Stable block (Ormiston Mews), 50 Hawthornden Road, Belfast, Co Down, BT4 2GH

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Relatively small, plain single storey roughly U-shaped stable block in squared rock-faced sandstone with courtyard-facing elevations in painted brick, built in 1865 to serve neighbouring Ormiston House, but extended c.1890, somewhat altered in the mid 20th century (with large vehicle doorways inserted) and latterly used mainly as a store. To the rear of the block is a later long single storey brick-built row of garden sheds (c.1890) which originally backed on to an equally long glass house, now demolished.

The building is situated within Ormiston’s extensive grounds, (to the W of Hawthorden Road), a short distance E of the house itself. It is is approached via a drive from the E which runs parallel to the main gateway to the stable yard. To the E of the block is a largely untended lawn with thick bushes and trees to the W. To the S is the row of former garden sheds which in turn back directly on to a modern housing development

As stated above the block is U-shaped in plan form, with the relatively small yard enclosed to the N by a tall sandstone wall to the N side. In the centre of the wall is a large carriage gateway, now without gates but retaining tall square gate piers in weathered sandstone with the pier to the E retaining a shallow pyramidal cap (also badly weathered). The wall itself has an outer (N) face of rock-faced sandstone with the inner face in red brick, and dressed sandstone coping. On the N side of the wall, left of the gateway, there are two short projecting breeze block walls with a platform between them [?which recently housed an oil tank].

The gateway leads into a the cobbled retangular yard with the longest wing of the stables to the S with same-sized wings to E and W. The ‘inner’ (i.e. yard-facing) elevations of all of these wings are in painted brick with openings of various kinds, many of which are undoubtedly not original. The inner (W-facing) elevation of the E wing is dominated by a large painted timber screen which takes up roughly ¾ of the whole elevation, with only the far right hand quarter in brick. The screen, which covers an area which may have been originally open, is largely plain with almost all of the upper half glazed and a doorway to the far right; the glazing and the doorway are now boarded over however. To the right of the screen (within the brick section) there is a plain flat-arch sash window. Above and to the left of this window the outline of a former lean-to structure is clearly visible (which actually ‘leaned-to’ the N face of the S wing). Part of the lean-to survives in the form of a low painted brick wall.

The long inner (N) face of the S wing has a boarded up window to far left with a timber-sheeted pedestrian door (with two-pane fanlight) to its immediate right. This door and window are set within a (relatively) large segmental-headed recess which was originally open. [It lead into a passage which went straight through this wing to the rear yard- its outline is still visible to the S elevation also.] The door and window are also set within the confines of the abovementioned low wall which appears to be the last remnant of a former lean-to. To the immediate right of the doorway (and the low wall), there is a small shallow brick lean-to, now roofless. This lean-to has a timber-sheeted door and appears to have been a small store of some kind. To the right of this are two identical window openings, now boarded up. To right of these is a large vehicle doorway with modern metal roller shutter (with wicket gate). This doorway is undoubtedly a relatively recent creation. To the right of this is another boarded up window, as before.

The inner (E) face of the W wing has a boarded up pedestrian doorway to left, then a narrow boarded up window then a large vehicle doorway with roller shutter (similar to that described above but slightly narrower), then, to far right, another narrow boarded up window.

The ‘outer’ N gable of the E wing is finished in rock-faced sandstone with kneelers to the gable; there are no openings. The outer (E) elevation of the E wing has a gabled bay to the far left which is as that described above but which is abutted by a (later) large single storey hipped roof projection which is in rock-faced sandstone to N and E and (unpainted) red brick to S. The S face of the projection has a large (but low) vehicle doorway to left now without a door. Next to this is a small boarded up window, then another identical vehicle doorway, then a pedestrian doorway, and to far right another boarded up window. The two vehicle doorways have large areas of (tongue & groove) timber sheeting above them. Returing to the E elevation of the E wing, to the immediate right of the gable there is a sash window with Georgian panes (6/6), with two similar sized boarded up windows a distance to the right of this.

The long S elevation of the S wing is in (unpainted) red brick. To the left and centre there are seven irregularly spaced high level (at the eaves) segmental-headed window / ventilation openings covered in metal grills. To the right of these are three ‘normal’ lower level windows, all boarded up. The window to far right is slightly taller than the other two.

The N gable of the W wing is as that to E wing. The W elevation of the W wing has three relatively high level squat windows, all boarded up. To the far right there is a gabled bay with two high level window / ventilation openings (as S elevation of S wing). A high wall extends from the right (S) end of this elevation

The roof of the stable block is slated with parapets (in overlapping stone) to the gables and cream clay ridge tiles. The E wing has two original dressed sandstone chimneystacks to the S end of the ridge with two later smaller red brick stacks to N of these (one of which awkwardly backs on to one of the original stacks). Cast iron rw goods to original stable block, cast iron and PVC rw goods to the later hipped roof section.

Former garden sheds
This long single storey building lies a few metres to the S of the stable block with a long narrow yard running between them (now largely weed covered). The yard is entered via a vehicle gateway (with corrugated iron sheeted gates) to the E which stretches from the SE corner of the hipped roof portion to a high sandstone wall to the S, which in turn abuts an equally high sandstone wall at a right angle. The latter wall (upon which a blocked up pedestrian entrance is still visible) used to enclose a large formal garden and to the N side of this garden, backing on to the long shed row, was a long glass house. This glass house has been demolished and modern housing now occupies the former garden. To the W end the long yard is enclosed by another high wall with another pedestrian gateway. The yard-facing (E) side of this wall is in brick; the W side is probably in sandstone but, due to the presence of thick greenery, this could not be confirmed.

