Brook House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached two-storey stucco villa, built c.1835 to designs by John Millar, one of a group of similar dwellings occupying a secluded location at the west end of Marino Park, Holywood. Asymmetrical cruciform on plan, with entrance to north and truncated east arm extended to ground floor by a modern sun room.

Pitched natural slate roofs with angled clay ridge tiles and raised saddleback fractables to gables. Slender lozenge chimneystacks with white pots rise from feature chimneybreasts and from diagonal and angle buttresses to either side of principal gables (simple stacks to subordinate elevations). Rainwater goods are ogee cast-iron. Walling is ruled-and-lined stucco, painted white, over a bevelled plinth, with matching string course between floors at principal elevations. Windows are generally replacement timber multi-pane double-side-hung casements, with chamfered reveals and cills, those to west elevations with label moulds.

The north arm is shorter and is defined to north elevation by an arcade of three recessed four-centred arches to ground floor. That to left has three blind loops, the remaining two are inset with windows, that to right being a replacement infil with modern painted concrete cill. First floor has a central window set in a projecting surround with blind panel to apron. A four-centred arched entrance door is located to right cheek, with vertically panelled Gothic door having cast-iron door furniture. Left cheek has a small casement to ground floor.

The east arm is abutted to ground floor east elevation by a sympathetic sun room extension, surmounted at first floor by a window in projecting surround. The left and right cheeks each have a window to ground floor, with exposed basement to left abutted by a lean-to outbuilding.

The south arm (the deepest) is three storeys with a window to each floor, including a deeply recessed tripartite mullioned window with chamfered reveal to basement, and a timber oriel to first floor. The right cheek has French doors to basement yard at either side of a narrow chimneybreast. Left cheek has a central offset gabled chimneybreast inset with a window to first floor and a triangular-headed panel to ground floor. There is a single window to its right.

The west arm west elevation has a window to each floor. Right cheek has a gabled projection with blind musket loop, half corbelled and half with buttress. Left cheek has an ornate chimneybreast with corbelling detail.

The house is set within a small enclosed garden, planted with mature shrubs which sweeps down to a stream at south; mature tree and hedge boundaries, all accessed from Marino Park at north via a short tarmac drive.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Ruled-and-lined stucco
Windows: Replacement double-hung timber casements
RWG: Ogee cast-iron

Historical information

This house forms part of a group of bathing lodges built c1830 by John Millar for Thomas Ward.

The building is shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey map (1834) among a number of villas within a single plot. These are all listed in the Townland Valuation (1828-40), the current building being described as ‘(to let) house and office’, the property of Mr Thomas Ward, and valued at £16.

In his 1837 publication, Sam Lewis writes, “There are several good lodging-houses in the village and its environs; and from the increasing number of visiters [sic, several houses in detached situations and chiefly in the Elizabethan style of architecture are now in progress on the Cultra estate, by Thomas Ward Esq, after designs by Millar. These houses are sheltered with thriving plantations and beautifully situated on a gentle eminence commanding a richly diversified and extensive prospect of Carrickfergus bay, the Black mountain, Cave hill, the Carnmoney mountains and the town and castle of Carrickfergus, the view terminating with the basaltic columns of Black Head.” However, it appears these observations were made some time before publication, as the OS Memoirs records the houses as already complete in 1834. The memoir notes that they “have been built for the bathing season, when they are generally filled from Belfast.” (Lewis, p.6, OS Memoirs, p.74)

The second edition OS map (1858) shows the villa uncaptioned, and it appears to have undergone some remodelling since the earlier map, or alternatively the first edition shows the house in progress and the plan that it assumed once finished is rather different to the initial survey. Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) of this period gives the occupier as Thomas Ward himself and he is also the immediate lessor. Dimensions are given for the house, return, basement, store and shed and they are all valued at £27. The valuer comments that the house is let to Thomas Vallentine for the bathing season, unfurnished at £12 per month. He also states that Thomas Ward is secretary to the Belfast and Holywood Railway Company and Brett points out that he may well have been in a position to influence the convenient siting of Marino Halt. (Brett confuses Brook House and Linden Lodge in his reading of Griffith’s Valuation – the sketch plan drawn in the margin of Captain Richard Hoskin’s residence identifies it as Linden Lodge and not Brook House). (Brett, p.178-9)

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century the houses were increasingly left unlet and appear to have become less attractive rental propositions – perhaps because of the growth and popularity of Bangor as a seaside destination once the railway reached it in 1865. In 1908 the occupier is Isabella Ellis and the house is leased from Henry J Harris. Valuer’s notes of this period give a plan and dimensions for the house, which comprises three bedrooms, two sitting rooms and a bathroom with hot and cold water. The valuer comments, “Rents in this terrace are much lower than they were. The plan of the house is bad from a letting point of view.” The house remains in the Ellis family until at least 1921.

In 1933 the occupier is Emily Graham and the property is valued at £22, later raised to £26. The accommodation now comprises two receptions, a p[orch?]; bathroom W.C. and three bedrooms upstairs, and a kitchen, scullery and pantry in the basement. The house is supplied with gas and water from a well with pump. The valuer comments, “Very old-fashioned. Said to be 100 years old.” A plan and dimensions are given.

According to Brett, the houses subsequently fell into considerable disrepair and were all bought in the post-war years by a developer who proposed to knock them down. Since that time, Brook House has fortunately been sympathetically restored to its former glory. (Brett, p.178)

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/318 – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
8.PRONI VAL/2/B/3/1 – Griffith’s Valuation Map (1856-64)
9.PRONI VAL/2/B/3/18B – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
10.PRONI VAL/12/A/3/20 – Valuer’s Notebook (1907-11)
11.PRONI VAL/12/B/17/10A-G – Annual Revisions (1867-1930)
12.PRONI VAL/12/B/17/11A-C – Annual Revisions (1888-1930)
13.PRONI VAL 3/D/4/4A/5 – Valuers RV Binder (1933-57)
14.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.Brett, C.E.B. “Buildings of North County Down” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2002
2.Lewis, Samuel. “A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Comprising the Several Counties, Cities, Boroughs, Corporate, Market, and Post Towns, Parishes, and Villages, With Historical and Statistical Descriptions; Embellished with Engravings of the Arms of the Cities, Bishopricks, Corporate Towns, and Boroughs; Of the Seals of the Several Municipal Corporations.” London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
V. Authorship

Evaluation

Brook House is a picturesque Tudor-Gothic-style villa dating from the early nineteenth century, one of a group of similarly styled dwellings, to designs by John Millar, which represent both the beginnings of speculative development in this part of the North Down coast and the increasing popularity of coastal leisure pursuits among the wealthy merchant classes. The house, and the group as a whole, are distinguished by lively composition including pointed gables, slender butresses and the understated Gothic detailing. The original fabric appears to survive, including the original plan layout, and the house is a significant element in the notable and unusual neo-Tudor character of the enclave.