Ballysallagh House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A symmetrical two-storey three-bay early-nineteenth century farm house with attic, located on the west side of Clandeboye estate in the townland of Ballysallagh Minor. The house is rectangular on plan with substantial return and modern extension to rear; recent sunroom extension to south.

Roof is artificial slate with replacement brick chimneystacks to gables and to party wall between bays. Clipped verges and plastic rainwater goods on drive-in brackets. Walling is ruled-and-lined rendered to principal elevation, roughcast rendered over a contrasting plinth to remainder. Windows are uPVC sash replacements, uPVC casements to rear, with plain reveals and projecting stone cills. Door is replacement four-panelled timber with sidelights over timber aprons, panelled pilaster jambs and a segmental fanlight on fluted brackets; smooth rendered rusticated head with oversized lantern affixed.

Principal elevation faces east and is symmetrically arranged about central entrance; five openings wide, side bays each with two windows grouped together. Cast-iron bootscraper to door. Attic level has no openings but is articulated by a deep projecting band across facade.

Left south gable has been pierced and extended with a modern uPVC sunroom extension; window to first floor and attic.

Rear west elevation is abutted by the return, which is further extended on axis by a lower double-height store, and modern extensions, of no interest.

Right north gable has two attic windows.

Setting

House is set back in a farm yard, visible from a bend on the Ballysallagh Road. Pasture to east and south; farmyards to west. The house is accessed via a tarmacadam drive from south, and has a tarmac forecourt. To north is a linear two-storey outbuilding (of no interest) with corrugated asbestos cement roof, roughcast rendered walling and timber sheeted openings; segmental-headed coach-arch now infilled.

Roof: Artificial slate
Walling: render
Windows: uPVC
RWG: uPVC

Historical information

The house is shown, uncaptioned, on the first edition OS map of 1834. The Townland Valuation (1828-40) lists the occupier as John Magowan. It is a house and offices valued at £15.13s. and the property consists of a house and three returns, a stable, turf house, loft, barn and shed. The valuer describes it as ‘well-circumstanced’. OS Memoirs note that the master of Ballysallagh Minor school, ‘receives the interest of 200 pounds left for that purpose by the late Mr Magowan’. (OS Memoirs, p.25)

On the second edition (1858), the house is now captioned ‘Ballysallagh House’ and is the residence of James Kennedy who leases it from Lord Dufferin. The valuation, initially £16, is later reduced to £15 and the valuer comments, ‘House and offices in bad repair and too extensive for occupier’.

In 1866 the house was taken over by Lord Dufferin and Clandeboye and was subsequently let by him to James Wright in 1870, the house reverting back to Lord Dufferin in 1888.

By 1903 the house was occupied by William Armstrong, a linen merchant of Upper Queen Street, Belfast. He had nine children, and his two sons, John and William Armstrong, fought in the First World War. William was killed leading a night attack north of Jerusalem to clear Turkish artillery in 1917. John Armstrong joined the Royal Naval Air Service in 1915 and fought on land in the armoured car division. He was awarded the Russian medal of St George for gallantry during action in Romania in 1916. After his discharge in 1918 he continued in the family business and was a linen/textile salesman for the rest of his working life. He was well-known in the area and prominent in Hamilton Road Presbyterian Church where he was a Sunday School Superintendent and Elder. (www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/yourplaceandmine)

In 1923 the house was taken over by William Armstrong Senior’s widow Elizabeth.

References:

Primary Sources

1.PRONI OS/6/3/1/1 – First Edition OS Map 1834
2.PRONI OS/6/3/1/2 – Second Edition OS map 1858
3.PRONI OS/6/3/1/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1900-02
4.PRONI OS/6/3/1/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-31
5.PRONI OS/6/3/1/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1938-41
6.PRONI VAL/1/A/3/1 – Townland Valuation Map (1828-40)
7.PRONI VAL/1/B/315 – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
8.PRONI VAL/2/B/3/1 – Griffith’s Valuation Map (1856-64)
9.PRONI VAL/2/B/3/1B – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
10.PRONI VAL/12/B/23/7A-K – Annual Revisions (1866-99)
11.PRONI VAL/12/B/23/8A-C – Annual Revisions (1894-1923)
12.Day, A. and P. McWilliams, eds. “OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of County Down II, 1832-4, 1837, Vol. 7.” Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1991.

Secondary Sources

1.www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/yourplaceandmine

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Ballysallagh House is an early nineteenth century two-storey three-bay farmhouse, located to west of the Clandeboye estate. The house is arranged on symmetrical plan with simple late Georgian proportions. It has the appearance of having been raised, although no historical evidence has been found to support this. Although the overall external character of the house has been retained, refurbishments and extensions have removed much historic fabric, including roof timbers and original windows. The farm setting is largely intact, including original outbuildings, although much altered..