Clady House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey, three-bay, gabled house with attic and basement with a lower gabled single storey block to one side and a lower wing to the other side with outbuildings forming an enclosed yard to the rear. Main entrance faces north.

North elevation symmetrical, two-storey, with one window each side of a central doorway; roofs of Bangor blue slates in regular courses with dark ridge tiles; walls of smooth cement render, lined and blocked, with rusticated quoins to extremities; moulded stringcourse at first floor level, and a further stringcourse above which steps over first floor windows; projecting rendered eaves course with modillion cornice.
Moulded cast iron gutter with circular metal gutters to each end. Two chimneys, one on each gable, smooth cement rendered, lined, and blocked, with moulded cornice; modern pots.
Windows to ground floor are tripartite rectangular timber sliding sash, vertically hung, without horns, 8 over 8 to the central lights, 2 over 2 to the side lights, with panelled and pilastered mullions, set in an aedicule surround comprising a pair of Tuscan pilasters surmounted by a triangular pediment; moulded projecting stone cills. Windows to first floor are also tripartite, similarly sashed but reduced in height, 4 over 8, and 1 over 2, and without aedicules; cills formed by stringcourse.
Entrance is a rectangular timber 4-panel door with arched heads, flanked by 3-pane sidelights with margins, surmounted by an elliptically arched fanlight with looped and radial tracery, all recessed in a moulded elliptical archway with keystone and Tuscan pilasters; approached by four concrete steps between low smooth rendered plinth walls with broad overhanging painted copings.

East gable is rendered as previous, with quoins to right-hand extremity, and projecting moulded stringcourse at eaves level; PVC soil pipe. Window in attic is rectangular timber sliding sash, vertically hung, 6 over 6, with horns, in exposed sash boxes, set in moulded reveals; projecting stone cill.
Overhanging eaves, with shaped barge boards on shaped brackets. At base of gable is a small flat roofed boiler house, rendered as previous, with timber louvred door, timber fascias, and aluminium roof trim, with a full height flue pipe attached to gable of house.

Projecting forward at the left-hand side is the end of the two-storey wing of the rear yard: smooth cement rendered, lined and blocked; parapet roof to top; ground floor has a segmental headed blind opening with projecting stone cill, blocked with smooth cement render and containing a fan extract with wire mesh box; first floor has a segmental headed window, timber small paned fixed lights of tripartite form, with concrete cill. Parapet contains a rectangular blind recessed panel above window.

East elevation of east wing is of basalt rubble partly covered with original lime render and partly repaired with cement. Four windows, rectangular timber small-pane casements, the two to the north painted black, the two to the south later and plain varnished. Main doorway comprises a pair of varnished timber small-paned glazed doors, set in plain modern cement rendered reveals, surmounted by a modern gabled timber strutted hood canopy with slated roof; two concrete steps to doorway. At left-hand end is a smaller rectangular timber sheeted door with similar reveals and steps as previous.
Moulded PVC gutters and PVC downpipes. Roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses.
One chimney, at intermediate position: red brick with projecting brick cornice, and modern pot.

South gable of east wing: two-storey; rendered wall of wet dash using blackstone chippings, recessed between projecting side walls of basalt rubble; ground floor contains a modern rectangular moulded plastic garage door recessed in smooth rendered reveals; first floor contains a large rectangular timber sliding sash window, 2 over 2, with horns, set in plain reveals, with concrete cill. Overhanging verges with timber barge boards on projecting purlin ends.
West elevation of east wing is of basalt rubble roughly coursed; roof slated as previous; PVC rainwater goods; one window, rectangular timber small-paned casement set in cement rendered reveals, with brick flat arch to head and concrete cill. Doorway contains a rectangular timber sheeted half-door set in cement reveals and surmounted by a modern gabled timber strutted canopy with slated roof.

Rear elevation of main block of house is two-storey, three-bay, symmetrical, with one window to each side of a central entrance.
Roof slated as entrance front.
Walls rendered with dry dash of crushed stones, colour washed over. Looks like moulded cast iron gutter; metal downpipes.
Entrance bay contains a pair of rectangular double doors, glazed and panelled, below a tall, arched, stair window, both set in a semi-circular arched recess.
Windows are tripartite, rectangular timber, comprising fixed central lights, with casements to the sidelights, of similar pattern to entrance front but in unmoulded frames and with plainer detailing to panelled mullions. Stair window comprises a timber fixed light of small panes with radial tracery lights to head.

