‘Rockfield’

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Long single storey gabled cottage of c.1834, but somewhat modernised and extended in more recent years. The building is set on the E side of the Ballyphilip Road, on the eastern outskirts of Portaferry.

The long front façade faces roughly W and is asymmetrical. To the left of centre is a large modern door screen with PVC door and sidelights. To the left of this are three relatively tall windows with PVC frames. To the right are four similar windows.

The N gable is abutted by a modern single storey extension with a flat roof. This links to a two storey gabled outbuilding, part of the interior of which is now integrated with the house itself (with modern windows inserted in process). The S gable is blank.

The rear façade of the main section has four windows of varying size, all with PVC frames.

The front façade and S gable are both rendered and painted. The rear, extension and outbuilding are finished in rough cast. The roof of the main section is gabled and covered in asbestos slate. Mainly PVC rw goods.

Further single storey outbuildings to rear. The garden contains two wrought iron pedestrian gates which may be 19th century.

Historical information

A building is shown on this site on the OS maps of 1834 and all other maps thereafter. The 1838 valuation returns actually describe the building as 'a new house', with a slighly older 'potato house' and barn and stable to the rear. At this point the property was in the hands of a David Lawson. On the revised OS map of 1860 the property is marked 'Rockfield'.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.552/B/3/3/1 Savage/Nugent Papers: ‘A Plan or Map of the Town of Portaferry’ by Patrick O’Hare, 1799 [The
Savage/Nugent Papers contain many documents relating to Portaferry and the surrounding area]
2 Linen Hall Library ‘Pigot & Co.’s Dublin and Hibernian Provincial Directory’ (Manchester 1824)
3 'Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol.7: Parishes of County Down II', ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1991)
4 PRONI OS/6/3/32/1 OS maps, 1st ed., 1834, Down sheet 32
5 PRONI VAL/1B/37 1st valuation, Ballyphilip, c.1835-38
6 PRONI VAL/1D/3/4 Valuation town plan of Portaferry, c.1838
7 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1846), p.520-23
8 PRONI and Linen Hall Library ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ])
9 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1856), p.592-95
10 PRONI OS/8/23/1- OS town plan of Portaferry, 1859
11 PRONI Second ('Griffith's') valuation, 1863 [in print]
12 PRONI VAL/12E/112/1- Valuation maps of Portaferry, c.1863, with revisions of 1902
13 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1870), pp.341-43
14 PRONI OS/8/23/2 OS town plan of Portaferry, 1874
15 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886)
16 PRONI OS/8/23/3 OS town plan of Portaferry, 1900
17 UFTM WAG 609, 611, 612 W.A. Green Collection, photographs of Portaferry Quay, harbour, Shore Road etc.
18 PRONI VAL/12E/112/2- Valuation maps of Portaferry, 1902, with revisions of 1935

Secondary sources
1 G. Philip Bell, C.E.B. Brett, Sir Robert Matthew, 'Ulster Architectural Heritage Survey: Portaferry & Strangford'
(Belfast UAHS 1969)
2 Dick Oram, "The Buildings of Portaferry" in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society No.16' (1992), p. 24

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Long single storey gabled cottage of c.1834, but somewhat modernised and extended in more recent years, and now of little architectural interest..