Ballygraffan House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large two storey farmhouse, much altered over the years and now with extensions to the rear.

Front N facade has off centre front timber panel door with segmental arch ‘radial’ fanlight and three pane sidelights. Two sliding sash and case windows with horizontal and vertical astragals to left, with one to right and four (evenly spaced) to first floor.

W facade incorporates a short hipped roof return and has window as front to left to both floors, with modern ‘patio’ doors to right on ground floor and large modern multi pane window to right on first floor. There is a long single storey gabled store/farm building attached to the rear of the return.

E facade has single window (as front) in middle of ground floor, and side of small flat roofed extension flush to left.

S rear facade has large two storey flat roofed extension to left with much smaller single storey extension to right, with PVC windows to extensions and rear of main house and modern glazed back door.

Roof of main house and short return hipped with Bangor blue slates, two yellow brick chimney stacks (there were originally three). PVC ogee gutters and square down spouts (with round ones to rear). Entire facade finished in line render and painted.

Some of the rubble built out houses may be older than house itself.

Historical information

A complex of farm buildings is shown on this (general) site on the OS Maps of 1834 and 1860, but none match exactly the plan or siting of the present house. The current owner informed the writers that this house, and its close neighbour Rosevale House, were built c.1865 and were partly based on plans of older houses in the south of Ireland. Judging by the general look of this building it was probably modelled on a Georgian dwelling, though the off centre door may suggest that the builder may not have slavishly copied an original. When this house was originally surveyed in 1971 the window opening to the immediate left hand side of the front door was much larger and had a large modern window, since that time, however, the opening has been reduced and the original frame style restored.

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

Large two storey, hipped roof farmhouse of the 1860s with general Georgian appearance. There are large modern flat roofed extensions to the rear and the internal layout is much altered.