Ballyhenry House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large, plain, two storey gabled farm house set on the W side of the Ballyhenry Road less than half a mile N of Comber (with gable on to road side).

Front (S) facade has a right of centre gabled porch with timber panelled door. To the left of the door are paired windows, now with PVC frames (as have all of the windows). To the left of these windows is a lean to conservatory. Beyond the conservatory is a single storey gabled section (attached to the main W gable) with a small window and a modern glazed door. The right of the gabled porch are another set of paired windows. To the first floor of the front facade are four irregularly spaced windows.

The E gable has a window to the centre right on the first floor.

The exposed section of the W gable is blank. The W gable of the small single storey section has PVC ‘French’ doors to the left.

To the rear of the main house are three windows to the ground floor (and one to the rear of the single storey section), with four windows to the first floor. The rear window openings are of varying size and shape, and some appear modern. All have narrow smooth render surrounds.

The entire facade is finished in rough cast and painted. The roof has Bangor blue slates and three irregularly spaced yellow brick chimneys (the brick has become discoloured). The single storey section also has Bangor blue slates and a small rendered chimney stack to the gable. Small Velux window to rear of single storey section roof. PVC rw goods.

Outbuildings to W and S. The large outbuilding to the W has a stone panel which is inscribed ‘Built by Wm. Murdoch 1 May 1868’ A.D.’.

Historical information

A building is shown on this site on the OS Map of 1834 and on that 1858-60. The arrangement of the windows and the chimney stacks suggests that this house began life as single storey in part at least. The presence of an ‘Ards’ doorway (within the porch) and paired windows could suggest that the building assumed its present form in the latter half of the nineteenth century, perhaps even in 1868 when the outbuilding to the west was (presumably) built. The porch and the conservatory are all recent additions, dating from some time after 1973.

The building on this site (probably this house in an earlier form) is listed in the valuation records of c.1835 as under rateable value.
The original ‘Ballyhenry House’ was not this building but another a short distance to the south.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS Maps 1st ed. 1834, Co. Down 10.
2 PRONI VAL 1B/316A p.5 1st valuation Comber parish, Ballyhenry Major Td., c.1835.
3 PRONI OS Maps 1st rev. 1858-60, Co. Down 10.
4 PRONI 2nd (‘Griffith’s’) valuation, Comber parish, Ballyhenry Major Td. 1863.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Large two storey farm house of possible pre 1834 origin, but which probably began life as single storey in part at least. This house has been ‘modernised in recent times and sports PVC windows, a conservatory and a gabled porch. The interior has also been completely renovated though odd elements of detailing have survived.