48-50 Mountstewart Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Pair of semi-detached, picturesque single storey rubble-built gabled estate workers' cottages of c.1860s, now a single dwelling. The property is one of a small collection of similar houses set on the on the north side of the Mountstewart Road, next to the Mount Stewart demesne, roughly 3 miles north west of Greyabbey.

The main gabled roof has an overhang at gable ends of main house and porch. Bangor blue slates to all roofs and two brick chimney stacks to main house. Cast iron rw goods.

The front (S) elevation is symmetrical and has a has central gabled porch with sandstone quoins. On E and W sides of porch are timber sheeted doors, with that to E no longer in use. Front gable side of porch has three light timber casement window (with window box) with trefoil in tympanum.

To left of porch are two similar windows with two to right. Both E and W gables of main house have two small two light casement windows at attic level.

Rear has a small central single storey gabled kitchen return with timber sheeted door to the E side along with two timber windows and a small gabled glasshouse attached to the W side. Small chimney stack in return roof. Small multi-pane window with brick flat arch head, to either side of return on main house.

Historical information

According to the current owner, this house was constructed c.1860s, probably as a pair of estate workers' dwellings, and belonged to the Mount Stewart Estate until recently. The dwellings were amalgamated to form one single property some time after 1971 [c.1990].

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/11/2 OS maps, Down 11, 1860
2 PRONI VAL/12B/23/16a-f Annual valuation revision books, Greyabbey, 1866-1930
3 PRONI OS/6/3/11/3 OS maps, Down 11, 1901

Secondary sources
1 Anne Casement, 'Mount Stewart Landscape Study' (The National Trust Northern Ireland Region, 1995)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H+. Alterations enhancing the building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Pair of semi-detached, picturesque single storey rubble-built gabled estate workers' cottages of c.1860s, now a single dwelling. The property is one of a small collection of similar houses built by the Mount Stewart estate.