Extending to the left-hand side and projecting forward is a single storey block in the form of a conservatory: roof slated as previous; one chimney, on west gable, smooth cement rendered with plain cornice and modern pot; south face is of small paned timber glazing, incorporating top-hung opening lights, set on a low plinth wall, smooth cement rendered with concrete cill.
Moulded PVC gutter; timber fascia to eaves.
East face of conservatory contains a glazed timber door with small paned sidelights, with a smooth rendered spandrel panel above.

West gable of conservatory is smooth cement rendered, lined and blocked; oversailing eaves with timber barge boards on shaped brackets; metal downpipe at right-hand side; extending to the right, in the same plane, is a similarly rendered screen wall to the rear yard, with projecting concrete coping.

North face of conservatory is smooth rendered, lined and blocked; contains a rectangular timber door flanked by small-paned sidelights; concrete paving slabs to two steps up to doorway. Roof slated as previous.

West gable of main house is of similar walling to east gable; attic window similar, except recessed in plain reveals.
At base of gable is a low modern lean-to roof with PVC and aluminium framing, set on low smooth rendered walls providing an escape from the basement area of house.

OUTBUILDINGS: The south side of the rear yard is occupied by a long gabled two-storey block, with what looks like asbestos slated roof; walls of basalt rubble with red brick block quoins to extremities and red brick dressings to openings. Openings comprise one segmental arched double doorway of ledged timber, and a number of rectangular doorways and windows, containing sheeted doors, and fixed light windows; concrete cills.
Modern steel exterior stairway at right-hand end gives access to first floor.
West gable of similar walling to north elevation: contains a large rectangular first floor window of modern timber fixed lights and casements set in modern red brick reveals; below is a rectangular timber sheeted door.
South elevation is of similar walling to north, with two windows, one old in original brick surround, one new in new brick surround; PVC rainwater goods; projecting from wall is a lower block in concrete blockwork with flat roof of asphalt covering, with PVC gutter.
Open shed to right-hand side, of concrete blockwork and preformed metal sheeting.
East gable of outbuilding is similar to west but no openings.

Linking outbuildings to rest of yard is a basalt rubble wall, with rough cement coping, to the east side, connecting to east wing by a modern iron mesh gate; and a smooth rendered screen wall with concrete coping, to the west side, connecting to the rest of the yard wall by a gateway comprising a pair of large circular smooth rendered piers with conical cement caps, containing a pair of double doors of ledged timber.

SETTING: The house stands well back from the road, largely hidden from public view within its own extensive grounds which comprise fields and lawns with mature trees and a river running through the grounds well to the east; modern steel-framed footbridge over river. Approach to house is by a long tree-lined driveway from a gateway comprising circular rubble stone piers with modern timber gates. Gravel area to front of house. Modern tennis court to south of driveway just before gateway into rear yard.

Historical information

Precise date of building not known but it appears on the OS map of 1832, and may also be the house that is shown on Lendrick's map of 1782, although later refronted; probably built for Hugh Swann who died in 1848 aged 95. Later owned by the Cinnamond family, until 1900. Formerly there was a short central rear return and a longer west wing to the rear, as well as a long east wing to the rear, as shown in the OS maps from 1832 to 1962-3 but the two former returns have since been removed.

References – Primary Sources
1. J. Lendrick, A map of the County of Antrim from Actual Survey (London, 1782).
2. OS Map 1832, Co Antrim 50 (but not named).
3. OS Map 1857, Co Antrim 50.
4. OS Map 1962-3, Co Antrim 50.
Secondary Sources
1. UAHS, West Antrim (Belfast, 1970), p 12.
2. C.E.B. Brett, Buildings of County Antrim (UAHS, Belfast, 1996), p 157.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This is a Georgian house of late 18th or early 19th century date, of distinctive style and proportions, which displays the plan form and spatial organisation typical of the period, and retains many of its original features including ornamental interior plasterwork. It retains the essence of its original character despite some later inappropriate alterations and additions, as well as the loss of some features including its original rear return.