Former Admiral Leslie Hall

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

The former Admiral Leslie Hall is a small rectangular, basalt rubble built. gothic hall of 1872, originally a school and now a church. It is situated on a slight rise to the E side of the Millisle Road (near the junction of Manor Street), S of Donaghadee town centre.

To the front is a W facing gable which has a stained glass rose window high in the gable with a carved figure of an angel to the gable apex. The angel and the dressings to the window are in sandstone and the window has sandstone label moulding. Directly below the rose window are two sets of twinned tall, narrow, pointed arch windows with sandstone dressings and diamond leaded panes. Label moulding to windows. This window grouping is flanked by double buttresses, with a lower central base buttress below the grouping. To each gable edge is a single lower buttress (both of which are much shorter than the double buttresses). The buttresses has sandstone coping. Above each of the double buttresses is a carved sandstone shields with motto ribbons below each. The whole gable rests on a chamfered base which has a sandstone course to ground level and as chamfer. The gable has a moulded verge with a crocketed pinnacle above the figure of the angel.

To the left on the South facade is a large two level gabled projection, which was greatly enlarged recently. On the front (W face of this projection is a small entrance gable which projects c.0.3m. Within this gable is a pointed arch doorway with sandstone architrave column jambs on square bases and label moulding with carved stops. The door is timber sheeted. The gable has a battered base with sandstone courses (like the bases of the buttresses to the main W gable) and is topped with a moulded verge and carved cross pinnacle. Diamond shaped sandstone plaque near gable apex with date ‘1872’.

The S face of the larger projecting gable is blank. The E face has a small sash window with arch head and yellow brick dressings. The arch head to this and all the other windows to the S, E and N facades of this building appear to be segmental, but strictly speaking are not, having an odd curve which almost reaches a point.

To the left of the large projection (on the main S facade) are two tall windows with curved heads (see above), yellow brick ‘in and out’ dressings and sash frames with margin panes. The panes within the margins have late Victorian style collared and patterned glass. These frames, though in keeping with the date of this building appear to be recent, but they appear to be replicas of the original frames. The N facade has four similar windows and wall edge buttresses.

The rear gable has a large, recent looking, flat roofed extension attached to the lower level. To the upper half of the gable is a grouping of three tall narrow windows, much in the same style as those to the S and N facades, but with stained glass. The central window is much taller than the outer ones.

The main roof is gabled with Bangor blue slates and sandstone parapets. The roof of the large projection to the south is similar. The roof of this projection has been raised dramatically in fairly recent times (?c.1992) with a former tall octagonal chimney removed in the process. There are two small cast iron skylights to the rear of the projection roof. Cast iron rw goods.

Rubble wall to N and W of building, with wrought iron gates to front (which should be included in the listing).

Historical information

The Admiral Leslie Hall was built in Memory of Admiral Martin Leslie (?of near by Rosebank House) by his widow. It was completed in 1872 and originally housed a school for children of all denominations. The school closed in 1954 and the hall was then used as a Church of Ireland Youth Centre. In (?c.1990) the hall was sold to Donaghadee Baptist Church, with the stipulation that the name ‘Admiral Leslie Hall’ would no longer be used (as it was adopted by a new C of I hall). Shortly after the sale the building was completely renovated with the side projection greatly enlarged in the process.

The extensions to the rear appear to have been added in the 1950s or early 1960s.

References- Secondary sources

1. Hugh Dixon et al Historic buildings, groups of buildings, buildings of architectural importance in Donaghadee and Portpatrick (UAHS 1977), p.30.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

A fine small Gothic style former school house of 1872 with basalt and sandstone facade and complicated front gable with rose window, carvings, and many buttresses.