Carrig Gorm

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An asymmetrical 1 ½-storey, three-bay, Victorian dwelling with tower; irregular plan form built c.1880. Located of Bridge Road approximately 1 mile north-west of Helens’ Bay Railway Station.

Pitched natural slate with clay ridge tiles and timber finials. Simple moulded bargeboards with decorative collar ties and protruding purlins and turned king post to gable ends. Exposed rafter ends; uPVC replacement rainwater goods; stucco moulded chimneystacks with clay pots. Stucco rendered ruled-and-lined walling with projected plinth. Replacement double-glazed uPVC sliding sash-style and casement windows with moulded surrounds and raised and pointed key-block. Original timber double leaf front door; glazed upper panels with matching sidelights, all in a shouldered timber frame with leaded and stained overlights.

The principal elevation faces north-west and is asymmetrically arranged; centrally located cat-slide bay comprising front entrance left of centre with two windows to the right; two dormers above with finials and keyblocked arched windows. 1 ½-storey gabled end bays to either side. The right hand gable is symmetrically arranged comprising central ground floor window flanked by matching narrow windows; two windows at first floor. The left gable is slightly diminished in scale; symmetrically arranged two ground floor windows with single first floor window.

The left (north-east) gable is asymmetrically arranged with a bi-partite ground floor window to the left with single first floor window left of centre. Modern single-storey uPVC conservatory adjoining the right hand side. Single-bay projecting gable added later adjoining 1 ½- storey elevation to left hand side with single window on each floor; right cheek comprises single window to each floor (that to first floor is diminished and to the right); left cheek has diminished window to left at first floor, ground floor obscured.

The rear (south-east) elevation comprises symmetrical gable to the left with two windows to each floor. Abutting the right cheek of gable is a three stage, square-plan tower; plain detailing with corbelled third stage surmounted by steep pitched pyramidal roof; second stage has diminished window to south-east face; third stage has single window to south-east, south-west and north-west faces. Large extended shallow pitched catslide roof; numerous modern rooflights; south-east and south-west faces obscured; north-east face abuts right return. Right gabled return comprises blank gable with central chimney; single window to first floor left cheek; single window to first floor right cheek.

The right (south-west) elevation is principally symmetrically arranged with a central projecting gable comprising a central double height arched recess with a single window to each floor (that to first floor is diminished). Single ground floor window to the right; blank to left.

Setting

The site is screened by hedges and trees. Gated entrance comprises decorative iron railings with iron piers surmounted by lamps; gravel driveway with dual access running parallel to the main road. Large lawn to the front of the dwelling with yard and simple linear single and 1 ½-storey outbuildings to the rear. The site is encompassed by large detached suburban dwellings.

Roofing: Natural slate
Walling: Render
Windows: uPVC
RWG: uPVC

Historical information

Helen’s Bay began to be developed towards the end of the nineteenth century, primarily at the instigation of the 1st Marquess of Dufferin, who wished to see a seaside resort ‘diversifying the Landscape’. Dufferin encouraged building in the area which by 1901 included a church and a number of large and medium-sized villas. (Garner, p.5-6) ‘Carrig Gorm’ first appears, captioned, on the third edition OS map of 1901. However, incorporated into the site appears to be an earlier structure, a farmhouse that is shown on the first edition OS map of 1833 and listed in Griffith’s Valuation at a value of £3.

Street Directories list the house in 1880 as the residence of John Cramsie, ‘auctioneer, valuator, estate agent and commission agent’ with premises in 10 Waring Street, Belfast. Cramsie had established his auction business in 1840 and described himself in an 1880 advertisement as “Having lengthened experience of Sales by Auction of Estates, Leasehold and House Property, Objects of Vertu, Pictures, Silver Plate, Books, Ships, General Effects and Household Furniture, offers large advantage by his great knowledge in the Disposal and Valuation of every description of Property”. It may be that John Cramsie was the builder of the house, a date of c1880 being not inconsistent with the appearance of the building. John Cramsie was prominent in his community, meriting an obituary in the Belfast Newsletter on his sudden death from illness in September 1882. He was a Justice of the Peace and was described as an ‘accomplished vocalist’ with a fine tenor voice. “He was a great lover of the fine arts and to his skill and judgement in matters pertaining thereto great deference was always paid. At his death he had attained the age of 61 years, and all through his public life, from his courtesy and gentlemanly demeanour, he held a much-respected position among his fellow-citizens.” (Belfast Newsletter) Interestingly his funeral was attended by three architects, Alex McAllister, John O’Neill and William Jackson, and it is possible that one of these was the architect of Carrig Gorm. (Belfast Newsletter)

