Windrush

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An attached symmetrical two-storey three-bay classically-styled house, built c.1850, located in large grounds on the east side of Old Quay Road, Holywood. The house is rectangular-on-plan with central full-height bowed bay, single-storey side entrance porch to west and flat-roofed kitchen extension to east; it forms a group of three attached dwellings along with Ardville (HB23/18/040B), a former service wing which predates the main house, and Ardreagh (HB23/18/040C), former service quarters, both abutting to south.

Hipped natural slate roof with leaded hips and ridges, and central roof lantern. Chimneys are stucco with moulded caps and semi-circular caps. Concealed leaded gutters to moulded cornice; cast-iron downpipes. Walling is painted stucco, contrasting quoins, plinth and plain frieze to moulded cornice; bowed bay is flanked by pilasters and bowed cornice above has a blocking course raised and panelled to centre, all supported on Giant Order Ionic half-engaged columns. Windows are timber sliding sash, segmental-headed 2/1 (horizontally divided) to ground floor with panelled aprons and jambs, and segmental hood moulding on scrolled stucco brackets; first floor windows are 2/2 (horizontally divided) with moulded architrave surrounds and sills on moulded brackets. Variations are detailed as appropriate.

Principal elevation faces north and is symmetrical with five windows to each floor - three to bowed bay, flanked by one to either side.

East elevation is three openings wide to each floor; that to ground floor left has been obscured by the kitchen extension (segmental head with hood moulding remains but has been infilled). Extreme left side is abutted by a lower two storey sanitary block that projects slightly from the plane of the east elevation and extends to south.

Rear elevation cannot be inspected from within the grounds as it is abutted by Ardville (HB23/18/040B) to rear, and the property boundary abuts this southeast corner. From adjoining garden a 6/6 sash window can be seen lighting rear sanitary block. There are no other openings to this elevation.

West elevation is two openings wide to each floor, including the porch entrance to right side. The porch is topped by a balcony accessed from first floor by a pair of timber framed French doors with plain-glazed toplight and enclosed by an ionic balustraded parapet. Detailing is as house with corner pilasters and contrasting stucco cornice. Openings to north (door) and west (window) are set within segmental-headed recesses; the door is a six-panelled timber replacement with brass door furniture, accessed by a large stone flagged step and set in a moulded stucco architrave. The west elevation immediately to left of the porch has a tall, very narrow 2/2 sash light with decorative leaded glazing, flanked by one and a half pilasters (that to right abutted by the porch) topped by a scrolled bracket which may be part of a former original opening, now otherwise gone.

Setting

The house is set back from the road on an elevated site with uninterrupted views over Belfast Lough towards Carrickfergus. There is a large lawn to north, bounded by mature planting to north; cast-iron cow tail handle water pump to east side. The original access lane with paired steel gates remains from south-west, now superseded by a modern tarmacadam driveway flanked by stone-clad entrance walls. To east is a renovated former coach-house, much altered and converted for use as a flat. The coach house opens directly onto Farmhill Road at east, and is connected to a tall rendered boundary wall inset with a pointed arched timber gate.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Stucco
Windows: Timber
RWG: cast-iron

Historical information

This is one of three dwellings that together make up the house that was originally known as ‘Ardville’, parts of the house dating from c.1830. 'Windrush' is the main section of the house, which was remodelled c.1850.

According to Brett, evidence from deeds and documents shows that the land was bought in 1830 by Rev Henry Wallace along with the obligation to build one or more houses on it within three years at a cost of at least £300. (Brett, p.107)

A rectangular building with return is shown on the site in 1834 but this building has clearly been significantly remodelled by the time of the second edition (1858) which shows the house captioned ‘Ardville’. This earlier house is listed in the Townland Valuation (1828-40) as the property of Mr McCammond, a house and offices valued at £18.16s.

Brett states that the current house was occupied in 1849 by Theodore Bozi, a linen merchant who was also consul for Spain and Portugal. It appears that the remodelling of the house took place c.1850, either by Bozi or his successor James Lemon. (Brett, p.107-8)

By the time of Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64), James Lemon, a ship-owner, ship’s chandler and owner of a rope and canvas manufactory in Belfast, was in residence. He leased the property from the representatives of Robert Kennedy in chancery and it is described as a ‘house, gate lodge, offices and land valued at £110. The valuer comments, ‘all is lawn and gardens...gardens enclosed and high brick walls...large sheet glass windows all through property, front with pillars and pilasters, very elegantly finished house...a very fine house in excellent repair’. Dimensions for the house and several outbuildings are given, including a coal hole, water closet, coachhouse, byre, stable, greenhouse, melon pits, sunken sheds and a gate lodge. (Brett, p.107)

