15 Ballyfounder Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Substantial two storey farm house, of perhaps c.1870, with attic and single storey section to gable. The property is at the end of a lane to the S of Ballyfounder Road, c.2 miles SE of Portaferry.

The front façade of the main building faces roughly E and is symmetrical. To the centre is a timber and glazed door with patterned glass fanlight and sidelights all encased with pilasters, with moulded brackets supporting canopy over elliptical arch recess (which probably once had fanlight).

To each side of the doorway are two sash windows, with vertical astragals. There are five similar windows to first floor. The N gable has one window to right on ground floor and two to first floor, all as before. S gable of main building has attic window as before (minus astragals). To the ground floor of this gable is the single storey section, which has a single pane fixed light window to its gable with two smaller fixed light windows high to its eaves. The E façade of the single storey portion has two windows similar to front of main house, with a square window, with modern frame, and a timber sheeted door to the rear façade.

Rear of main building has two windows to ground floor and three to first floor as before but with Georgian panes to ground floor window at right. Former doorway now blocked to far right.

Entire facade finished in limestone chip render with smooth cement bands to corners and eaves with facade finishing on bell cast with smooth cement recessed base below. All windows have smooth cement surrounds except those to gable of the single storey section. The gabled roof is covered with ‘Thru-tone’ slates with Bangor blues to extension. Single off centre recent brown brick chimney stack to main roof, with gable chimney stack(s) now removed. Small Velux window to rear. PVC gutters and down spouts.

Random rubble out buildings to south west with remnants of random rubble walls to rear of house, with section of similar garden wall at front.

Historical information

A long building is shown on this site on the 1834 and 1859 OS maps. This building is not noted in the 1838 valuation suggesting it was a modest single storey structure. The present property may date from that latter decades of the 19th century, perhaps c.1870s, but without reference to the interior, it is difficult to say. It is possble that it may date from slightly earlier than this (the Georgian style glazing to one of the rear windows could suggest c.1850s), or even much later, perhaps c.1900.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/32/1 Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st ed., 1834, Down sheet 32
2 PRONI VAL/1B/314 First valuation, Parish of Witter, 1838
3 PRONI OS/6/3/32/2 Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st rev., 1860, Down sheet 32
4 PRONI Second valuation, Parish of Witter, 1861 (in print)
5 PRONI OS/6/3/32/3 Ordnance Survey maps, 2nd ed., 1899-1900, Down sheet 32

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Relatively plain, formal, two storey farmhouse of perhaps c.1870.