Ballyvester School

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Ballyvester school is a single storey building of 1906 in the Edwardian Free (slightly Art Noveau) style with projecting porch, slated gabled roof and rough cast and red brick facade. It is situated on the S side of the Killaughey Road in the tiny hamlet of Ballyvester.

Front N facade has a large lean-to like projecting porch section to the left. In the centre of the front facade of this porch is a gable in which is set an arch headed entrance with double timber sheeted doors. The entrance is surrounded by a large expanse of dark Dumfries sandstone which also acts as dressings for two small, narrow, segmental arch headed windows (with steel frames) flanking the door, and as a carved name plaque above the entrance. To the E and W faces of the porch there is a similar window as front. The porch projection has a tall red brick base, but the upper part of the facade is finished in rough cast (as is the rest of the building).

To the immediate right of the porch (and attached to the front facade of the main building) there rises a chimney which also incorporates a small sandstone bellcote. To the right of the chimney are two tall six paned windows.

The E and W gables each have three tall windows (as front) to the centre of the gable (the centre window being the tallest), with curved ‘label’ moulding above the entire grouping.

To the rear are six similar windows, arranged as a pair, then a single window, then a pair, then another single. Between the pair and the single window to the right, there is a small lean to boiler house with timber sheeted door. To the far right there is a chimney breast similar to that at the front, but which stops at the verge, no longer rising to a stack.

The roof is gabled and covered in Bangor blue slates with red clay ridge tiles. Two small air vents to ridge. Slight roof overhang at verge and eaves, with rafter tails exposed. Simple curved barge boards. Cast iron rw goods.

Play shelter: In the playground behind the school is a rectangular single storey play shelter with a mono pitch roof. The shelter is open to the side facing the school building and is constructed in red clay brick with a Bangor blue roof.

Outbuilding: In the corner of the reatr playground is a small rectangular buyilding (possibly a former toilet block or boiler house). It is finished in roughcast with two louvered openings on one side and a gabled Bangor blue roof.

A short distance to the SE of this school (on the E side of the Ballyvester Road) is the original Ballyvester school, originally built in 1842 and now a dwelling house.

Historical information

This school was built in 1906 from money donated by Henry Cooke Craig, the brother of Lord Craigavon, and replaced the original school on the Ballyvester Road, built in 1842. According to Dr Paul Larmour, Vincent Craig may have been responsible for the design.

References- Secondary sources
1. Ballyvester Primary School: Ballyvester School memories...1842-1992 (School publication 1992).
2. Hugh Dixon et al Historic buildings, groups of buildings, buildings of architectural importance in Donaghadee and Portpatrick (UAHS 1977), p.32.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Small and relatively simple, single storey school of 1906. Good example of the Edwardian Free style, possibly designed by Vincent Craig. This building is largely intact.