Stratherin

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay two-storey Edwardian house, built c.1905, located on an elevated site to the north of Belfast Road, Carrickfergus. Rectangular-on-plan; two-storey tower to left; two-storey canted bay to right with pitched roof; two single-storey returns to rear.

Roofs are pitched and slated with terracotta ridge tiles, deep overhanging sheeted eaves on moulded timber brackets, plainly detailed bargeboards; three roof-lights to rear; smooth rendered corbelled chimney-stacks to gables. Rainwater goods are cast-iron with ogee profile gutters (some replacement aluminium rainwater goods); walls are smooth rendered (with deep moulded string course and plinth to front elevation only.) Windows are square-headed 1/1 timber sliding sashes with horns, all with smooth rendered architraves and masonry cills unless otherwise stated.

Principal elevation faces south; two-storey tower to left; two-storey canted bay to right with pitched roof. Central section contains principal entrance to right surmounted by Wyatt window within segmental headed opening. Single window to left at ground floor, surmounted by segmental-headed casement at first floor. Two-storey tower to left corner has slated bell-cast pyramidal roof with lead finial to apex; moulded eaves; three windows at each floor. Two-storey canted bay to right has a gable fronted wall-head with slated pitched roof; segmental-headed Wyatt window to each floor both flanked by a single window to each cheek. Entrance is recessed within a segmental-headed opening with deep moulded architrave. Three-panel door offset to left with fixed sidelight to right and plainly detailed fanlight above; accessed by five masonry steps.

Left gable is abutted by two-storey tower to right corner; exposed section has central plainly detailed glazed doors surmounted by a round-headed stained glass casement. Single window to each side at ground and first floor. Door is accessed by three semi-circular pre-cast steps.

Rear elevation is abutted by single-storey return to left with mono-pitched slated roof and single-storey timber conservatory to right with mono-pitch roof; (conservatory further adjoins a single-storey outbuilding with slated roof to left) Exposed section has replacement timber door with two windows to right; one to left (significantly larger); four windows at first floor (those to centre diminished.)

Right gable has two windows to each floor.

Single-storey return west elevation has two timber sheeted doors with two windows between; sliding sash to right, timber casement to left. All other elevations are blank.

Single-storey timber conservatory has casement windows throughout; supported on plinth wall and masonry cills; original timber panelled door to north gable. (Two glazed panes over single fixed panel.) Abutted by a mono-pitch outbuilding to east which contains a single door to its south (house-facing) side.

The house remains within its original
setting with mature gardens to south; gravel driveway accessed by alcoved entrance comprising plinth wall; square pillars with plinth and bell-cast caps; original painted cast metal entrance gates remain intact.

Roof Natural slate
Walling Smooth render
Windows Windows are square-headed 1/1 timber sliding sashes with horns, all with smooth rendered architraves and masonry
cills unless otherwise stated.
RWG Cast-iron ogee profile gutters and round downpipes

Historical information

The current building first appears on the OS map of 1920. Comparison with the earlier 1902 OS map suggests that Stratherin replaced an earlier, larger building on the site. At this time the surrounding land was undeveloped and it seems likely that the plot was redeveloped same time as the surrounding development took place, in the early years of the twentieth century.

Valuation Revisions dating from 1884 to 1894 detail the previous building as a Bathing Lodge & gardens, valued at £17. The occupier is given as Alex Rodgers (1886). The first reference to a house in the ValuationRevisions is in 1912, listing also an office, yard and garden all valued at £24 5s. The first recorded occupier is R. Forbes, under lease from John Cavanagh.

Two other properties are entered around the same time; one is a house, office and land, occupied by Daniel McNeill, and the building valuation given as £23. The other is a house and garden added in 1911, which is again leased by John Cavanagh. The building valuation for this property is £22.5s, and the occupier is J. McNeill.

The current owner purchased the property in 1942. The property was purchased on the death of Robert Vint, who, it is claimed by the current owner, was responsible for the erection of the house. The current owner claims that the land was purchased in 1901 and the dwelling completed c.1903 by Mr Vint, a Carrickfergus businessman who produced jams, preserves and confectionary in the town. He was a relative of William Vint, apparently the proprietor of a substantial jam making factory in Unity Street near Carrick Hill in Belfast, and remembered for introducing a food token system used by the mill owners to pay their workers. There is no known architect but the current owner believes the builder to have been a local man; Henry Laverty (also responsible for building St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast). If this is the case it is likely that the brick used was obtained from the nearby Laverty’s brickworks.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/52/3 - Third Edition OS Map (1902)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/52/6 - Sixth Edition OS Map (1920)
3. PRONI VAL/12/A/1/52-G - Valuation Revision Map - (late 1800s - c.1914)
4. PRONI VAL/12/B/7/5A-F -Valuation Revisions - (1861-1894)
5. PRONI VAL 12B/7/6A-D Valuation Revisions - (1894-1929)

Secondary Sources

1. Information from the current owner: Listing request letter to Historic Building &
Monuments, 26th June, 2007.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Detached three-bay two-storey Edwardian house, built c.1903, located on an elevated site to the north of Belfast Road, Carrickfergus. The house remains largely unaltered and whilst it retains features of the period and much original fabric, including original fenestration, it is not an outstanding example of the type from this early twentieth century period. The house is preserved in its original setting in mature grounds dividing the house from the main road to the south.

Detached three-bay two-storey Edwardian house, built c.1905, located on an elevated site to the north of Belfast Road, Carrickfergus. The house remains largely unaltered and retains many important design features of the period and much original fabric, including original fenestration. The house is preserved in its original setting in mature grounds dividing the house from the main road to the south.

General comments

This record has been renumbered and was previously listing query HB22/LQ025 and was previously renumbered from HB22/07/021