Stables at Rubane House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

The stable yard at Rubane House is to the N of the house itself and consists of a large ‘U’ shaped two storey building, probably of late eighteenth century in origin.

The stable yard was described in the 1966 'Archaeological Survey of County Down' as, ‘enclosed on three sides by ranges of two storey buildings of rubble with sandstone dressings; the roofs are slated. At ground level are two large segmental-headed cart openings with key block and broken architrave surround and smaller square headed doors with key block, either eared or with broken architrave surround. Both floors have sashed windows with flat arched heads in brickwork.

At the centre of the NE range is a bell turret of two open stages with lead covered ogee-shaped cupola and weather-cock; each stage has columns with moulded bases and capitals and full entablature. The first floor is reached by an external stair at the end of the SE range’.

Since 1966, however, three windows and a door to the SE range and the two cart arches now have been covered with galvanised sliding doors and many of the ground floor windows, and a door, to the SE range have been blocked up. Some openings to the other ranges are also blocked, or partly blocked.

The SW and SE sides of the SE range have been rough cast rendered, with smooth cement surrounds to some windows and doors. Windows to this face have been replaced with modern steel frames.

The rear of the block is finished in plain render. A pump which once stood in the yard has been removed and a cast iron [originally] gas lamp, also in the yard, has been damaged. Tall castellated rubble built gate screen to NW of yard (party attached to SW gable of NW range), with square gate posts with decorative finials, coach arch and pedestrian arch, still largely intact but lacks gates.

There is a small summer house or garden pavilion (c.7.5m x 6m) situated at the edge of a small lawn to the NW of the main house. It is brick built with painted stone dressings with three arched openings (now blocked) to the SW side and one (also blocked) to the SE and NW, and topped with a Bangor blue slated hipped roof and small rendered chimney. The NE and NW sides are embedded in rubble built walls. The NE side is now rendered with rough cast with an elliptical-arch headed opening in the centre. All of the formerly open arches have decorative Coade stone keystones and there is a small dilapidated sliding sash and case window in the blocked arch to the SE, with similar now boarded window opening to the NW.

Historical information

The 'Archaeological Survey of County Down' (1966) suggested that the stable yard was early nineteenth century in origin, however, an Echlin estate map of 1799 (currently at PRONI) indicates that the stable yard, and perhaps the barn, were already standing at this time. Thus a date of c.1780s or 1790s (or even earlier) might be more accurate.

References- Primary sources
1 Walter Harris 'The Ancient and Present State of the County of Down' (Dublin 1744), p. 48
2 PRONI D.891 Title deeds to lands in Echlinville and Kircubbin, Co. Down, Echlin and Blakely families 1800-1927.
3 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st Edition, 1834, Co. Down 18.
4 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]
5 PRONI VAL 1B/312 1st valuation, St. Andrews, c.1835.
6 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st revision, 1860, Co. Down 18.
7 PRONI 2nd valuation, St. Andrews, c.1863.
8 Alexander Knox 'A history of Down from the most remote period to the present day' (Dublin 1875), p.462.

Secondary sources
1 'Ulster Journal of Archaeology' vol.23 (1960), pp. 124-5, plate XXII.
2 'Archaeological Survey of County Down' (Belfast, 1966), pp. 382-85, plate 189.
3 Brother Albert F.S.C. ‘Decorative stonework in disguise: plaques and medallions in Coadestone’ in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society, No. '1 (1977), p. 18
4 Brother Albert F.S.C. ‘Rubane House: The present reality’ in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society, No. 2' (1978), p. 11.
5 Dr. F. Duff ‘The Echlin Story’ in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society No.3' (1979), pp. 4-10.
6 Anne Taggart ‘The two Eleanor’s and the Coade stone: A brief account of 18th/19th C. Coade Stone’ in Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society No.21' (1997), p. 11.
7 A.J. Hughes and R.J. Hannan 'Place-Names of Northern Ireland Vol. Two, County Down II- The Ards', pp. 107-8, 110.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Large, U-shaped two storey stable block with cupola, of probable late18th century origin. Some openings have been blocked up in recent times.