Motte House, 21 Victoria Road, Holywood, Co Down BT18 9BA

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey three-bay late eighteenth-century end-terrace dwelling, attached to the end of a row of mill-worker’s cottages. Located to the west side of Victoria Road near Holywood town centre. The current house is likely to have been formed out of three individual dwellings. Rectangular on plan with main entrance to rear return; single-storey canted bays to north and east; single-storey modern sunroom to west.

Pitched natural slate roof having terracotta ridge tiles; four tall roughcast rendered chimneystacks having three tall clay pots on masonry plinth; chimney also to rear gable. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods. Walling is roughcast painted render with low smooth rendered plinth. Windows are 6/6 timber-framed sliding sash with slim glazing bars; some are tripartite and some have margin panes.

The principal elevation faces east; asymmetrical fenestration attests to three former dwellings; six windows to first floor; ground floor has four window openings; that to left is a replacement timber mullioned window; canted bay with uPVC sashes to right.

The south elevation is abutted by adjoining building.

The west elevation is abutted by a full height return; exposed section to right has two windows to first floor; modern entrance door and modern gabled sunroom extension to ground floor; exposed section to left has enlarged multi-pane patio window to ground floor and single window to first floor. Gable of return with recessed segmental-headed multi-paned window to ground floor; north elevation comprises main entrance with segmental-headed doorcase; raised-and-fielded double-panelled timber door accessed by single bull-nosed step; sidelights with stained glass sections surmounted by fanlight. To right of entrance is single window; two windows to first floor; south elevation of return has a single window at first floor.

The north elevation has canted bay to centre at ground floor; two segmental-headed windows to first floor.

Setting:
Set slightly lower than street level, low stepped wall to front surmounted by cast-iron railings; modern cast-iron gate to north leads to graveled entrance; mature garden to west extends to the edge of Holywood Motte, enclosed by mature trees and hedgerow; rubble stone and brick wall to south.

Surveyor's note - first floor window to right of entrance return was boarded up possibly due to recent storm damage, at the time of listing.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Roughcast render
Windows: 6/6 sliding sash
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The house is shown on the first edition OS map of 1834 which captions two mills to the east and south of the present house. A ‘Mound’ is shown to the rear. By the second edition of 1858 the house is captioned ‘Mill Moat’ and is shown with the addition of a return to the rear. The former mound is captioned ’Moat’, probably an archaic spelling of ‘Motte’.

Robert and Daniel Reade [sic] are listed as the owners and occupiers of the house in Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64). The house and outbuildings are valued at £35 and the associated land to the rear at £3. The house remained in the Read family for some years, being occupied by Patrick Read in 1883 and Isabella Read in 1890. The valuation was reduced to £31 in 1883. Following a period of vacancy at the turn of the century, the house was let by the Reade family to a succession of tenants. James McKeown was the occupier in 1908 and was followed by Robert Grainger in 1909. (Annual Revisions) The 1911 census tells us that Robert James Grainger, a contractor who gives his place of birth as Grangefield House, Craigavad, lived in the house with his wife and their young son. Their domestic servant was from County Monaghan. The tenancy passed to the Rule family in 1915 who were resident until at least 1930. (1911 census, Annual Revisions)

According to Merrick, ‘Mill Moat’ was originally the mill-owner’s residence and, like the mill-workers’ houses it adjoins, was probably built in the late eighteenth century with improvements c.1820. Merrick states that the group ‘must be among the oldest surviving domestic buildings in Holywood’. (Merrick, p.55-6) OS Memoirs note the presence of ‘two small water mills’ in Ballykeel, with ‘1 overshot wheel 16 feet diameter, 1 breast wheel 15 feet diameter’. (OS Memoirs, p.76)

Later occupants, Robert (1809-1871) and Daniel (1815-1881) Read were the founders in 1855 of the ‘Belfast Morning News’, the first penny newspaper in Ireland and forerunner of the ‘Irish News’. They also owned property in Holywood including Riverston Terrace (HB23/20/40A-F) and gave generously to St Colmcille’s church (HB23/19/009). (Merrick, p.55-6)

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/B/318 – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/18B – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/10A-G – Annual Revisions (1867-1930)
9. PRONI VAL/12/E/123/1/1-6 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c1860-c1866)
10. PRONI VAL/12/E/123/2/1-6 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c1867-1900)
11. 1901 census online
12. 1911 census online
13. 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. Merrick, Tony “Buildings of Holywood” Holywood: Holywood Advertiser, 1986

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
H+. Alterations enhancing the building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

W. Northern Ireland/International Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
Z. Rarity
R. Age
S. Authenticity

Evaluation

Motte House is an attractive two-storey three-bay late eighteenth-century end-terrace urban vernacular dwelling, attached to the end of a row of mill-worker’s cottages. Despite modifications and recent refurbishment, most openings are original and the building retains many internal features including a curved staircase, window linings and shutters. One of the earliest surviving examples of housing in Holywood; the house forms part of a historically significant group that recalls the early industrial heritage of the town. Of historic and social importance, the house also contributes significantly to the historic streetscape and the architectural heritage of the surrounding area.