The Hill

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Single storey gabled farm house of early 19th century construction with significant later additions to the south and rear. The property set on a slight rise at the side of a lane just off the Newtownards road, roughly one mile NW of Greyabbey.

The original house is finished in lined render with chamfered quoins, the rear extension in rough cast. The extension to the E gable is finished in plain render, the large gabled section to the rear of this in rough cast render. The roof of the original house is pitched with Bangor blue slates, two rendered chimney stacks and a modern flat roofed dormer and Velux window to the rear. The large ‘half store’ section to the rear has a similar roof with one render chimney stack and one Velux window. Mixture of cast iron and PVC rw goods.

On the front N elevation of the original section is a left of centre gabled and glazed Edwardian-style porch, with timber panelled door to the E side and glazing with margins to all other sides. To right of this are two sash windows with Georgian panes (8 over 8), with similar window to left of porch. All three windows are encased with plain pilasters, lintel frieze and cornice.

To the left on the W gable is a similar, but slightly smaller sash window, with ‘in and out’ surround, with a small fixed single pane attic window, with similar surround, high in gable.

The E gable has a similar arrangement only the windows are slightly larger and the attic window is sash. Attached to the far right of the E gable is a small extension with monopitch roof and three small modern two pane windows to the N and one to the E.

The rear of this extension is attached to another large gabled single storey section (as large as the original section of the house). The western half of this section appears to be part of the house proper and has a sash window (as before) to the N and a small Velux window to the roof. The eastern half of this section appears to be a store (the whole section was probably once a store).

To the rear of the main house is a full length flat roof extension with three modern windows and a timber sheeted rear door.

Historical information

This original (NW) section of this house is shown on the OS map of 1834, minus porch, extensions and large ‘store’ section. The Londonderry Papers [PRONI] contain a map of Kilnatierny in 1807 which does not appear to indicate a building on this site, thus indicating that the house was built between 1807 and c.1834. The surrounds to the windows on the original house may be late Victorian/Edwardian as perhaps is the porch.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/11/1 OS maps, Down 11, 1834
2 PRONI VAL/1B/33 First valuation, c.1834-38
3 PRONI VAL/2B/3/4 Second valuation, Greyabbey, c.1859
4 PRONI OS/6/3/11/2 OS maps, Down 11, 1860
5 PRONI VAL/12B/23/16a-f Annual valuation revision books, Greyabbey, 1866-1930

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Slightly sprawling single storey gabled farm house of early 19th century construction with significant later additions to the south and rear.