James Barbour bought the house in 1871 for £2,637. He was an engineer and iron-founder of the firm of Combe, Barbour & Combe who ran the Falls Foundry in North Howard Street. During his time at Ardville, the gate lodge was raised a storey (1894), and the coach house was improved (1895). Thomas Barbour, the American herpetologist and a relative of James Barbour, published a book of letters in which his wife describes their visit to the house in 1906, “In the afternoon we took an auto and went to Ardville, James Barbour’s place...Their house is very large and their place great...We had afternoon tea with them and then old Mr Barbour took me around the place and all through his greenhouses and gave me a huge basketful of the most delicious hothouse grapes I ever ate.” (Barbour and Barbour, p.20)

By 1914 William McMullan is in residence and several improvements are subsequently made, leading to an increase in valuation to £150. These included the addition of a chauffeur’s house to the plot and an extension to the gate lodge in 1921. Valuer’s notes from this period state that McMullan bought the house for £3,600 and has expended “about £4,000 in electric lighting, improving heating &c. Papering, painting etc are said to have taken £1200 to £1400...New bath, lavatory basins to 4 bedrooms”. A plan and dimensions are given and all the rooms in the house are listed. Outbuildings are also shown:- a fowl house, dynamo, gas engine for light and pump, greenhouse, vinery, conservatory and potting shed, together with a small house and dry closet which may have been the chauffeur’s house.

After 1933 the property was for sale and the accommodation was listed as follows: “Hall, breakfast room, pantry, drawing, dining, butler’s pantry, kitchen and scullery (combined), china and glass room, dairy, smoke room (panelled), wine cellar, cloak room.1st floor: 5 principal beds (with lavatory basins) 2 other beds, 5 maids’ beds, 2 bathrooms, dressing/linen, 3 WCs, boxroom, 2 store rooms over garage.” A plan and dimensions are given showing an aviary. The chauffeur’s house with 4 bedrooms and a kitchen in the grounds is also listed, separately.

In 1936, after being empty for several years, the house was sold to Geoffrey Garrod of 32 Deramore Park, Belfast for £500 and the valuation lowered to £138. Garrod was the headmaster of Royal Belfast Academical Institution. The Garrods were faced with heavy renovation bills, including new wiring, work to the roof and a further bathroom. They are noted to have had a staff of two maids, a boy and two gardeners. By 1938 the house had been extended and the rear portion converted to flats.

By 1947, having been purchased by Ralph Gordon Cully, merchant of Belfast, the house had been divided into three and Cully became the occupier of the main portion. It appears to be at this point that the name is changed to ‘Windrush’. This new dwelling is valued at £60 and dimensions are given.

Brett states that in 1966, “Windrush was bought by a Mr Frank Lamont of the linen family, who emigrated to Australia in 1979, since when it has changed hands twice. (Brett, p.108)

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/3/22 – Valuers’ Notebook (1917-1922)
11.PRONI VAL/12/B/17/10A-G – Annual Revisions (1867-1930)
12.PRONI VAL/12/B/17/11A-C – Annual Revisions (1888-1930)

Secondary Sources

1.Barbour, T and Barbour, R “Letters written while on a collecting trip in the East Indies”, 1913
2.Brett, C.E.B. “Buildings of North County Down” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2002

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

Evaluation

Windrush is a substantial three-bay two-storey classically styled stucco house, built c.1850 as a front to an earlier house on the site, known as Ardville. Ardville, which dates from pre-1830 and served as the kitchen and service wing for the grand mid-nineteenth century house still exists in part to the rear (HB23/18/040B) along with former servant's quarters (HB23/18/040C), which are also attached and comprise a separate residence, Ardreagh. This is an interesting example of a house which evolved throughout the nineteenth century to reflect the growing fortunes and changing tastes of the wealthy citizens who inhabited it. In its own right, the house is of considerable architectural merit, on a symmetrical plan, well proportioned and with restrained classical detailing including Giant order Ionic half-columns to a central bowed bay. Internally, there are impressive spaces, reflecting the grand exterior. The setting survives, although curtailed by the subdivision of the three properties, in the retention of garden wall and original access lane. The house is a fine example of its type and of the evolution of this type of property into modern times.

General comments

Please note this record has been renumbered, it was previously recorded as HB23/18/040.