Guincho

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An asymmetrical two-storey, multi-bay Hacienda-style dwelling built c.1940; oblong plan with several abutments to the sides and rear. Located approximately 1 mile south-east of Helens Bay; situated between the Craigdarragh Road and the Belfast to Bangor railway line.

Replacement shallow hipped pan-tile roofing; two smooth rendered chimneys with replacement pots on rear roof slope; parapet eaves cornice with decorative lead flashing; concealed gutters with extruded metal box section downpipes. Roughcast cement rendered walling. Replacement uPVC windows throughout. Original arched timber door with relief arched panels embraced by voussoired stepped granite ashlar surround; brass ironmongery.

The principal elevation faces south-east with asymmetrically arranged openings of various sizes and styles. The front arched entrance is located to the left of centre with bi-partite window over; bi-partite window to left with French doors and balconette over; four single windows to the right with a further wide opening to the far right; tall arched window to right at first floor with bellied balconette; three matching French doors with balconetts to far right at first floor.

The south-west elevation is largely abutted at ground floor by a modern single-storey canted and hipped timber conservatory to the right with bi-partite window over; adjoining pergolas to south-west and north-west faces; bi-partite window to left with large quadri-partite window above.

The rear elevation faces north-west and is asymmetrically arranged. Largely modified with enlarged openings to the ground floor. Sliding doors with French doors and balconette over to far left; French doors and sidelights with quadri-partite window above to right; bi-partite window to each floor to right; French doors and sidelights with bi-partite window above to right; bi-partite window to each floor to right; French doors to each floor to far right (that to first floor has balconette).

The north-east elevation is abutted by a modern complex of single-storey pitched roof ancillary accommodation and garages with a flat roof abutment projecting north-westward. Exposed section has single window on each floor to far left; single window to first floor far right; single narrow and bi-partite window with continuous cill centrally to first floor over pitched abutment.

Setting

The site has a screen of mature trees to the road side boundary. The short curving gravel approach is flanked by well maintained gardens and vegetation. The grounds stretch beyond the house to the north and west comprising several landscaped gardens, out-buildings and tennis court.

Roofing : Pantile
Walling: Render
Windows: uPVC
RWG: Extruded metal

Historical information

The development of this part of Ballyrobert townland began in 1901 with the construction of Eldon Green (later known as Rathmoyle) by Vincent Craig. Following this a sequence of mansions sprang up in spacious plots along the railway line and by the fourth edition of 1919-31, a house captioned ‘Riversley’ is shown on the site of the present dwelling. This house, built by Mary Davidson, possibly the widow of Samuel Clelland Davidson of Sirocco works, enters valuation records in 1903. However, its life was to be brief. After a short period in the ownership of William Virtue, Managing Director of United Distillers, the house was sold to Alan Craig in 1919 and was subsequently demolished by him in order to build ‘Guincho’, possibly the first ‘Hispanic’ style house in Northern Ireland. (Brett, p.130)

Alan Craig was head of the firm Greenhill & Craig Ltd, listed in the 1910 street directory as electrical and mechanical engineers and Brett suggests that Craig may have dispensed with an architect and had his firm design the house. (Brett, p.131) However, it is known that Greenhill & Craig retained the firm Tulloch & Fitzsimons to design new premises for them in Ballarat Road, Belfast between 1922 and 1931 and it is possible that this practice also undertook the design of Alan Craig’s new mansion. (PRONI D2265/3A-E)

Brett states that the new house was completed in 1933, however the plot appears to still be vacant on the fifth edition OS map of 1938-41. According to Brett, the house was built by Alan Craig and his wife Ida to celebrate their honeymoon at Praia do Guincho in Portugal (Guincho meaning ‘seagull’). After the death of Alan Craig, his widow married Melville McClure, owner of Morton’s Red Heart Bottled Stout. Brett credits Ida Craig with the original layout of the notable gardens at Guincho, described in the Ulster Gardens Scheme as ‘one of the greatest gardens in Northern Ireland’. (Brett, p.131; www.ulstergardensscheme.org.uk)

From 1948 until his death in 1956 the house was owned by T Frazer Mackie, Chairman of the Belfast textile machinery firm James Mackie and Sons Ltd. (Foundry Trade Journal; Brett, p.131) His wife, Mrs Vera Mackie, continued to live in the house until 1979 and was responsible for developing the garden with numerous species planted. (Brett, p.131) Since then, the house has passed through a number of different hands and has undergone some alterations, including the removal of features such as a blue-and-white tile inset into the front wall, corner curlicues and tall chimney-stacks with tiled brims. Window openings have been re-arranged and the upstairs windows at the end of each façade have been deepened. The steel balconies are also a post-1987 addition. (Brett, p.131)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/1/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-31
2. PRONI OS/6/3/1/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1938-41
3. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/11A-C – Annual Revisions (1888-1930)
4. Foundry Trade Journal, Vol 101, 1956
5. PRONI D2265/3A-E – Plans and tracings of proposed new premises at Ballarat Street, Belfast, for Messrs. Greenhill and Craig Ltd., Electrical and Milling Engineers
6. Belfast and Ulster Directory, 1910

Secondary Sources

1. Brett, C.E.B. “Buildings of North County Down” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2002
2. www.ulstergardensscheme.org.uk – Ulster Gardens Scheme

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An asymmetrical two-storey, multi-bay Hacienda-style dwelling, built c.1940. Although originally a distinctive dwelling displaying the style and characteristics of a large Mediterranean/Californian Villa, much of its character has been compromised following major recent restoration and repair work and as a result it does not meet the statutory and policy tests as a building of special architectural or historic interest.

General comments

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