[?19] Ballymacreelly Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Long, rubble built, single storey block consisting of two gabled houses. The block is set on a slight rise within a clachan like grouping to the W of the Ballymacreelly Road, just under 2 miles W of the village of Killinchy.
Front SE facade has a timber sheeted door, with small glazed panel, to the left, with a window with modern frame to the left of the door. To the right of this is a smaller window with similar frame. The rest of the facade to the right of this belongs to another dwelling (whose roof as at a slightly lower level). This section consists of a left of centre rubble built gabled projecting porch with a stable door (similar in style to previous). To the left of the door is a single window, with another three to the left, all similar to before. To the far right (NE) is a small enclosed yard with high rubble wall.
Both gables are blank.
To the rear are four windows (two to each dwelling), with another tiny window opening to the far left.
The entire facade is of unpainted random rubble.
The roof is gabled with Bangor blue slates and has three sections in ‘stepped’ formation. Tile-like stone parapets. Three recent brick chimney stacks. PVC rw goods.

This block has been completely renovated recently after remaining derelict for some time. In the process the last section of the thatch was removed and chimneys rebuilt. As well as this the openings appear to have been altered, though in the absence of the original survey slides this cannot be confirmed. Despite all of this, however, this is still an attractive block with a largely traditional appearance, spoilt only by the brick chimneys. Both dwelling are now rented out as holiday homes.

There is a small, dilapidated, rubble gabled building to the immediate S of this block which (according) to the owner was an (extremely) early Orange hall, possibly dating from c.1795-1800. The E facade of the building has what appears to be a crudely inscribed stone panel upon which the place name ‘Ballymacreelly’ may be discerned, but the rest is illegible.

Historical information

A block is shown on this site on the OS maps of 1834 and 1859-60 which probably largely corresponds to that we see today. The first valuation survey of c.1835 does not mention the property(s) (probably because it was below rateable value), however, the second survey of 1861 notes that the block belonged to John Cleland (presumably of Stormont) and appears to have consisted of three dwellings. It is possible that these dwellings may have belonged at some point to the Lowry family, who held much land in the Ballymacreelly area in the 18th and 19th centuries, a suggestion supported by the fact that the initials ‘W.L.’ are inscribed on the inner wall of the gabled porch. When the building was first surveyed in 1974 it was derelict and was reported to have consisted of a single dwelling, however, in recent times the whole block has been completely renovated to serve as two (albeit interconnected) holiday homes.
The small building just to the south of this block is said by the owner to have been an early Orange hall which (ironically) was used as a hiding place for two United Irish fugitives after the Battle of Saintfield in June 1798.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.2005/2/1-25 Lowry Family Papers- Deeds to lands in Ballymacreelly, Co. Down, 1743-1910.
2 PRONI OS maps 1st ed. 1834, Co. Down 16.
3 PRONI VAL 1B/335 p.31 (76) 1st valuation, Killinchy parish, Ballymacreelly Td., c.1835.
4 PRONI OS maps 1st rev. 1859-60, Co. Down 16.
5 PRONI 2nd valuation, Killinchy parish, Ballymacreelly td., 1861.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Recently renovated and modernised long single storey block of probable pre 1834 origin, now containing two dwellings.