‘Barholm’

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large, formal, two storey house built in c.1825 but with front façade remodelled c.1880s with (among other things) the addition of single storey bays. To the rear there is a full height return which appears to be original and to the east gable is a large Edwardian looking conservatory. The building was converted to a hotel recently.

The property is set on the N side of The Strand to the W of Portaferry town centre.

The front façade faces roughly S and is symmetrical. Central doorway with six panel door set within a timber and glazed porch with Bangor blue slated roof with eaves supported on decorative brackets. Plain fanlight and sidelights, with ‘Barholm 11’ painted on fanlight. Lights to sides of porch also. Doorway has three sided one storey bays topped with parapet, to either side with a sash to each face (windows with simple surrounds and moulded course roughly 300mm above window surround). First floor has three sets of paired sash windows with surround as ground floor to the outer pairs . Middle pair of windows have semi-circular arch heads and are encased with plain pilasters with arches. Cill course (which connects to top of bays). Facade rises up to form a parapet above eaves course and has decorated ball finials at edges with central pediment with ball finial. Moulded shield in centre of pediment.

Both gables rendered and both with single sliding sash window to second floor high at eaves. Large gabled Edwardian conservatory to east gable.

To centre of the rear façade is a large three storey, hipped roof return. To the left of the return is a sash window each to the ground and first floors. To the left of this is a large metal galvanised extract duct and to the left of this is the rear wall of the conservatory. To the right of the return is a single storey flat roofed extension. To the first floor is a sash window to first floor. The E face of the return has a door to the left and tripartite sash window to the right of ground floor.

To first floor is a 2 over 2 sash window to the left, a 6 over 3 sash to the centre and a 2 over 2 sash to the right. To the second floor is a small paired sash window to the left and a tripartite sash window to the centre.

The main return merges with a two storey outhouse which lies along the N side of the rear yard. This in turn merges with a single storey mono-pitched outhouse which lies on the E boundary of the yard. The resulting court yard is finished in modern brick paviors. The W face of the main return has two modern windows to the second floor, one centred sash window to the first floor and one modern window to the left side of the ground floor. The flat roofed extension has modern window to the N face and two similar windows to the W face.

The façade is finished in lined render and painted. All sections of the roof are gabled and covered with Bangor blue slates. The main roof has stone parapets and two yellow brick chimneys with matching pots. Cast iron down spouts.

The building set back from The Strand terrace and is roughly 1.5m above ground level. It is surrounded by a rendered wall with (mainly) privet hedge. The recent timber gates are framed by rusticated, rendered, square gate pillars. A short flight of steps rises to a small forecourt in front of the front door.

Historical information

This building probably dates from c.1825 and is undoubtedly the house of the same dimensions recorded on this site in the valuation returns of 1838. At this point the property was home to one Cunningham Miller and to the rear there was a coach house and stable house with a loft. Miller (or his son or relative of the same name) remained in the property until at least 1870.

Between c.1863 and 1900 (perhaps in the 1880s) the front façade of the building was remodelled, with, among other things, the bays added. The conservatory may have been added at this stage also, however a structure is indicated on its site on the valuation town plan of c.1863.

In recent times the house was in the hands of the neighbouring QUB Marine Biology Station. In the early 1990s it was converted to a hotel, with conference facilities for the use of the local community.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/32/1 OS maps, 1st ed., 1834, Down sheet 32
2 PRONI VAL/1B/37 1st valuation, Ballyphilip, c.1835-38
3 PRONI VAL/1D/3/4 Valuation town plan of Portaferry, c.1838
4 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1846), p.520-23
5 PRONI and Linen Hall Library ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ])
6 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1856), p.592-95
7 PRONI OS/8/23/1- OS town plan of Portaferry, 1859
8 PRONI Second ('Griffith's') valuation, 1863 [in print]
9 PRONI VAL/12E/112/1- Valuation maps of Portaferry, c.1863, with revisions of 1902
10 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1870), pp.341-43
11 PRONI OS/8/23/2 OS town plan of Portaferry, 1874
12 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886)
13 PRONI OS/8/23/3 OS town plan of Portaferry, 1900
14 UFTM WAG 609, 611, 612 W.A. Green Collection, photographs of Portaferry Quay, harbour, Shore Road etc.
15 PRONI VAL/12E/112/2- Valuation maps of Portaferry, 1902, with revisions of 1935

Secondary sources
1 Sir Thomas Brown, "Portaferry Regeneration and Crisp", in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society No.17' (1993), pp.14-15

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

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Large, formal, two storey house built in c.1825 but with front façade remodelled c.1880s, with (among other things), the addition of single storey bays. To the rear there is a full height return which appears to be original and to the east gable is a large Edwardian looking conservatory. The building is well proportioned and detailed and retains its special architectural character despite some alterations.