50 Drumfad Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Recently extended single storey gabled dwelling on the SW side of the Drumfad Road (near the intersection of the Woburn Road) c.1 mile NE of Carrowdore. Until recently this house was a simple and largely original single storey rectangular structure but now a new section has been built at the rear and the overall plan is now roughly ‘H’ shaped.

Front NE facade (original section) has a recently built gabled porch to the right of centre with a timber sheeted stable door with small upper glazed panel. To the SE facade of the porch is a small window with modern frame. To the right of the porch is a modern timber ‘casement’ window with small ‘diamond’ leaded lights. Two windows to left of porch as previous.

Both gables are blank.

Attached to the rear is a single storey gabled return which links to a large single storey gabled section roughly the same size as the original house. Both the return and the rear section have modern timber windows and doors, much as original house only of varying size.

The facade is finished in a mixture of rough cast and mock ‘rough’ render (an unsuccessful attempt to mimic the contours of whitewashed rubble walls). The original house has four rendered chimney stacks.

All roofs are pitched with a mixture of concrete tiles and Bangor blue slates. PVC rw goods.

Historical information

The current owner stated that she believed this house had been built in 1787 and originally belonged to the former Dunbar (Woburn) estate. The Dunbar estate map of 1797 shows a dwelling on this general site (one has to allow for the shortcomings of pre OS Maps), in the then possession of a James Stewart. The house is also indicated on the 1st edition OS Map and that of 1858-60. The porch and the large rear extension were both added after 1989.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI T.1242 Map of the estate of George Dunbar Esq. by J.A. Williamson 1797. [This map shows the townlands of Ballyrolly and Drumfad. A copy was held by PRONI but is at present missing. A much reduced reproduction of the map is shown on p.35 of 'Christ Church Carrowdore' by Susan E. Pack Beresford (1994).]
2 PRONI VAL 1B/32 Valuation records for the townland of Drumfad (Parish of Donaghadee) 1830s.
3 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps 1st Edition 1833/4, Down 7.
4 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps 1st Revision 1858-60, Down 7.
5 PRONI ‘Griffith’s’ valuation for the townland of Drumfad (Parish of Donaghadee) 1863.

Secondary sources
1 Grace Seymour 'Echoes of Millisle and District' (Rathfriland ?c.1980), p.138-139, 145-146 [Notes on the history of Drumfad Td.].

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Single storey house of probable eighteenth century origin, recently greatly extended and modernised.