Stableyard

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Long rubble-built mainly gabled stable block of c.1803-10, with a tower portion in the centre and house-like sections at either end. The building lies within the Ballywalter Park estate, just to the north of the main house itself.

The building is long and rectangular in plan and is mainly two storey with a Bangor blue slated (mainly gabled) roof. At each end of the block is a slightly taller house-like section with rendered chimney stacks and a decorative bell cote (to the W gable of the W section).

The ground floor of the S elevation of each of these sections has two large semicircular headed coach arches with smooth stone dressings and plain sheeted timber double doors. To the first floor of each are three sash windows with horizontal astragals.

In the centre of the block is a tall tower-like section with a Bangor blue slate pyramidal roof. To the ground floor S facade of the tower is a central plain timber sheeted pedestrian door with smooth stone dressings and simple keystone. To either side of this door is a sash window, with window-like openings below each. Directly above the doorway is a large roundel opening, now louvred, and at a high level directly above this is a door size opening (like the ground floor) filled with a stable door with leaded glazing to the top half of the door.

The lowest sections of this building, to either side of the tower and the two outer sections, each have pedestrian doors (as tower) at regular intervals, each with a small loft door directly above. There are also regularly spaced window openings, mostly with sash frames, others louvred. The pedestrian door to the far left (W) is now partly blocked with a small six pane window in the upper half, however, the door surround is still intact.

The rear (N facade) has much fewer, more irregularly spaced mainly window openings with some upper floor loft doors and small openings for ventilation. Some of the windows to the left hand (W) side of the N facade have Georgian panes. Cast iron rw goods.

Attached to the W end of the block is a high rubble wall on the other side of which (and at a much higher ground level than the stableyard) is the demesne proper. Attached to the E end of the block is another high rubble wall with two sturdy gate pillars, but no gates.

Historical information

This stable block was constructed between 1803 and 1810 at the same time as the owner of the then Springvale House, George Matthews, was renovating and extending the house itself. Despite changes to other buildings within the estate (especially the house), carried out during the 1840s after the whole property was bought by Andrew Mulholland, the stableyard has remained largely intact.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/12/1 OS maps, Down 12, 1834
2 PRONI VAL/1B/39 First valuation, Ballywalter, c.1834-38
3 PRONI VAL/2B/3/9 Second valuation, Ballywalter, c.1859
4 PRONI OS/6/3/12/2 OS maps, Down 12, 1860
5 PRONI VAL/12B/23/6a-f Annual valuation revision books, Ballywalter, 1866-1929

Secondary sources
1 Lord Dunleath et al, 'Ballywalter Park' (Belfast, UAHS, 1985)
2 Alistair Rowan, "Ballywalter Park, Co. Down- I, II" in 'Country Life', vol.CXLI, No.3652, 2nd March 1967, pp.456-60: No.3653, 9th March 1967, pp.516-20
3 J.A.K. Dean 'The Gate lodges of Ulster- a gazetteer', (Belfast, 1994), pp.11, 23, 63, 74
4 Derek Patton ‘The Village of Ballywalter- A brief history’ in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society No.14' (1990), pp.10-15
5 A.J. Hughes and R.J. Hannan 'Place-Names of Northern Ireland Vol. Two, County Down II- The Ards', (QUB, 1992) pp.71-73

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

W. Northern Ireland/International Interest

Evaluation

Long rubble-built mainly gabled stable block of c.1803-10, with a ‘tower’ portion, with a hipped (pyramidal) roof, in the centre, and ‘house’-like sections at either end. The building serves Ballywalter Park House and may be the only structure within the old Springvale estate which has survived in its pre 1846 form.