Manor Farm

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Largely two storey farm complex consisting of a rubble-built quadrangle mainly dating from c.1840-60 and containing a dwelling house and outbuildings, with additional rubble and brick-built outbuildings to the north of probably c.1860-80. The complex ceased to be used as a farm in c.1990, the outbuildings to the north are now home to a boat yard. The grouping is situated to the south of Moat Street, north-west of Donaghadee town centre.

THE ‘QUADRANGLE’
To the S side of the complex is the original farm quadrangle. This quad is two storey to the N, E and W sides, and single storey to the S. The E and W wings are possibly the oldest sections as structures are shown on their sites on the OS map of 1834, with the wing to the S shown on that of 1858. The wing to the N (which is set at a squint to the rest of the quad and contains a large portion of the farm dwelling) is probably the newest section, possibly dating from c.1860.

The outer (N facing) façade of the N wing is in rubble and partly covered in creeping plant growth. To the left on the ground floor is a mainly glazed gabled porch. To the E face of the porch is a panelled door, with mullioned and transomed windows to the right of the door and to the other faces (some windows top hung). The lower half of the porch is rendered with gable timber sheeted and the roof slated. To the left of the porch is a sash window with Georgian panes (8/8). Directly above this (to first floor) is a similar but smaller window (6/6), with an identical window to right of this (directly above the porch) and another to ground floor (far) right of porch. To the left hand (E) end of this wing (at the intersection with the E wing) the façade is bevelled and a tall chimney rises from eaves level. Close to the right hand end there are two very small ground floor openings set at a high level.

The W gable of the N wing has an upper level ‘loft’ doorway, now minus its door. The gable is topped with a stone bellcote with weathervane. The bell has been removed (it was apparently given to Millisle Presbyterian Church).

The S inner façade of the N wing has three large former vehicle archways to the left side on the ground floor, all with brick dressings. The first (from left) archway is now largely blocked up in brick, with the second half blocked in brick to form a pedestrian door, with two pedestrian doors inserted into the third. Between the second and third opening is an original pedestrian doorway with timber sheeted stable door. There is a similar door (with fanlight) to right of the third archway, with a modern looking window opening to right of this (with both door and window belonging to the dwelling). To first floor are five similar sized window openings. The first and four windows are blocked (but have a large diamond pattern vent), the second and third are frame-less whilst the fifth (belonging to the dwelling) has a sash frame with Georgian panes (6/6).

The W wing is a large two storey outbuilding. It is not physically connected to the N wing as there is a gateway (with wrought iron gates) between the gable of the N wing and the right hand end of the ‘inner’ (E facing) façade of the W wing. The outer façade of the W wing could not be observed in its entirety, much of the façade appears to be single storey (the building has an uneven gable) with some window openings to the two storey right hand (S) side The N (uneven) gable has an upper level loft door and a ground floor window (now largely blocked). Both openings have brick dressings. The S gable was obscured from view by rampant greenery.

The E façade has five large windows to the ground floor, now largely filled with timber boarding. To the right of the first window (from left) is a large segmental arched vehicle doorway, without doors. Between the fourth and fifth windows is a timber sheeted pedestrian door with three pane fanlight. To the first floor are six window openings similar in size to those on the ground floor. The first, third, fourth and sixth windows are bricked up but have diamond pattern vents as S façade N wing. All the openings to this façade are brick dressed. To the very left hand edge the façade is abutted by the single storey S wing.

The E wing is two storey and contains much of the dwelling with an outbuilding to the S end. The outer E facing façade is slightly shorter to the left hand (S) end. This end is almost totally covered by a large and mainly open lean-to shed with a corrugated iron roof. To left of the lean-to is a timber sheeted door. To right of the lean-to (on taller dwelling section) there is a recent looking French window, with three sash windows to right of this all with Georgian panes (8/8). To first floor left (above the French window) there is a small sash window (4/4), then two windows as ground floor, then a tall narrow stairwell window with pointed arch head and gothick traceried frame, then a small window with modern frame.

The W inner façade of this wing has a blocked up former window opening to ground floor left, with another to first floor left. To right again on the ground floor is a sash window as ground floor E façade. To first floor directly above is a smaller plain sash window. To right of these windows is the lower outbuilding section. To left on this section there is a stone stair (with rendered sides) leading to an upper level timber sheeted door. To right of stair (on ground floor) the is a small window opening now covered in corrugated iron. To right again is a similar sized opening, now blocked, whilst to far right is a doorway with wrought iron gate. To first floor (right of the doorway) there is a large blocked up ‘opening’ set beneath a small gable. To right again is a similar sized opening with louvering.

The long S wing is single storey with a mono-pitched roof. The (S) outer façade of this section could not be observed, but appears to be covered in rampant plant growth. To the N inner façade there are two timber sheeted stable doors to left, then a four pane window, then two more stable doors with a small window to far right. Between the first two doors (to left) another doorway has been blocked, with another blocked to right of second door.

