).
2. OS Map 1857, Co Antrim 50.
3. OS Map 1962-3, Co Antrim 50 (shows north block).
4. Belfast Monthly Magazine, June 1809.
5. Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland, Vol 35: Parishes of County Antrim XIII, 1833, 1835, 1838 (Belfast, 1996), pp 62, 75.
6. S. Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Vol 1 (London, 1837), p 38.
7. S. Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Vol 2 (London, 1837), p 407.
8. The Architects' Journal, 11 November 1925, pp 719-725.
Secondary Sources
1. UAHS, West Antrim (Belfast, 1970), p 12.
2. H. Colvin, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840 (London, 1978), p 225.
3. J.A.K. Dean, The Gate Lodges of Ulster (UAHS, Belfast, 1994), p 17.
4. Northern Ireland Heritage Gardens Committee, Heritage Gardens Inventory (Belfast, 1992), An/072.
5. D. Watkin, The Life and Works of C.R. Cockerell (London, 1974), p 250.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This is a late Georgian building in a neo-classical style which has been extended in the 1920s in a neo-Georgian style. Both parts are distinctively proportioned, appropriate to their respective styles, but are built in very different forms of masonry; the 1920s wing in particular displays some unusual exterior details such as the shape of the cills to the upper windows and the abstract form of the stone urns on the parapet. Both parts have lost much of their original interior character due to the loss of a number of original features and due to later spatial changes, but both are of special interest as examples of buildings by well-known architects. The buildings together enjoy a pleasant setting as the nucleus of an agricultural college.

General comments

The main building was recorded in the first Survey as HB20/13/003. The extension was formerly recorded in the wrong ward as HB20/14/019.