Historic Buildings Record · Northern Ireland
97 Old Ballygowan Road,
Ballyrush, Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland
The record
- Designation
- Record only (not listed)
- Grade
- Record Only
- Type
- Demolished
- Date of construction
- 1820 - 1839
- Address
- 97 Old Ballygowan Road,, Ballyrush,, Comber,, Co. Down, BT23 5RX
- Townland
- Ballyrush
- Council
- Ards and North Down
- Country
- Northern Ireland
- Coordinates
- 54.52197, -5.77525
- Date of survey
- 24 January 1999
- HB reference
- HB24/16/031
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1794 "Sheet 55. (Cary's England, Wales, and Scotland)." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
The Department's description
Exterior description and setting
Site, on the W side of the Old Ballygowan Road, c.2 miles S of Comber, of a former single storey vernacular dwelling, destroyed by fire in 1984 with new dwelling now built in place.
The original house was described in the 1st survey (20th Nov. 1973) as a ‘Single storey cottage. Roof thatched, gable ends, brick chimneys. Walls rendered and white washed. E front has three drop hung windows, horizontal astragals. Sheeted door between 3rd and 4th windows. Outbuildings at back. Condition fair. Front about 52 feet’.
The outbuildings have largely survived and have been partly incorporated into the plan of the new dwelling.
Historical information
On the OS map of 1834 this site appears to be occupied by a slightly smaller dwelling than that which stood here until recently, but a building matching its size is shown on the revised map of 1858. The original building is not noted in the 1st valuation survey of 1834, and the map to accompany the 2nd survey of c.1863 appears to be missing, however, we do know that Ballyrush townland was once part of the Londonderry estate and much of the land close to this site it appears to have been leased to a family named Gowdy at the time of both valuations.
The property itself was destroyed by fire in 1984 and a new dwelling on the site is nearing completion (Jan. 1999).
References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.654 Londonderry Papers. [This collection contains documents concerning the townland of Ballyrush.]
2 PRONI OS map 1st ed. 1834, Down 10.
3 PRONI VAL1B/316A, p.102 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), pp. 37, 40.
5 PRONI OS map 1st rev. 1858-60, Down 10.
6 PRONI 2nd valuation Comber parish c.1863.
7 EHS HB24/16/31 1st survey notes and slide HB24/16/31.
8 EHS OS map 167-2 (1:2500) 1972.
Criteria for listing: architectural interest
Not listed
Criteria for listing: historic interest
Not listed
Evaluation
Site of former single storey vernacular thatched dwelling of probable pre-1858 construction. The property was destroyed by fire in 1984 and a new house has been built in its place.
Nearby in the register
- Windmill stump,Windmillunder 1 mi
- Bridge,Bridgeunder 1 mi
- Hill Head,Houseunder 1 mi
- 13 Magherascouse Road,Demolishedunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.