The Booten (East),

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

One and a half storey gabled farm house, set at the end of a long lane to the N of the Newtownards Road, C.1.5 miles NE of Comber.
The front facade faces roughly S and is symmetrical. In the centre is an ‘Ards’ doorway with modern panelled and glazed door and plain semicircular fanlight. Three steps to door. To the left and to the right of the doorway are two narrow- ish windows now with modern frames. The W gable has a small-ish window to the centre of the ground floor and two more to the upper level, all have modern frames. Attached to the very left side of this gable is a small section with a mono-pitched roof, which is actually a continuation of a lean to kitchen section at the rear.

The E gable has a garage section (with mono-pitched corrugated iron roof) attached to the ground floor with two windows to the upper floor as W gable.

To the right at the rear is a lean to kitchen section with large modern picture window with a much smaller modern window to the right of this. The kitchen door is the E face of the lean to. To the left of this (on the main rear facade) are two small ground floor windows, similar to those on the gables, with an identical window to the first floor.

The front facade and gables are finished pebbledash a smooth rendered recessed base and chamfered quoins to the front. The rear is finished in rough cast.

The roof is covered in Bangor blue slates. Rendered parapets. Two brick chimney stacks. PVC rw goods.

Large collection of outbuildings to rear.

Historical information

A building is shown on this site on the OS maps of 1834 and 1858-60, and marked ‘Booten’ on the latter. The presence of an old rath a few yards to the NW of this property could indicated that the site has a long history of habitation. The present house could have pre 1834 origins, but appears to have been refurbished in the later 19th century, when the ‘Ards’ doorway may have been added. The roof may have been raised also. There have been further 20th century alterations the most obvious being the replacement of the window frames and the fire places.

The owner stated that the property had been in his family since 1910 and that prior to this it had belonged to a Mr. Campbell.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS maps 1st ed. 1834, Co. Down 10.
2 PRONI VAL 1B/316A Comber parish, Ballyrickard td., c.1835.
3 PRONI OS maps 1859-60, Co. Down 10.
4 PRONI 2nd valuation, Comber parish, Ballyrickard td., 1863.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Compact one and a half storey gabled farm house of possible pre 1834 origin, but probably given its present regular facade in the later 19th century. Modern changes to exterior. The interior appears to have retained much of its (probable) late Victorian layout, though some of the detailing is 20th century. Interesting outbuildings. Although not meeting the test for listing, this is a locally significant group, particularly prominent from the laneway approach