Seamount

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached two-storey three-bay house, built 1924 to designs by Thomas F.O. Rippingham, located on the north side of Circular Road East, Holywood. The house is L-shaped on plan, with two storey entrance block located to re-entrant angle.

Roof is steeply pitched and tiled with stylised Dutch gables and overhanging boxed eaves supporting cast-iron rainwater goods. There are two tall rendered chimneystacks without caps or mouldings, each with three terracotta pots. The entrance block breaks the eaves and rises to a flat roof concealed behind a panelled parapet with flat masonry coping and spherical masonry finials to corners. Walling is painted and rendered with contrasting plinth. Windows are 8/8 horned timber sashes with exposed boxes to ground floor, plain rendered drip moulds over. First floor windows are double-hung multi-paned timber casements; those to principal gables are round-headed with spoked toplights, that to entrance bay is rectangular and set in a wider recess with voussoir-styled head formed in render. To north and east, casement dormer windows (single to north, double to east) are recessed into eaves (with gutters bridging the gap). Cills are flush bull-nosed timber, set into window reveal with recess beneath.

Principal elevation faces south and is L-shaped with central entrance block; right bay projects and is gabled, with a window to each floor. The entrance tower has a multi-paned glazed timber door with window over, both to south. The left bay has a window to ground floor only.

The west gable has a window to each floor.

The north elevation has three windows to each floor (recessed into eaves at first floor), all set to left side. There is a modern casement insertion with obscure glazing.

The east elevation has two first floor windows; ground floor has a window to left side and two timber sheeted doors, one to an outside toilet and one to kitchen, There is a window between the two doors, and also an early twentieth-century water pump fixed to the wall. The extreme left side extends from eaves level to form a screen round-headed arch leading to a paved path to the entrance.

Setting

The house is set close to the road in a large mature garden
setting, bounded by hedges and trees. To east is a gravel parking area and garage, accessed from the road by a pair of modern timber sheeted gates.

Roof: Tiled
Walling: Rendered
Windows: Timber
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

This house dates from 1924 and was designed by Thomas Francis O. Rippingham who was later chief architect to the Ministry of Finance. He designed many public buildings between the 1920s and 1950s, in particular numerous police stations and post offices, Stranmillis College, and public housing estates at Antrim and Cregagh, but built very few private houses – Seamount was for a colleague at the Department of Finance. (Brett, p.196-7)

The house is listed in 1933 as ‘Seamount’, occupied by Cecil G Kelly and Harriette Kelly. It is leased from Sir Robert J Kennedy and is a house, offices and garden, initially valued at £22.15s and later raised to £57. The accommodation comprises two receptions, a kitchen, scullery, bedroom, pantry, 4 bedrooms, bathroom, WC and linen press. The valuer states that it was built in 1924 at a cost of £1395. It has electricity and well water with an electric pump but no gas. A plan and dimensions are given for the house and a separate motor house.

A sense of the shock the design caused at the time can be gauged by the valuer’s comments, “Modern. Extremely ugly house – modernist or foreign architecture.” By the time Brett is writing in 2002 the house is described as ‘unusually attractive’. (Brett, p.196)

References:

Primary Sources

1.PRONI OS/6/3/1/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-31
2.PRONI OS/6/3/1/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1938-41
3.PRONI VAL/3/D/4/4A/1 – Valuers RV Binder (1933-57)

Secondary Sources

1.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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

An unusual suburban house, built in 1924 to designs by T.F.O. Rippingham. Rippingham is best known for his work as chief architect to the Ministry of Finance and under this aegis is credited with some of Northern Ireland's finest early twentieth-century public buildings. Seamount is thus a rare example of domestic architecture by the architect and is distinguished by a compact plan form, neat proportions and some unusual but assured detailing such as stylised Dutch gables and unusual window detailing with recessed cills.