Riverside Farm

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Riverside Farm is a sprawling one and a half storey house situated on the E side of the Comber Road, c.2 miles N of Comber. Pre 1833 in origin, this house was extended in the later 1800s and now has a complex plan.

In basic terms, the house is L-shaped. To the W (near the roadside) is the main, original front section of the property. To the S end of this there projects (at a right angle), a single storey gabled section. To the rear of the main section is a gabled return (which gives the property a double gabled appearance when viewed from the N). To the S of this rear section there projects a small gabled portion which links (at right angles) to a larger gabled outbuilding to the S. All of these rear portions and the main front section, enclose a small yard within which there is a well. There are further outbuildings to the S.

The front façade of the main front section of the house is in three bays, which have been given a modicum of late Victorian/Edwardian formality. The central bay is slightly taller than the outer ones. To the left on the central bay is the main entrance which consists of a panelled timber door encased with simple pilasters frieze lintel and cornice. To the right of the doorway are two sash windows with vertical glazing bars. The front façade of the bay to the N contains a single similar window, as does that to the S. There is a very narrow sash window to the narrow N face of the central bay. To the far right of the S bay there is a large gabled projection. The is a window as before to the N face of this projection, a small four pane window high in its W facing gable, and to its S face a sash window (as before only narrower) with a modern looking two pane window directly above.

The S gable of the main section of the house has a large flat arch store door (with timber sheeted double doors) to the right on the ground floor. Above this is an upper level window with modern frame.

The N gable of the main section has a window as front to the right on the ground floor with two upper level windows with modern single pane frames.

The N gable of the rear section has an uneven pitch (a lean to had been added to the rear in fairly recent times whose roof line joins to the main roof). To left on this gable are two small sash windows with glazing as front. To the right is a pair of French doors. To the first floor a window as before.

The S gable of the rear section has a sash window to the centre of the ground floor as before, with a tiny single pane window to the far left. To the first floor are two small sash windows with Georgian panes. To the far right on the ground floor there projects a small single storey gabled extension. The N (rendered) portion of this extension is of fairly recent construction (it appears to have been built at the same time as the lean to noted above- which it links to). The W façade of this extension has a central timber sheeted door with small glazed panel. To either side of this is a small sash window, in same style as front. The rear façade of this extension has a pair of French doors to the left and a sash window (as before) to the right. To the S this extension joins (at right angles) to a large gabled outbuilding.

The rear façade of the rear section of the house has two small sash windows as previous. The rear façade of the main section of the house has a sash window to the ground floor centre (with eight small Georgian panes over eight), with a small sash window (as front) to the right on the upper level. To the far right of this façade (beyond the large rear section), is a pair of French doors to the ground floor.

The entire façade of the house (apart from sections of the single storey extension) is rendered and painted. All sections of the roof are covered in Bangor blue slate. To the front of the main section the central bay has two late Victorian looking gabled dormers with decorative ridge tiles, finials and four pane tilting window frames. The bay to the N of this has two cast iron skylights to its roof, as does the W side of the extension roof. The E side of the roof of the rear section has three similar skylights. The centre of the portion of the roof has been cut into to create a small lead-lined ‘balcony’ revealing a pair of French doors. There are four rendered chimney stacks to the main front section of the house, two to the rear section and one to the return. Rendered parapets to main section. Metal rw goods.

The enclosed yard at the rear is cobbled and within it is a well with stone steps therein. Above ground the well is covered by a curving trough-like construction with low rubble constructed walls enclosing an area with soil into which flowers have recently been planted. There is a small slit opening to the S side of the well walls. The ‘roof’ enclosing the well (on top of which the flowers have been planted) is in concrete with metal supports beneath.

Historical information

On the OS map of 1834 there is a building shown on the site of the main front section of the present house, with a narrow projection to the rear. On the revised map of 1858 the plan is much as today, with the enclosed yard to the rear and the projection to the front. Judging from its appearance both inside and out, with its gabled dormers, door surround, marble fire places etc., the property appears to have been renovated in the very late 1800s or early 1900s.

The current owners acquired the house in the early 1990s and have rebuilt part of the extension to the rear of the yard and currently converting the out houses to living accommodation.

The property was under rateable value at the time of the first valuation survey, and due to the apparent disappearance of the map to accompany the second (1863) survey, it is difficult to say who owned the house at this stage either.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL 1B/316A 1st valuation, Comber.
2 PRONI OS/1/3/10 OS map, 1st ed. 1834, Down 10.
3 PRONI OS/6/3/10/3 OS map, 1st rev. 1858, Down 10.
4 PRONI 2nd valuation, Comber.
5 PRONI OS/2/3/10 OS map, 2nd ed. 1901, Down 10.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
H+. Alterations enhancing the building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Complex one and a half storey vernacular house of probable pre 1834 origin, which has grown in organic form over the years and retains a lot of its character. The rear was extended c.1840-50 and gabled dormers to the front in late Victorian/Edwardian times.