23 Ballymoney Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached single-storey four-bay direct-entry vernacular house, pre-dating 1830, with outshot and contiguous outbuildings, located east of the Ballymoney Road, Craigantlet. Rectangular on plan with outshot, flat-roof extension and lean-to to rear.

Pitched thatch under tin roof (needs verification) having stone verges and three roughcast rendered chimneystacks. Plastic rainwater goods. Walling is painted roughcast render. Windows are replacements throughout.

The principal elevation faces southeast and is five windows wide, almost regularly spaced; comprising two windows to left and right of central timber-sheeted and glazed door (replacement). Doors has painted masonry surround with lugged lintel having slender keyblock.

The southwest gable has a window to right surmounted by an unusual recessed bracket detail.

The northwest (rear) elevation has a window to left and left of centre; to far left is outshot with window to southeast elevation; flat-roof extension to centre having window to southeast and northwest elevation; lean-to to left has window to southeast elevation and a modern timber door to southwest elevation.

The northeast elevation is abutted to ground floor by rendered lean-to having timber-sheeted door to southeast.

To southeast are a range of mainly slated outbuildings arranged in an L-shape around a front yard; modern agricultural shed to northeast. Linear stable-block to southeast has four replacement timber-sheeted half-door having cast-iron hinges. Diminutive timber-framed windows at right side of doors and at far left; to left of centre is a multi-paned timber-framed window. The range to west has partial corrugated metal roof; recently refurbished having a large plastic conservatory to west elevation; the east elevation retains its traditional character, having replacement stable-door to left of centre and two replacement windows to right. Three corrugated agricultural sheds to east, roughcast rendered lean-to abuts central shed.

Setting:

Accessed via a tree-lined lane to north, sharing access with a one-and-a-half storey Georgian-styled house, sited to west. Enclosed to all sides by mature trees and hedgerow with unspoiled farmland to all sides.

Roof: Thatch under tin (needs verification)
Walling: Roughcast
Windows: uPVC
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The farm is sited in a rural area of the North Down hinterland that has remained largely agricultural during the period since the ordnance survey began in the 1830s. The farm is shown, uncaptioned, on the first edition OS map of 1834 as a group of buildings arranged round a central courtyard. An outbuilding opposite the farmhouse is shown and appears to have survived to the present day. The farm was not deemed to be of sufficient value to be included in the Townland Valuation (1828-40)

The second edition OS map shows an additional outbuilding in the farmyard, at right angles to the farmhouse and this also appears to have survived. The farmhouse itself has gained an addition to the rear, perhaps the outshot that is seen today. Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) lists the occupier as James Spratt who leases his farm of over 58 acres from the Marquess of Londonderry, local landowner. The house is valued at £4.5s indicating a rise in valuation since the 1830s.

James Spratt died in 1892 leaving his ‘right, title, term and interest in and to’ two farms in the townland of Ballymoney to his son William Spratt, also bequeathing property in Newtownards to his daughters (Will of James Spratt). William became the owner in fee under land purchase legislation in 1894. The 1901 census records William Spratt, farmer, as the occupier and his two sisters are ‘housekeeper’ and ‘assistant housekeeper’. Spratt employed two farm labourers that were also resident. The house itself is noted to have three windows to the front façade and seven rooms. There are a number of outbuildings listed, including three cow houses and two piggeries. The farm has not substantially changed by the time of the 1911 census, although fewer outbuildings are listed and the family now only employ a single farm labourer, from Scotland. Both censuses state that the houses were roofed with perishable material, most likely thatch. (1901, 1911 census; Annual Revisions)

The farm remains uncaptioned on historic maps but is captioned ‘Beech Hill’ on modern maps. A new house has been built on the plot in recent times and the old farmhouse is now unused.

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/12/B/23/24A-F – Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
7. PRONI Will of James Spratt, died 7th March 1892
8. Griffith’s Valuation online
9. 1901 census online
10. 1911 census online

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A detached single-storey four-bay vernacular direct-entry house, pre-dating 1830, with outshot and contiguous outbuildings, located east of the Ballymoney Road, Craigantlet. Recently refurbished, the house has replacement fenestration throughout. Although, the overall composition remains intact and the house retains early proportions and some of its original character, it has been compromised by modernisation and is not among the best examples of the type.