The next name to be associated with the house was that of Walkington, the Belfast Newsletter announcing the birth of a daughter at the house for American-born RB Walkington and his English wife Ada in August 1886. R B Walkington & Co were shirt and collar manufacturers with premises in Linenhall Street, Belfast. (Belfast and Ulster Directory) From April 1889 to March 1890 the Walkingtons attempted to let or sell the house but apparently without success. It was described at the time as ‘beautifully situated with charming view of the Lough. The Grounds comprise over three acres, at the low head rent of £31.2s. The premises contain three Reception-rooms, seven Bedrooms, good Bathroom, Pantries &c, hot and cold water, also two Tennis Lawns, and large well-stocked Garden; Stables, Coachhouse, harness-room, Byres, Dairy &c, and well-built Lodge.” (Belfast Newsletter) Having failed to dispose of the house, in June 1892 it was advertised as a furnished summer let. In 1895 the Walkingtons ten-year-old daughter tragically died and in 1896 Mrs Ada Walkington wrote to Lord Dufferin about the lack of drainage in Helen’s Bay commenting that the sewage gas was so offensive that it is 'a most serious danger', and informing Dufferin that members of her household have 'greatly suffered' and that her doctor has advised her to appeal directly to him. (Letter to Lord Dufferin) Robert and Ada Walkington were in residence at the time of the 1901 census with a two-year-old daughter, Ada Walkington unusually describing herself as the head of the household. An Inspector of Factories from England was visiting them at the time with his wife. The Walkingtons had a staff of four English-born domestics. (1901 census)

The house was the home of a ‘Miss Crawford’ in 1908, perhaps one of the Crawfords of Crawfordsburn, but by the time of the 1911 census it was the residence of Indian-born James Peter Ewing, ‘linen merchant and graduate’ and his English wife Edith. They had one servant, a parlour maid from County Antrim. James Ewing’s residence in the house appears to have been a lengthy one, he is still noted as occupier in 1939. (Belfast and Ulster Directory; 1911 census; Irish Law Times and Solicitors’ Journal)

The house remains in use as a dwelling.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/2/1 – First Edition OS Map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/3/2/2 – Second Edition OS map 1858
3. PRONI OS/6/3/2/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1901
4. PRONI OS/6/3/2/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-26
5. PRONI OS/6/3/2/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1939
6. PRONI D1071/H/B/W/45 – Letter from Mrs A Walkington to Lord Dufferin, 6th June 1896
7. Belfast and Ulster Street Directory, 1880
8. Belfast and Ulster Street Directory, 1901
9. Belfast and Ulster Street Directory, 1908
10. Belfast Newsletter, 16th September, 1882
11. Belfast Newsletter, 18th September, 1882
12. Belfast Newsletter, 13th August, 1886
13. Belfast Newsletter, 15th April, 1889
14. Belfast Newsletter, 29th March, 1890
15. Belfast Newsletter, 7th June 1892
16. Belfast Newsletter, 29th April 1895
17. 1901 census online
18. 1911 census online
19. Irish Law Times and Solicitors’ Journal, Vol 73, 1939

Secondary Sources

1. Garner, Margaret A K “A History of Helen’s Bay Presbyterian Church, 1896-1958”

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An asymmetrical two-storey, three-bay, Victorian dwelling with tower, built c.1880. The distinctive tower is visible from distance and is of note. Although significant locally, extensive alterations and extensions have compromised its architectural and historic interest and there are better examples of the type.