Ballyhamage House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Attached five-bay two-storey Georgian house, built c.1800, and former chapel, located to the north side of The Burn Road. House is rectangular-on-plan with two-storey canted former chapel (built c.1850) to east. The chapel is further abutted by single-storey roughcast pool house (of no interest); single-storey extension at centre to north.

Natural slated roofs, pitched to house, hipped with parapet to chapel. Gable chimneys; ruled-and-lined to east, roughcast to west. Walls are coursed basalt rubble with fieldstone quoins, granite quoins to chapel. Square-headed timber-framed twelve-pane casement windows with inset moulded architrave frames to house; round-arched-headed timber framed casement windows to chapel. All have painted masonry sills.

Symmetrical principal elevation faces south and consists of five openings at each floor arranged about a central elliptical-headed opening with moulded surround containing original raised-and-fielded timber panelled entrance door; sunburst fanlight and sidelights. Abutted at left by former chapel.

West gable is completely abutted by chapel and pool house.

North elevation abutted at centre by single-storey extension containing three replacement square-headed timber casement windows. Exposed wall contains window to either side and central lower stairwell window. Abutted at right by former chapel and modern pool house.

East gable is ruled-and-lined rendered and comprises single window to right at ground floor. Abutted at ground floor by extension containing replacement square-headed glazed entrance door.

Chapel

South elevation of former chapel (left of house) is canted; two windows at each floor (diminished in size to first floor). Chapel abutted to left by pool house.

West elevation is abutted by pool house at ground floor. Exposed first floor contains single window at ground floor right and three windows at first floor; square-headed window to left at first floor. Abutted at left by attached outbuilding.

North elevation is abutted by attached outbuilding.

East elevation is abutted by house. Exposed section contains round-arched-headed sliding sash window to first floor. Abutted at right by attached outbuilding.

Outbuilding

Attached four-bay two-storey outbuilding to north-west; rectangular-on-plan. Roof is hipped and natural slated. Walling is coursed rubble with granite quoins and voussoirs to carriage arches. Square-headed timber-framed windows, detailed as house, unless otherwise stated. West elevation comprises three carriage arches at ground floor to left, single window to each bay at first floor; abutted at ground floor right by pool house; two windows at first floor. Abutted at left by carriage arch to yard. North elevation contains single round-arched-headed window at first floor. East elevation comprises carriage arch at centre; window to left and small window to right at first floor. Three bays each containing 6/6 timber-framed sliding sash window to each floor at left; single window at ground floor and two windows at first floor at right.

Further multi-bay two-storey hipped-roof stables to north and multi-bay two-storey pitched outbuilding to north-east (converted to living accommodation).

Setting

Set in rural surroundings to the edge of Doagh village. Mature garden to south, enclosed garden and yard to north. Bounded to The Burn Road at south by hedging and to all other boundaries by modern timber fence. Entered from south-east through square rendered pillars with pyramidal coping supporting pair of cast-iron gates. Residential development to east, agricultural land to west.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Coursed basalt rubble
Windows: Square-headed timber framed casement windows with inset moulded architrave frames (mimicking 6/6 sliding sash)
RWG: uPVC profiled gutters and round downpipes

Historical information

The first edition OS map of 1834 records two buildings on the site, including an L-plan building which is aligned as the current structure but is smaller; a rectangular structure is shown opposite. The OS map of 1857 shows the building in its current form. The Townland Valuation Fieldbook of 1836 records a house belonging to John Heron, measuring 37 x 17 yards and valued at £1.11s. 6d.

Griffiths Valuation of 1859 records a house, office and land; the occupier is the Rev George Johnston and the lessor the Marquis of Donegall. The building is valued £20 initially then revised to £30 and later to £35 (although dates of revisions not known). The land is valued at £26. Additional notes in the field book say the property was ‘let out at £75’. A local parish newsletter claims that the gates at the entrance to Ballyhamage House were made in James Rowan’s Foundry at Doagh. Newtownabbey Council’s website state that the original owner of the house, Rev George Johnston added a church to the house in 1853. This was a taller basalt building to the left of the main house but was only used as a ‘chapel of ease’. These additions appear to explain the increase in the value of the house recorded in the Griffiths fieldbook.

References

Primary Sources:
1. PRONI OS/6/1/51/1 –First Edition OS Map (1832)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/51/2 - Second edition OS map (1857)
3. PRONI VAL/2/A/1/51A -Griffiths Valuation Map (1859)
4. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/8B-Griffiths Valuation Fieldbook (1859)

Secondary Sources:
1. The United Parishes of Templepatrick & Donegore: Parish Magazine, December 2002 - January 2003, Vol 6, Issue 1.(available from http://templepatrick.connor.anglican.org/Framesets/f_magV6_1.htm)

2. Newtonabbey Council-Heritage Walking Trails in Doagh:
Available from:

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

An unusual five-bay two-storey Georgian house, built c.1800, with attached former chapel located to the north side of The Burn Road, Doagh. The simple yet elegant detailing is characteristic of the period, and it retains many original details; attendant outbuildings add to the historic integrity of the site. It is a good example of the type incorporating ancillary structures that represent its historic interest as building and as a site.