Farmhouse

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Derelict remains of a large two storey farmhouse with out houses set on a hill a few miles south of Ballyhalbert. The house would appear to have been derelict for some considerable time and has become overgrown to such an extent that it is almost impossible to get close to the building.

Some window openings and a front doorway (set in elliptical arch) are still visible on the E elevation, though no frames remain and the door isextensively rotted. Much of the centre of this elevation is obscured by two large yew trees.

The south gable appears to be blank and still largely visible.

The north gable and the rear are largely hidden beneath greenery.

The render to the rear has come away (if it ever existed) to reveal rubble construction. The front elevation of the gabled and pitched roof still has many of its Bangor blue slates, though substantial gaps have begun to appear. The rear, however, has virtually no slates with the roof laths exposed to the elements. The four evenly spaced rendered chimney stacks appear to be largely intact.

Many of the former farm buildings around the house have partly collapsed.

Historical information

This house is shown same as today on the OS Map of 1834, and when first photographed and surveyed in 1971 (whilst still occupied), had an overall appearance of a substantial early/mid nineteenth century farmhouse with sash and case windows and an elliptical arch fanlight above the front door. The small size of the upper floor windows of this house (as opposed to the relatively large ground floor ones) could suggest that this storey may have been added at some stage, or alternatively, that the ground floor openings were simply enlarged.

References- Primary Sources
1 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st Edition, 1834, Co. Down 18.
2 PRONI VAL 1B/312 1st valuation, St. Andrews, c.1835.
3 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st revision, 1860, Co. Down 18.
4 PRONI 2nd valuation, St. Andrews, c.1863.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Substantial two storey farm house, possibly dating from the mid nineteenth century, now completely derelict and overgrown.