The Holywood Rudolf Steiner School

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey, three-bay former house known as Highlands, now in use as a school, built c.1880 and located to the east of Croft Road, Holywood. L-shaped on plan, facing southwest, with later two-storey extension and stair tower (c.1900) to southeast, further abutted by an additional perpendicular wing, added c.1920, also to southeast. Modern single-storey flat-roof toilet block to rear.

Hipped natural slate roof with finial to top of tower; three chimneystacks to ridgeline having tall clay pots. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods on projecting eaves; corbelled eaves to tower. Walling is painted roughcast render to first floor; moulded eaves band and moulded string course at mid-level: band rusticated smooth render to ground floor with chamfered plinth. Windows are a variety of 1/1 timber-framed sliding sash and metal casements.

The principal (entrance) elevation faces southwest and is three openings wide. To right at ground floor is canted bay; to centre is two raised-and-pointed panelled timber door accessed by three stone steps and surmounted by fanlight with decoratively glazed sidelights; ashlar sandstone portico having barrelled moulded canopy supported by sandstone pilasters and two columns on plinths. A decorative cast iron bar connects the two columns.

The northwest elevation has two canted bays to ground floor and break-front to centre; first floor is five openings wide; to centre is round-headed 1/1 window in smooth rendered surround with keystone surmounted by corbelled canopy.

The northeast elevation has two windows to first floor (that to right is a diminutive replacement); canted bay to right at ground having timber doors accessed by three masonry steps; tripartite timber mullioned window to left.

The southeast elevation has a window to ground and first floor at left and to first floor at right; abutted to centre by the later ranges. The 1900 addition is abutted by a three-stage stair tower at south-east corner, now forming a re-entrant angle with the perpendicular 1920s range; the ground floor is fronted by a single storey porch addition surmounted by a steel railing; openings to all elevations have been altered and enlarged. Stair tower has a large multi-paned timber window to first stage, surmounted by a diminutive window to second stage. The 1920s range has a jettied first floor on corbel brackets with modern window to southwest; it retains multi-paned metal-framed casement windows to southeast elevation only; other openings are uPVC.

The flat roofed toilet block to rear dates from c.1970 and is of no interest.

Setting

Set on a large mature site; pedestrian access from Croft Road having timber-sheeted gate; vehicular access via Ballymenoch Road to east having gravelled driveway and car-park. Bounded to road to south by rubble stone boundary wall and hedgerow; original vehicular access has rubble stone gate piers and modern timber gates. To northwest is a modern single-storey structure; to southeast is a large two-storey modern building. Enclosed to all sides by mature trees.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Roughcast anrender
Windows: timber and metal
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The Croft Road area of Holywood began to be developed in the second half of the nineteenth century, the Griffith’s Valuation map of the early 1860’s showing the area carved up into small parcels of land suitable for sale as building plots. Building ground in the North Down area was no doubt attractive to the increasing numbers of mercantile and professional classes seeking to base themselves outside Belfast. The house is first shown on the third edition map of 1900-02 captioned ‘The Highlands’.

The house first enters valuation records in 1880 as a newly-built vacant property on land leased from John O’Reilly Blackwood of Ballymenoch and valued at £50. In 1881 the valuation drops to £40, probably as the result of a complaint. Three acres of land are added in to the valuation in 1884 and the same year the first occupier of the house is noted, Gilbert Vance. Gilbert Vance belonged to the firm John R Vance & Co muslin manufacturers who had a weaving factory in Rosemary Street, Belfast (Belfast and Ulster Directory). By 1993 the occupier was James A Barrett who was Holywood’s Clerk of Petty Sessions (Belfast and Ulster Directory). The same year the valuation was reduced to £37 and it is noted that the purchase price of the house was £600 and the rent £18. Robert Duncan was the next occupier in 1897. He was a coal merchant and had offices in King’s Chambers, Belfast. (Belfast and Ulster Directory) In his census returns of 1901 and 1911 we discover that he was unmarried and lived in the house with his brother and two sisters. By 1918 his sister Leah is noted to be the occupier of the house and in 1919 it was taken over by Henry George Maxwell a linen factory manager from Armagh (1911 census). By 1926 Maurice W Heyn was in residence. Maurice Heyn was the son of Frederick Heyn, owner of the shipping firm known as the Head Line. (1901 census) Maurice Heyn remained in the house until at least 1930. (Annual Revisions)

The Duncan family appear to have extended the house in at least two phases. An addition to the south east of the property incorporating a stair tower is shown on the third edition map of 1900-02. A further extension, abutting the earlier addition to the south west is shown on the fourth edition of 1919-31.

The Holywood Steiner School purchased the house in 1976 and the school was officially opened in June 1977. Initially Highlands was found to have too much space for the school’s needs and part of the house was used as living accommodation. However, within a short space of time extra buildings began to be added to the site, starting with a kindergarten in 1979. More permanent classrooms were added between 1987 and 1993. (www.holywood-steiner.co.uk) The curriculum of the school is based on the principles of the Austrian philosopher and educationalist Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) in which intellectual progress is given equal importance with physical, emotional, spiritual and artistic development. (Auld, p.66)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/1/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1900-02
2. PRONI OS/6/3/1/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-31
3. PRONI OS/6/3/1/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1938-41
4. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/1 – Griffith’s Valuation Map (1856-64)
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/11A-C – Annual Revisions (1888-1930)
6. Belfast and Ulster Directory, 1861
7. Belfast and Ulster Directory, 1880
8. Belfast and Ulster Directory, 1901
9. Belfast and Ulster Directory, 1908
10. 1901 census online
11. 1911 census online

Secondary Sources

1. Auld, C. “Holywood Co Down, Then and Now” Holywood: Con Auld, 2002
2. www.holywood-steiner.co.uk

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A two-storey, three-bay former house known as Highlands, now in use as a school, built c.1850. Converted into a school in the mid 1970’s the building has been significantly modified and extended. Although significant in the locale, extensive alterations have compromised its architectural and historic interest.