143 Groomsport Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A large asymmetrical two-storey, multi-bay Edwardian house, influenced by Arts-and Craft, built c.1910. Oblong plan form with projecting bays and adjoining former stable block. Located off the Groomsport Road, east of Bangor, overlooking Belfast Lough.

Rosemary tiled hipped roof with terracotta ridge tiles; exposed timber rafters at eaves level with uPVC ogee moulded replacement gutters throughout. Rough-cast rendered chimney stacks with brick courses at upper level, surmounted by masonry cornice with tall bowed terracotta pots. Rough-cast rendered walling; projecting plinth and quoins, red brick painted with impervious weatherproof coating. Double-glazed replacement casement windows throughout; timber to the front and uPVC to the rear with some of the original came-lights sandwiched between the double glazing. Large painted concrete cills with thin projected lintel over. The front door is round-arched panelled timber with glazed upper portion and brass ironmongery; embraced by a deep stone surround with plain brackets supporting a Queen-Anne style segmental-arched canopy; accessed by tiled steps flanked by low wall with terminating ball finials.

The principal elevation faces south-east and is asymmetrically arranged. From left: two-storey projecting hipped bay with a bow-bay window to the ground floor and tripartite window to first floor. The central section comprises the front entrance with a tripartite light to the left and a keystone oculus to the right; matching oculus at first floor left hand side with central bi-partite window and Palladian style at landing level. Right of centre projecting gabled bay; decorative timber frame style with jettied first floor; quadripartite window to the ground floor with tripartite window to first floor. Right of gable bay is one-window wide bay with matching bi-partite windows to ground and first floor.

The south-west elevation is symmetrically arranged. The ground floor is completely abutted by a single-storey flat-roofed timber glazed modern extension c.1970. Two matching bi-partite windows to the first floor.

The rear elevation faces north-west and is asymmetrically arranged. The right hand side comprises a pair of projecting gabled bays with matching bow-bay windows; tri-partite first floor windows and decorative timber frame style gable heads. The left hand side comprises the rear entrance located on the far left with various sized casement windows to the ground and first floor.

The north-east elevation has a single window located centrally at first floor level and is abutted at ground floor by a single-storey, flat roof garage infilling a former stable yard, and subsequently connecting the original L-shaped 1½ storey pitched-roofed stable block and hay-store, to the main body of the house. The north-east face of the stable block is further abutted by a single storey garage with timber sheeted folding door mounted on rails; diagonal lattice window centrally located on door; diminished chimney matching in style to the left hand side. The south-east gabled face of the stable block is abutted by a timber framed green-house; modern garage door to the left located between the gate piers of the original stable entrance; existing piers terminated with ball finials.

Setting

The house is accessed via a pair of matching gated entrances serving long driveways which flank the large garden to the front of the house. Original piers exist at the left hand entrance although not in use; modern gates are hung on concrete piers cement rendered. The garden to the front is obscured from public view by a mixture of landscaped vegetation, with a long gravel path running down the centre leading to a small circular water feature. Running parallel along the west of the site are the rears of adjacent detached dwellings. Adjacent to the modern extension to the west of the house is a small swimming pool installed c.1970 and a small timber cabin. The rear garden is flanked by individual Victorian dwellings and slopes towards the shore with panoramic views across Bangor and Belfast Lough. The rear garden is bounded by a low dry-dash wall, beyond which lies a further plot of land under the same ownership. At the most north-easterly part of the garden is a small concrete garden compound and out building.

Roofing: Tile
Walling: Rough-cast
Windows: timber/uPVC
RWG: uPVC replacement

Historical information

Ballyholme first began to be developed around the turn of the twentieth century with a number of terraces and villas appearing to the east and along the esplanade to the west. The current house is not shown on the OS map of 1901, first appearing on the fourth edition of 1919-26. A construction date within the first two decades of the twentieth century is therefore likely. The house is captioned ‘Brooklands’ and is situated within a sizeable plot, sweeping down to the sea to the north with extensive gardens to the south.

Patton dates the house to c.1910 and field inspection of the property supports this view. (Patton, p.88) The house has undergone some alterations in recent years, having been extended in the 1970s. The former stable yard has been infilled with garage doors and a swimming pool has been added to the garden.

This record was compiled without access to primary source material held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/2/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1901
2. PRONI OS/6/3/2/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-26
3. PRONI OS/6/3/2/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1939

Secondary Sources

1. Patton, M, “Bangor, An Historical Gazetteer” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1999

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A large two-storey, multi-bay Edwardian house, influenced by Arts-and Craft, built c.1910. Externally this house is typical in style and proportion of a building of its period and not uncommonly found in the area. The simple character and detailing have been somewhat compromised with the introduction of timber and uPVC framed double glazed windows throughout, as well as inappropriate coating of all external brick, stone and timber. The internal layout and fabric have largely survived. The stables and outbuildings are also of interest. However, the changes have compromised its special interest and there are other, better examples listed.

General comments

Within Bangor East Area of Townscape Character