Belmont

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached four-bay one-and-a-half-storey house, built c.1830, and located to the west side of Beltoy Road, Carrickfergus. Rectangular-on-plan with off-centre gabled entrance to left with a two-storey hipped canted bay to each side; glazed conservatory to left gable; series of single and two-storey extensions to rear.

Roof is pitched natural slate with blue/black clay ridge tiles (leaded to hipped canted bays;) smooth rendered moulded verge; two gable brick chimneystacks with terracotta pots, third to party wall. Ogee-profile cast-iron rainwater goods (replacement cast-metal to rear.) Walls are ruled-and-lined rendered with raised stepped chamfered quoins and smooth rendered plinth. Windows are square-headed 1/1 timber sliding sashes within moulded surrounds and keyblock detail (windows to rear do not have surround detail), painted masonry cills unless otherwise stated. (External secondary glazing to principal elevation only.)

Principal elevation faces south and contains off-centre gabled entrance porch with natural slate roof; two-storey canted bay to each side with hipped slated roof; two windows at right, dormer above with flat roof. Entrance comprises a replacement timber sheeted door with frosted glazed sidelights and radial fanlight recessed within smooth rendered pilasters rising to a segmental-headed moulded archivolt and keyblock. Canted bays contain paired windows to south elevation, single window to each cheek with continuous cill and moulded cornice detail.

Left gable is abutted by lean-to glazed conservatory; exposed section contains two-windows at first floor (no surround detail).

Rear elevation is abutted to left by single-storey return with pitched roof; intersecting angle is further extended by two-storey block with pitched slated roof; right is abutted by single-storey lean-to extension; exposed section has two replacement timber casements, (left diminished.)

Right gable contains two windows at each floor.

Single-storey pitched return (hipped to north gable) has natural slate roof; walls are roughcast rendered and windows are replacement uPVC casements. West elevation contains at right a canted bay window with single window to each side, (left diminished); at left a hardwood six-panel door followed by double timber sheeted garage doors. North gable is abutted by perpendicular (slightly lower) outbuilding with hipped slated roof. East elevation has a six-panel hardwood door with three windows to left and four to right (of which the two at left are diminished.)

Two-storey pitched return with natural slate roof is detailed as main block; projecting first floor block was added to an original single-storey return. North gable has single window at first floor; left cheek is blank; right cheek contains window to each floor.

Single-storey lean-to extension is detailed as main block; original timber door (fixed panel with large glazed pane over) within heavy exposed box frame. Window to each side (right diminished.) Left cheek is blank. Right cheek abuts single-storey outbuilding with pitched natural slate roof.

Located to the south side of a quadrangular farmyard with similarly detailed outbuildings (a second dwelling occupies the north-west corner of the courtyard.) The house is accessed from the Beltoy Road, both from the north and south side of the house. The north entrance giving access to the rear of the house; the south (original) entrance accesses the principal elevation. Entrance comprises stepped alcoved entrance walls with two smooth rendered piers with pyramidal caps at each side, inner piers supporting original cast-iron entrance gates. Mature landscaped gardens to the east and south conceal the house from the road.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Ruled-and-lined rendered with raised stepped chamfered quoins and
smooth rendered plinth
Windows: Square-headed 1/1 timber sliding sashes with moulded architraves and
keyblock detail unless otherwise stated
RWG: Ogee-profile cast-iron

Historical information

The building is first shown on the second edition OS map of 1857, captioned ‘Belmont’.

Griffith’s Valuation of 1859 records the property as a ‘house, offices and land’occupied byJoseph Hamilton and leased from Marriot Dalway. The building is valued at £17. Valuation Revisions show the occupier as Edward Kinsey in 1888 and the lessor as Joseph Holden in the same year. The occupier changes to William Hunter 1925 and John Spratt in 1913. No change in the building’s valuation is recorded.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/47/1- First Edition OS Map (1832)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/47/2 - Second Edition OS Map (1857)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/47/3 - Third Edition OS Map (1902)
4. PRONI VAL/2B/1/16 - Griffith’s Valuation Fieldbook (1859)
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/7/18A-F - Valuation Revisions (1864-1825)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Detached three-bay pre- 1830 which was originally a single storey vernacular house that was raised to its current appearnace as a two-storey Victorian house in the later nineteenth century. Located to the north side of Raw Brae Road, Carrickfergus.
Internally the original vernacular longhouse plan is largely retained; with many original features intact; including four-panelled timber doors with deep panelled reveals and window linings. The external alterations to the rear of the property and a remodeled principal façade make this an interesting example of traditional dwelling evolved to a gentleman’s residence. Whilst this in an interesting building it is not of suficient architecural interest to warrant listing.