The whole of this quadrangle section is in random fieldstone rubble, with brick dressings to many openings and sandstone headers to some. A small portion of the E façade of the E wing is rendered. The (largely) gabled roofs are slated. The dwelling section has two tall chimney stacks, one, to the bevelled NE corner, rendered, the other to south of this in brick.

OTHER OUTBUILDINGS TO NORTH SIDE
To the N of the quad is a large collection of post c.1860 outbuildings, all largely in rubble with brick dressings and slated gabled roofs. Compared to the quad these buildings have a slightly sharper, fresher appearance. The largest building of this collection lies directly N of the quad and is two storey. To its N end is a double gabled section (with gables facing out on to the long E and W elevations) and to the W there is a formerly open single storey shed section.

The long W façade has an even line of windows and doors to the ground floor with a line of loft doorways s to the first floor. The loft doorway have timber sheeted doors with two small hole openings to each. To the ground floor are largely timber sheeted with the windows boarded to their lower halves and with (6) Georgian panes to the upper half. To the far left there is a large timber sheeted pedestrian door, with a further large doorway to right of this now partly blocked up. To first floor far left a large corrugated iron-clad link stretches between the building and another two storey outbuilding to W.

The S gable is blank. The N façade (the N face of the double pile end section) has three boarded over window openings to the ground floor with three windows (with recent-looking frames) to the first floor. Most of the E façade is covered by a long single storey gabled shed which was originally all open but whose sides have been largely boarded up in recent times (but whose cast iron supporting columns are still exposed). To far right are the E gables of the double pile end section. To the ground floor of this section a large vehicle doorway has been largely blocked up in brick. To right of this is a pedestrian doorway with recent metal sheeted door, to right a again a large window with recent frame and, to far right, a former vehicle doorway now filled with a large, mainly glazed door screen. To first floor are two large loft openings, that to left still with timber sheeted door, with a recent looking window in that to right. Between these opening is a small roundel opening.

To the NW of this large outbuilding is a slightly smaller outbuilding. This is also in rubble and brick with a slated gabled roof. To S it has a series of openings the previous building, with loft doorways to the first floor and a combination of (mainly) pedestrian doors and windows to the ground floor. Two of the upper floor doorways are now blocked in brick (with diamond pattern vents) whilst an opening to the ground floor is largely filled in breeze block. To right on the first floor is a vehicle doorway with recent metal sliding door. The N façade of the building is abutted by a large corrugated iron shed structure. Two upper floor window openings are visible to this side, both now blocked in brick with diamond pattern vents.

To S of this building there is a small single storey dwelling house which was originally another outbuilding, but which was converted and extended in recent times [?c.1998]. The original section is in stone and brick, but to the N side the extension is wholly in brick.

To the W of this dwelling house is a long narrow single storey building which may have been a piggery, this building appears to have been much altered over the years with large sections in breeze block. To the far E end of the site there are large, relatively recent corrugated iron sheds.

Historical information

As the name, ‘Manor Farm’ suggests this farm originally directly belonged to the landlords of Donaghadee, the De la Cherois (or Delacherois) family. The quadrangle to the south contains the oldest sections of the complex, with buildings shown on the sites of the east and west wings on the OS map of 1834. By 1858-60 the long south (piggery) wing had appeared as well as a building roughly on the site of the present north wing, however, the orientation of this 1858 structure was slightly different to that of today (it was not built on the squint as it were), suggesting the north wing we now see is a later rebuild- perhaps early 1860s. The outbuildings to the north of the quad are all post 1860, with the entire group (minus the mid to later 20th century corrugated iron sheds), shown on the 1901 OS town plan of Donaghadee.

The farm ceased to operate in 1990. Some of the outbuildings to the north are now occupied by a yacht repair business, whilst a small former piggery has been converted to a small dwelling house.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL 1B/32 p.3 1st valuation, Donaghadee, c.1834-6. [The valuation for the town of Donaghadee (unlike others of this period) does not provide the dimensions, nor give an indication of the age of the buildings.]
2 PRONI VAL/1D/3/16 First valuation town plan of Donaghadee
3 PRONI OS/8/8/1/1-9 OS town plan of Donaghadee, 1859
4 PRONI 2nd (‘Griffith’s’) valuation Donaghadee parish, Donaghadee, 1863.
5 PRONI VAL/12E/121/1/1-9 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1864-1908
6 PRONI OS/8/8/2//1-3 OS town plan of Donaghadee, 1901
7 PRONI VAL/12E/121/2/1-3 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1908-35
8 PRONI VAL/3G/69/2/1-3 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1932-56
9 PRONI VAL/3G/69/1/1-3 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1934-43

Secondary sources
1 Hugh Dixon, Ken Kenmuir and Jill Kennett, ‘Historic buildings…Donaghadee and Portpatrick’ (Belfast, 1977), p.26

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Largely two storey farm complex consisting of a rubble-built quadrangle mainly dating from c.1840-65 and containing a dwelling house and outbuildings, with additional rubble and brick-built outbuildings to the north of probably c.1860-80. The complex ceased to be used as a farm in c.1990, the outbuildings to the north now home to a boat yard, with one small structure now converted to a dwelling.