Historic Buildings Record · Northern Ireland
Fort Hill
Ballyreagh, Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland
The record
- Designation
- Record only (not listed)
- Grade
- Record Only
- Type
- House
- Date of construction
- 1840 - 1859
- Address
- Fort Hill, 85 Bowtown Road, Ballyreagh, Newtownards, Co Down, BT23 3SL
- Townland
- Ballyreagh
- Council
- Ards and North Down
- Country
- Northern Ireland
- Coordinates
- 54.58425, -5.66677
- Date of survey
- 04 February 1998
- HB reference
- HB24/08/007
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 3 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1794 "Sheet 55. (Cary's England, Wales, and Scotland)." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
The Department's description
Exterior description and setting
Largish two storey gabled farm house situated on a slight rise off the Bowtown Road roughly 1 mile SW of Newtownards.
Front (N) facade has a central doorway with ‘Ards’ surround consisting of plain pilasters and semicircular archivolt with keystone. The doorway contains a modern panelled and glazed doorway and semicircular fanlight. To left of the doorway is a modern two pane PVC window (with small upper opener), with another similar window to the right. To the first floor are three evenly spaced windows as before but slightly smaller.
The W gable has a similar window to the left on the ground and first floors. The right side of this gable merges into the side of a large two storey flat roofed return, with two widows (much as before) to the first floor and a broader window (again with modern PVC frame) to the left on the ground floor.
The E gable has a window to the right on the first floor as previous.
In the centre of the rear is a full height gabled return which has a two storey flat roofed extension to the W (left) side and a large single storey lean to attached to the gable (S) end.
The entire facade is finished in rough cast render with a plain rendered recessed base to the front and rear elevations. Both the return and the flat roofed extension have PVC windows and a glazed rear door.
The roofs of the main house and the return are pitched with Bangor blue slates. There are three yellow brick chimneys, two to the gables of the main house and one to the gable of the return. Rendered parapets. PVC rw goods.
Gabled outbuilding ‘attached’; to corner of the flat roofed extension to the W.
Historical information
Buildings are shown on this general site on the OS Map of 1834, but none appear to match the position of the present house. A building is shown on this site on the revised map of c.1860, therefore, this house may be possibly 1840s or 1850s in origin. The return is not original and was added in the first half of the twentieth century, with the flat roofed extension dating from c.1980s.
References- Primary sources
1 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st Edition, 1834, Down 6.
2 PRONI VAL 1B/34 1st valuation, Newtownards, c.1835.
3 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st Revision, 1860, Down 6.
4 PRONI 2nd valuation, Newtownards, c.1861.
Criteria for listing: architectural interest
Not listed
Criteria for listing: historic interest
Not listed
Evaluation
Two storey farm house of possible mid nineteenth century origin now much extended at the rear, and sporting PVC windows and modern doors.
Nearby in the register
- 51 Ballyreagh RoadHouseunder 1 mi
- Movilla CemeteryGraveyardunder 1 mi
- 72 Movilla RoadDemolishedunder 1 mi
- Movilla Cemetery LodgeGates/ Screens/ Lodgesunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.