Glendore House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey, two-bay Victorian dwelling erected c.1870; rectangular plan form with a two-storey return. Located of the Crawfordsburn Road, northeast of Crawfordsburn Village, between the junctions of Cootehall Road and Old Windmill Road.

Pitched natural slate roof and plain ridge tiles; gable skews with scrolled shoulder. Replacement cement render chimneystack with moulded cornice; decorative octagonal clay pots. Replacement uPVC rainwater goods throughout. Exposed rubble masonry walling with red-brick surrounds (formerly rendered). Smooth rendered rusticated quoins and projected plinth course; stepped corbel eaves course. 1/1 timber sliding sash with horns; smooth reveals and head; stone cills. Wide timber front door; four panelled with bolection mouldings; brass ironmongery. Flanked by a pair of narrow Ionic columns with entablature; segmental-arched fanlight over; embraced by moulded segmental arched opening.

The principal gable faces south and is asymmetrically arranged. Ground floor level comprises the front entrance to the right and a single window to the left. Two first floor windows directly over ground floor openings.

The east elevation is asymmetrically arranged. Tripartite window with narrow side sashes to the ground floor right; broad smooth rendered surrounds. Single-storey canted bay to the left; smooth rendered with slated hipped roof. Two diminished first floor windows over ground floor openings. Central chimney removed.

The north gable is asymmetrically arranged. Single-storey canted bay to the right; smooth rendered with slated hipped roof. Single window to the left. Two windows at first floor level over ground floor openings.

The west elevation has a single round-arched window located centrally at first floor; margin panes and stained glass. The left hand side is abutted by a subservient two-storey return four windows deep; lower eaves and ridge level; flat tile roof; smooth rendered walling. The south face comprises uniformly arranged 2/2 timber sliding sash windows with vertical glazing bars. The north face has been largely altered with a single-storey flat roofed porch abutment to the right hand side and a two-storey gable projection to the left hand side. The west gable is further abutted by a single-storey flat-roofed extension with cast-iron parapet and a variety of windows. Large chimney stack with four pots removed.

Setting:

The house and it gardens are largely screened from the adjacent road by mature trees. The house is accessed by a gravel drive way with landscaped gardens to the right. To the left is an extended lawn with sporadic vegetation in the immediate foreground leading to views towards the Industrial Heritage Record (Windmill: 0251500000) and beyond towards Belfast Lough. Adjacent to the rear of the building is a short-row of single-storey adjoining garages/stores; of no significant interest.

Roofing: Natural slate
Walling: Exposed rubble masonry
Windows: Timber
RWG: uPVC replacement

Historical information

The house is first shown, captioned ‘Glendore Ho[use]’ on the third edition OS map of 1901 assuming much the same plan form as it does today. The house does not enter valuation records until 1870 when it is valued at £35. However, there is a reference to ‘Glendore’ in the 1865 will of Arminella Crawford, a daughter of William Sharman Crawford of Crawfordsburn. (Will of Arminella Crawford) It is possible that the house was originally built for Arminella at the time of William Sharman Crawford’s death and on the accession to the estates of the eldest son John Sharman Crawford in 1861. (Valuation Records; Visitation of Ireland, p.21-3)

Arthur Sharman Crawford, another of Arminella’s brothers, is noted to be the occupier in 1870, following the death of his sister. Arthur Sharman Crawford had previously lived at ‘Fortbreda’ and moved again, to Ballymenoch House, in 1873, selling the contents of ‘Glendore’ at auction. However, valuation records suggest that he retained an interest in the house. (Valuation Records; Belfast Newsletter)

John Sharman Crawford died in 1884 and the estate passed to Arthur who then became resident at Crawfordsburn House (HB23/15/007A). From this point for some years, no separate occupiers are noted for the current dwelling, the house falling under the same ownership as the main house at Crawfordsburn. (Will of Arminella Crawford; Visitation of Ireland, p.21-3)

By 1901 the house had become the residence of the land steward to the Crawfordsburn estates, the Scot, Robert Brown and his County Cork wife, Jane. They had four children, all of whom had been born in County Cork and a young servant girl from County Cavan. Robert Brown and his family continued to be resident at the house in 1911 and by now their two eldest children were working outside the home, their twenty-three-year-old daughter as a clerk and their twenty-one-year-old son as an assistant steward on the estate. (1901, 1911 census) Robert Brown died in 1915 and the house was taken over by Alex Stewart in 1923. (Annual Revisions; Will of Robert Brown)

Patton dates the house to c1840 but this assertion is not supported by the primary evidence. (Patton, p.61) The house has been renovated since the first survey of 1971 and the render has been removed from the main building. The chimney has been removed from the rear return and other chimneys on the main block reduced in height. (First Survey Information)

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
4. PRONI VAL/12/B/23/7A-K – Annual Revisions (1866-99)
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/23/8A-C – Annual Revisions (1894-1923)
6. PRONI Will of Arminella Crawford, died 21/7/1865
7. PRONI Will of Robert Brown, died 8/5/1915
8. Belfast Newsletter, 10th May 1873
9. First Survey Information, 1971

Secondary Sources

1. Howard, JJ and Crisp, FA “Visitation of Ireland” (date and publisher unknown)
2. 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 two-storey, two-bay Victorian dwelling erected c.1870. Formerly part of the Crawfordsburn Estate, this simple house was once rendered. The exposed rubble walling and alterations to the chimneys have significantly altered its appearance. Although of robust character and some interest, extensive alterations have compromised its architectural and historic interest and it is not among the best examples of the type.

General comments

In Crawfordsburn Area of Village Character