White House Farm

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large, plain looking, two storey gabled farm house, probably originally single storey, or part single, part two storey. The house is situated on the W side of Kerr’s Road, c.2 miles NE of Newtownards.

Front N facade has a left of centre gabled porch, with modern door (with large sidelight) to the front and modern windows to the E and the W face. All windows throughout the house are modern PVC. To the left of the porch is window, much as the porch. To the right of the porch are two similar windows, spaced widely apart. To the first floor are four similar windows, irregularly spaced.

The W gable has a window (as before) to the left on the ground floor, with another to the right on the first floor. This gable merges with the W face of a recent looking lean to extension, which is blank. To the rear of this extension are two sets of large modern patio doors. The E face of the extension is blank.

The rear of the main house has a large modern window to the right on the ground floor with a smaller window, as front, to the first floor.

Attached to the E gable is a single storey gabled section, with a small window and partly glazed door to the N facade and a modern window opening and partly glazed door to the rear. Attached at a right angle to the E side of this single storey section is a single storey gabled outbuilding.

The entire facade of the house is finished in plain render and painted. The roof is covered in Bangor blue slates, with three rendered chimney stacks, two to each gable and on to the W of centre. Four Velux windows to the rear. PVC rw goods.

Historical information

There is a building shown on this site on the 1834 and 1858-60 OS Maps, however, the irregular arrangement of the front facade windows (and chimneys) suggests that this house began life as single storey in part at least. When first surveyed in April 1972 the house sported late Victorian/Edwardian decorative barge boards which could suggest that the roof (in whole or in part) was raised sometime during these periods.

The c.1835 valuation records appear unclear as to who was then in possession of this property at that date (if indeed in was substantially the same building) as two dwellings on the accompanying valuation map both have the same number. Thus the house (and accompanying land) may have been in the possession of a James Wilson and valued at £3-6-0, or one Thomas Browne and valued at £5-7-1.

The gabled porch appears to be of fairly recent vintage (c.1970) but began life as flat roofed

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS Maps 1st ed. 1834, Co. Down 6.
2 PRONI VAL 1B/31 pp.146-7 1st valuation Bangor parish, Gransha Td., c.1836.
3 PRONI OS Maps 1st rev. 1858-60, Co. Down 6.
4 PRONI 2nd (‘Griffith’s’) valuation, Bangor parish, Gransha Td. 1863.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Large two storey farm house which possibly began life (probably pre 1834) as a single storey in part at least. This house was completely renovated in the 1970s and now PVC windows and a gabled porch and rear extension.