Ardville

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey two-bay early-nineteenth century house, attached to Windrush (HB23/18/040A), a later Classical style residence, and now forming one of a group of three dwellings along with the former service quarters, Ardreagh (HB23/18/040C). The house is L-shaped on plan, with the main front having a westerly aspect onto the garden, and the return (with small enclosed yard to re-entrant angle) abutting and aligned alongside the main house.

Pitched natural slate roof with blocking course over a painted masonry cornice (having concealed gutters) to west front, and contrasting verges to south gable. Chimneystacks are rendered, with moulded caps and terracotta pots. Visible gutters are half-round cast-iron on eaves course. Walling is ruled-and-lined rendered on a contrasting bevelled plinth. Windows are 2/2 timber sashes (horizontally divided, without horns) unless otherwise stated, with those to west front having moulded architraves, all with projecting contrasting masonry cills.

West front is three windows wide to first floor; ground floor left bay is lit by two closely spaced windows, right bay by 1/1 horned sashes.

South gable is dominated by a large canted bay with bitumen-covered roof and comprising a 1/1 glazed French door flanked by matching sashes with low cills. To its right is the entrance, which comprises a multi-pane glazed timber door with ornate brass furniture. The gable is extended at right by the rear elevation of a courtyard outbuilding, enclosing the rear yard and blank, with the exception of a small timber casement. A bitumen-covered canopy on painted masonry uprights spans the distance from canted bay to courtyard entrance (via a pointed-arched modern hardwood door) at extreme right.

The courtyard is overlooked by the east side of the main block, lit above the adjoining outbuilding by a 6/6 sash, and thereafter abutted by a stairwell extension lit by two modern leaded and stained windows. The south elevation of the return has modern hardwood openings to ground floor and two windows (as main) to first floor.

Setting

The outbuilding is detailed as main block, and the yard is paved. It is enclosed at east by the adjoining building. The house is accessed via a gravel drive from Old Quay Road, and occupies a large mature garden
setting. The garden boundary with Ardreagh comprises a rendered wall, and with Windrush, mature trees and planting.

Roof: natural slate
walling: rendered
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. Today 'Ardville' comprises that part of the house that was present on the first edition map of 1834, and probably dates from c.1830, providing the service wing when the house was remodelled c.1850.

According to Brett, evidence from deeds and documents shows that the land was bought in 1830 by Rev Henry Wallace, Presbyterian minister of First Holywood congregation, 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), the coach house was improved and a small addition was made to the house itself (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 including 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, it 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 front apartments, which was subsequently renamed ‘Windrush’ (23/18/40A). The remainder of the main house continued to bear the name ‘Ardville’ and appears to have been occupied by Cully’s son, R Cully Junior. It was valued at £76. ‘

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
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Ardville is a small plainly detailed two-storey house attached to and forming a group of three with Windrush (HB23/18/040A) and Ardreagh (HB23/18/040C). It predates the main house, Windrush, by some fifty years and is the origin of the development of the site. Evidence of the relationship between the two parts survives, with signs of former internal access between the houses remaining. Although simply detailed, Ardville has historic character and retains original fabric and fenestration. Internally, its plan and detailing, including later styling, survive. 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 good 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.