The shed row itself is much lower in height than the stable block and has a single pitch corrugated asbestos roof which leans-to the the former dividing wall between it and the glass house. Roughly to the centre point of the row is a relatively small two storey section, whose flat roof is covered by a large, flat, metal water tank. From the two storey section westwards the façade is set back slightly.

The far left hand side of the N elevation of the row is covered in thick greenery, so no openings could be seen to this section. To immediate left of this are two boarded up windows then two boarded up pedestrian doorways. Right of these is the two storey section which has a boarded up doorway and window to the ground floor and a single boarded up window to the first floor. To right again is a doorless doorway (which originally gave access to a short passage leading to the glass house), next two windows (one with the dilapidated remains of a sash frame, then another two doorways (with plain timber-sheeted doors) with a small bricked up window set between them. To right again is another boarded uo window then another doorway.

The short E elevation of the row is incorpated into the wall which stretches southwards from the gateway (and has no openings). The W elevation merges with the wall to this side (which rises to form a parapet with concave slope to the N). This elevation could not be seen from the W side but it is believed to have a single window.

There is a comparatively tall dressed sandstone chimneystack, rising from the rear (S) side just to the W side of the two storey section.

Historical information

Ormiston (House) was built in 1865-67 to designs by David Bryce of Edinburgh for James Combe, a Scots-born iron founder and linen manufacturer (Combe Barber). The property was sold to shipbuilder (Sir) Edward J. Harland in c.1880 who remained there until 1887, when it was acquired by his business partner William Pirrie (later Viscount Pirrie). Pirrie, who later became the Chairman at Harland & Wolff, retained the house until his death in 1924, however, by this stage the property was partly owned by the shipyard itself and between c.1911 and c.1920 it appears to have been used to house various company directors, among them George Cuming who is recorded as resident in 1918. Shortly after Pirrie’s death Harland & Wolff came into sole ownership of the property selling it in 1928 to Campbell College, who held it [?as a junior school ?and / or boarders’ residence] until the mid 1970s. Since then the property has served as government offices, but is presently vacant.

The stable block appears to have originally consisted of the U-shaped building centred around the small courtyard. This block was undoubtedly built at the same time as the main house (1865-67), however as the valuation records give no indication of the original extent of the property and as no original plans appear to have survived, we cannot be completely certain of this. The small hipped roof extension to the eastern side of the stables was added some time before 1901, as it shown on a map of that year, as are the garden sheds and large walled garden to the south. The latter, which included a large glass house is of uncertain date also, however the appearance of both the sheds and the extension suggests that both were added c.1880s-90s, possibly by William Pirrie, who extended the house itself in 1896-97 (when he was Lord Mayor of Belfast) and made changes to the grounds, creating, amongst other things, a nine hole golf course.

During the mid to later 20th century much of the southern half of Ormiston’s grounds was sold off for housing development with the walled garden and glass house demolished in the process. The garden sheds survived and were utilised by Campbell College as changing rooms serving a swimming pool (installed by the school some distance to the south of the house itself), with the stables converted to quarters for the groundsman and stores.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/2D/7/32B Valuation town plan of Belfast, sh 32b, 1860-95 [Strangely, Ormiston is not shown on this plan even as an annotation.]
2 PRONI VAL/12B/17A-M Annual valuation revision books, Belfast Union- Ballyhackamore ED, 1864-97
3 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster directory’ (Belfast, various dates from 1870)
3 PRONI OS/8/30/2/32B OS town plan of Belfast, sh 32b, 1871-73 [currently missing]
4 PRONI OS/8/30/3/32B OS town plan of Belfast, sh 32b, 1883-84 [currently missing]
5 PRONI OS/8/30/4/32B OS town plan of Belfast, sh 32b, 1894-95 [currently missing]
6 PRONI VAL/12B/43N/1 Annual valuation revison book, Victoria ward, c.1897-?1905
7 PRONI OS/8/30/5/61 OS town plan of Belfast, sh 61, 1901-03
8 PRONI VAL/12A/7Q/7 Valuer’s notebook- Victoria Ward added area, 1903 etc. [This notebook includes an entry (dated 1903) showing the changes believed to have been made by William Pirrie in 1896-97, including the large timber-built ballroom to the rear of the house and some additional glass houses to the southeast of the formal garden. The garden and the stable extension are all shown, suggesting both were pre 1896. The notebook refers to another notebook called volume ‘XVIII’ which it states includes details of the other buildings, however there appears to be no volume ‘XVIII’ held within PRONI.]
8 PRONI VAL/12B/43n/9 Annual valuation revison book, Victoria ward, c.1920s

Secondary sources
1 Michael Moss and John R. Hume, ‘Shipbuilders to the World- 125 years of Harland and Wolff, Belfast 1861-1986’ (Belfast, 1986), pp.63, 64, 226-27, 248, 259
2 Paul Larmour, ‘Belfast- An illustrated architectural guide’ (Belfast, 1987), pp.32-33
3 J.A.K. Dean, ‘The gate lodges of Ulster (Belfast, 1994), p.89
4 Information supplied by the current Government Construction Service

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Relatively small, plain single storey roughly U-shaped stable block in squared rock-faced sandstone with courtyard-facing elevations in painted brick, built in 1865-67 to serve neighbouring Ormiston House, but extended c.1890, somewhat altered in the mid 20th century (with large vehicle doorways inserted) and latterly used mainly as a store. To the rear of the block is a later long single storey brick-built row of garden sheds (c.1890) which originally backed on to an equally long glass house, now demolished.