52-54 Mountstewart Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A pair of picturesque rubble-built single storey semi-detached estate workers' houses of c.1860s, altered in recent times with the addition of very large one and a half storey extensions to one and a large flat-roofed dormer (to No.54). The houses are part of a small collection of similar dwellings, set on the north side of the Mountstewart Road close to the Mount Stewart demesne, roughly 3 miles north west of Greyabbey.

The main gabled roof is slated and has a large overhang. No.54 has a large timber sheeted flat roofed dormer, with two large ‘four light’ casement windows, to the front elevation of the main roof. Two brick chimney stacks to main roof (asymmetrically arranged). Mixture of cast iron and PVC rw goods to No.54, no rw goods as yet to No.52. A large section of the grassy bank behind No.52 has been excavated to make room for the extension.

The front S elevation is now asymmetrical. To the centre is a relatively large gabled porch with sandstone quoins. The quoins to No.52 are badly damaged in places. On E and W sides of porch are the doorways, with that to W, leading to No.52, currently without a door and a timber sheeted door to No.54. Front gable of porch has three light timber casement window with trefoil in tympanum.

To the right of porch (No.54) there are two similar windows with two window openings, without frames, to No.52. The main gable of No.54 has two small two light casement windows at attic level, with two similar openings, without frames, to No.52.

Rear of No.52 now has a very large, two level extension with a largely monopitched roof, gabled half dormers and a small gabled entrance projection in the intersection of the main house and extension. This extension is still under construction and has no window frames or doors as yet.

No.54 has a smaller (yet still large) two level extension, which ‘leans to’ the extension of No.52. It has a single gabled half dormer, plain sheeted timber doors and PVC windows. Large PVC window to rear of main section of No.52 with small original multi pane window to the left of this.

Historical information

According to the owner of No[s].48-50, this house was constructed c.1860s and belonged to the Mount Stewart Estate until recently. The land to the north of the Mounstewart Road, however, never appears to have been part of the estate proper, though it undoubtedly belonged to the Londonderrys at some point. This house and its neighbours have the appearance of estate workers’ cottages and may have been built for such a purpose.

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

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A pair of picturesque rubble-built single storey semi-detached estate workers' houses of c.1860s, altered in recent times with the addition of very large one and a half storey extensions to one and a large flat-roofed dormer (to No.54). The houses are part of a small collection of similar dwellings close to the northern edge of the Mount Stewart demesne.