Milecross Cottage

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Single storey gabled house with large return and outbuildings, somewhat picturesquely sited back from a sharp bend on the narrow Milecross Road, c.1 mile NW of Newtownards.

The main portion of the house lies to the E and is built of dark whinstone rubble with painted brick dressings. The front (E facing) facade is formally arranged. The central doorway has a panelled timber door with elliptical arch fanlight with leaded ‘spider web’ tracery. The sidelights are also leaded with coloured and patterned glass. Panelled aprons to sidelights. Two windows to either side of doorway all now with modern timber frames.

The gables are finished in rough cast render and each have to upper level windows and one to the ground floor on the far right on the S gable and to the centre right on the N gable. All of these windows have simple moulded surrounds and those to the upper level on both gables rest on a cill course, the frames are mostly modern with one sash (on the ground floor of the S gable). Small moulded shield ‘plaque’ high in S gable.

At the rear is a large return which probably houses the oldest part of the entire property. The N facade of the return has two windows with that to the left slightly larger and with a sash frame with horizontal glazing bars. The window to the right has a modern frame and both have simple moulded surrounds as gable. The S facade of the return has a modern glazed door with fanlight to the left, a sash window (as before) to the right of this, and a smaller modern window to the far right. The upper portion of the facade merges into a long flat roofed dormer with large modern windows. The (W) gable of the return has a small flat roofed conservatory/sun room attached to the left side whilst the right side is attached to a long row of rubble built single storey outbuildings, with brick dressings to openings. Like the gables, the return is finished in rough cast render and both it and the gables have plain quoins.

The main roof and that to the return are gabled with Bangor blue slates and stone parapets. The main house has two gable yellow brick chimney stacks with corbelling, with a rendered stack to the centre of the return roof. Cast iron rw goods.

Historical information

A long rectangular building is shown on this site on the OS Maps of 1833/4 and 1858-60, which may correspond (in part at least) with the return of the present house, a suggestion supported by the presence of the outline of a large ‘kitchen’ fireplace within the return itself. The 1st valuation records (c.1833) suggest that the structure present at this time contained a dwelling house. The main portion of the house (to the east) was probably built in the 1860s.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL 1B/322 p.11 1st valuation records, Parish of Newtownards, townland of Milecross, c.1833.
2 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps 1st Edition 1833/4, Co. Down 5.
3 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps 1st Revision 1858-60, Co. Down 5.
4 PRONI 2nd (‘Griffith’s’) valuation, parish of Newtownards, townland of Milecross 1863.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Rubble-built single storey gabled house of c.1860s, probably constructed around a dwelling of pre 1833 origin. The oldest (pre 1833) section of the house appears to be the return.