Barn at Rubane House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large, rubble-built, hipped roof barn to the N of Rubane House.

The barn was described in the 1966 'Archaeological Survey of County Down' as measuring 17.3m by 6.8m internally and built of split-stone rubble with slated roof. ‘At the centre of the longer sides is a shallow projection containing a large cart opening with elliptical head with key block, above which is an oval window (blocked) with architrave surround broken into four segments by key blocks; the quoins of the projection and the wall face to the height of the springing of the opening are of V-channelled wrought sandstone. The longer walls each contain four large semicircular headed windows with wrought sandstone architrave and sill, and there are pairs of similar smaller lights in the end wall; all, save one now fitted with a sash window, are blocked but were probably originally covered with louver boards. The roof is open and has king post trusses with half and angle trusses at the hipped ends’.

Currently the barn is being used to store hay, but is in the process of being renovated with the roof being re slated first.

The walls are almost entirely obscured, due to bales of hay stacked up against them. There is also a smaller hipped roof rubble built projection attached to the NW gable and a lean to extension to the SE. [The NW projection appears to have been present in c.1966, however, it is not mentioned in the 'Archaeological Survey’s' description, even though a plate of the barn contained within the book quite clearly attests to its existence.]

To the NW of the barn is a boarded up two storey gabled house with decorated door and window surrounds. Above the doorway is a balcony with a decorative wrought iron railing. This house probably dates from the later nineteenth century. There are other farm buildings of varying age and quality. One large barn (to the SE of the above barn and labelled ‘adjoining barn 2’ on the slides) has exposed king post trusses and may be mid nineteenth century in origin.

Historical information

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 this barn may be of mid to later 18th century construction.

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 rubble built, hipped roof, barn of possible eighteenth century origin, but with lean to section added at some point.