’Tubber na Carrig’

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Tubber na Carrig is a large two storey gabled gentleman’s residence, built originally in c.1800 and greatly extended, renovated and decorated in c.1855-60. It now resembles a grand ‘hunting lodge’, with large gabled projections, gabled half dormers, substantial bracketed overhangs at eaves, decorative barges, finials and tall decorative chimney stacks and pots. It is situated one quarter of a mile E of Kircubbin (on a very slight rise) and set back from the Tubber Road at the end of a winding drive. The house has undergone at least one major alteration and extension in it lifetime, which has resulted in an unusual asymmetric internal layout.

The main entrance is situated within a full height gabled projecting bay, positioned to the left of centre on the E elevation. Vertical sheeted double entrance doors are set within an elliptical arch opening with archivolt stone surround and framed with simple semi-circular pilasters. The doorway is flanked with narrow fixed windows with many small panes. Sides of the porch have larger (but still narrow) ground floor window openings with a thick centre mullion and high level transom and many small panes. The left hand side window has a moulded drip stone with label stops, the right hand side is now blocked. Above the front entrance is a projecting oriel window with a lead sheeted hipped roof. The under side is splayed and rises off a decorative corbelled stone. Above the oriel is a small dummy window with moulded drip stone and label stops. To the left of the porch are two mullioned and transomed windows, with small panes, to the ground floor, with moulding above as before. There are two similar, but smaller, windows to the first floor, but the left hand window is now a dummy. To the right hand side of the porch is a much smaller two storey ‘garage’ wing. To the ground floor centre and right are two up and over garage doors. To the right is a mullioned and transomed window as before only larger. There are three evenly spaced windows (much as before) to the first floor all set within gabled half dormers.

All gable verges overhang and have decorative ‘incisor teeth’-like barges. There are timber finials to most gable apexes. The upper sections of each chimney stack are shaped as octagonal columns and finished with matching decorative octagonal pots. The remaining windows to the side and rear are much as before.

To the S elevation is a small gabled conservatory/porch to the left of centre and a slightly projecting full height gabled bay at the far right which has a single storey ‘semi-octagonal’ hipped roof bay to the ground floor.

Front and S facades finished in rough cast render.

The rear and N elevations repeat many of the features of noted previously and the rear elevation, at least, appears largely original.

Roofs pitched with Bangor blue slates and cast iron gutters and down spouts.

There is a small gate lodge at the end of the drive to this house, built in a similar style to Tubber na Carrig, but which has been extended recently.

Historical information

The south facing portion of this building appears on the OS map of 1834 under the name of ‘Summerhill’. On the revised map of 1860 the house is shown much as today and marked as ‘Tubber na Carrig’ (‘the well of the rock’). The original house may have been built around the year 1800 and is said to have been the residence of the Dean of Down. The alteration and extending of the house (and perhaps the changing of its name) may have been carried out c.1855-60. By the 1870s, at least, the house was in possession of a branch of the Ward family. During World War Two, Tubber na Carrig served as the headquarters for RAF Command in Northern Ireland.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.690/97A [This document is a will of one William Magee of 'Summerhill' Co. Down dated Nov. 1801- it may relate to the above house.]
2 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st Edition, 1834, Co. Down 18.
3 Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol.7: Parishes of County Down II, ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1991), p. 84-5. [c.1834]
4 PRONI VAL 1B/311A & B 1st valuation, Inishargy, c.1835.
5 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st revision, 1860, Co. Down 18.
6 PRONI 2nd valuation, Inishargy, c.1863.

Secondary sources
1 A.J. Hughes and R.J. Hannan 'Place-Names of Northern Ireland Vol. Two, County Down II- The Ards', p. 98.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H+. Alterations enhancing the building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Large, distinctive, two storey gentleman's residence built originally c.1800 and substantially extended and remodelled c.1855. The grand ‘hunting lodge’ style of this building is perhaps a look more frequently encountered in late Victorian/Edwardian suburban villas rather than the Ulster countryside. Internally the house has a quirky layout which reveals something of the building's evolution and much 19th century detailing is still in evidence.