22 Ballybeen Road,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Substantial two storey gabled farm house, set a short distance to the E of the Ballybeen Road, c.2 miles N of Ballygowan.

The front (W) façade is symmetrical. In the centre is a timber panelled door with elliptical arch headed fanlight. Long, extremely narrow sidelights. The doorway is encased with Doric pilasters and an elliptical archivolt.
To the left and to the right of the doorway is a sash window with horizontal glazing bars and odd, narrow surrounds to which sea shells have been stuck (as decoration). To the first floor are three similar windows.

To the ground floor left on the N gable is a flat-roofed canted bay with modern window frames. To the left (E) of this is the N façade of a large flat-roofed, single storey, extension which has a large modern window and a door.

The S gable has a sash window (as front) to the centre on the ground floor.

To the centre at the rear projects a large two storey gabled return. The N façade of the return is totally covered by the extension at ground floor level, whilst to the first floor there is a large modern window, with a much smaller window (with modern frame) to the right of this. To the exposed section of the main rear façade to the right (N) side of the return there is a first floor window, the same size as those to the front but with a modern frame.

The S face of the return has a glazed door with plain fanlight to the left on the ground floor and a large modern window to the right. To the first floor right is a similar window with a window to its left, similar to those at the front but with a modern frame. To the left side of the rear façade of the main house is a window to the ground floor and one to the front floor, as front.

The façade is finished in lined render with chamfered quoins and base to main house. The roof is completely covered in Bangor blue slates with two tall rendered chimney stacks (with some original looking pots). [?]Rendered parapets to main house. PVC rw goods.

Outbuildings to E and N.

Historical information

A building is shown on this site on the OS maps of 1834 and 1858, but it is difficult to be sure whether it is the same house as the plan appears marginally narrower. Moreover, the present house has the appearance of one that looks that it could well be post 1858, rather than earlier. This hypothesis is supported by the valuation returns of 1834 which make no mention of the property, indicating the house of that era was a modest one, probably single storey. [Unfortunately, however, the map to accompany the 2nd valuation is missing.]
Thus the building we see today may date from the later 1800s, though the flat roofed extension is probably late 20th century, possibly built at the same time as the enlarging of the windows to the return.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.4204 Gordon family Papers [Not yet fully catalogued as of Mar. 1999. The Gordon family were proprietors of Ballybeen townland at the time of the 1st valuation.]
2 PRONI OS map 1st ed. 1833/4, Down 10.
3 PRONI VAL 1B/316C p.71 1st valuation Comber parish 1834.
4 ‘Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol.7: Parishes of County Down II’, ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1991), p.38.
5 PRONI OS map 1st rev. 1858-60, Down 10.
6 PRONI 2nd valuation Comber parish c.1863.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Substantial two storey farmhouse possibly dating from c.1860s; the front façade is largely intact but there is a large modern flat-roofed extension to the rear, some of the windows to the return have been greatly enlarged and at least one of the reception rooms has been entirely ‘gutted’ and is devoid of any detailing.