Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB18/02/019 A

Address :
Ringdufferin House 35 Ringdufferin Road Ringdufferin Killyleagh Co. Down BT30 9PH

Townland:
Ringdufferin

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
11/02/1980 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Country House

Former Use
Country House

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
187/9

IG Ref:
J5358 5666

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

Ringdufferin House is a large and complex gentleman’s residence, built either on or near to the site of a tower house of probable late 16th century origin. The building is ostensibly Georgian and was undoubtedly built in phases spanning the later 17th to the 20th centuries. The SW front section is a two storey rendered block with a semi-basement and a hipped roof and dating from c.1790. The large rear return is three storey, with a rubble façade dating from the same period. To the NW is a wing much altered in succeeding years, could as evidence suggests date from the mid 18th century. It has been suggested that the house may have been built around the fabric of the original tower house, but this is uncertain. The property is set at the end of a very long, winding, picturesque drive to the W of the Ringdufferin Road, c.2.5 miles N/NE of Killyleagh, amidst well wooded grounds overlooking the E coast of Strangford Lough. To the E of the house is a substantial collection of outbuildings, probably mainly dating from the later 18th or early 19th centuries. The SW front section of the house (referred to as ‘Front section’ on accompanying slides) is two storey with a semi-basement and high parapet. This is finished in plain render with granite quoins. Its front (SW) façade is symmetrical and has an odd slightly mean appearance, somehow not grand enough for a house of this size. In the centre of the ground floor is the main entrance, This consists of a semicircular arched recess wherein is a panelled and glazed sliding door (which looks like a normal hinged door) with flanking ¾ column jambs with pedestal bases and slightly Adamesque floral motif to capitals. The jambs support a lintel frieze with floral motifs and fluting. Above this is large segmental (almost semicircular) fanlight with spider’s web-like tracery. Short flight of stone steps to entrance. To the left of the window are two sash windows with Georgian panes (six over six) and granite cills. To the right are two identical windows. To the first floor are five much smaller windows (three panes over three). This façade is topped with a parapet a small with a small classical statue (?of a Roman or Greek god) perched on top to the centre and a bird at each end. These figures are apparently in lead. The NW façade of the front section has a small window to the first floor as first floor front. This façade has a semi-basement level with a fairly large tripartite sash window, with iron bars over. To the left of this façade (and flush with it) is the NW façade of a gabled side portion (referred to as ‘NW section’ on slides) of the house, which, structurally speaking belongs to another stage of building and not, as it were, the front section. This façade is three storey [though without seeing the interior it is difficult to decide whether the lowest level is semi-basement or ground floor] with two sash windows to each floor. Those to the lowest level [ground floor] are flat arch, those to the middle floor are semicircular headed and the two to the top floor (which are slightly smaller) are semicircular headed (to the left) and flat arch. To the NE facing gable there are two sash windows to the uppermost level, but the façade below this is obscured by greenery. This NE section is finished in plain render to the NW and rough cast to the gable. The SE façade of the front section has a first floor window as front, but the lower half of the façade is largely obscured by greenery, so that only the very top of a ground floor window can be seen. This window has Georgian panes and may be similar to those on the ground floor front, but without recourse to the interior of the house it is difficult to tell. Abutting the right hand side of this façade is a lower hipped roof projection (referred to as ‘SE section’ on slides) with a plain render facade. This section is two storey, but is set at a lower level that the front section, with the result that its upper level is actually at the ground floor level of the latter section. Its SW façade is largely obscured by greenery, but it does have a sash window (as main front but with segmental head) to the ground floor and one to the upper floor, with a flat arch head. The much shorter SE façade has a similar window to the ground floor. To the NE façade (which faces into the rear yard of the property) there is a glazed and panelled door to the centre left on the ground floor and a small double sash window to the centre right on the first floor. Dentilled eaves course to this façade. To the right of the NE façade of the ‘SE section’ (and projecting beyond it) is a two storey portion (referred to as ‘Rear’ on slides) with a flat roof and plain render façade. This portion projects, as it were, from the rear of the ‘Front section’. To the ground floor of its NE façade is a doorway to the far left, with glazing and louvered panels, which does not appear to be used any more. To the right of this is a sash window with Georgian panes (six over three), then a glazed and panelled door and then (at far right) a window as previous. To the far left on the first floor is a segmental headed opening (reached from the yard via a relatively modern metal staircase) which was undoubtedly once a doorway but is now louvered to its lowest third with the rest with fairly recent looking multi-pane glazing. To the right of this are three sash windows with segmental heads and Georgian panes (six over six). To the right (NW) of the ‘Rear’ at sitting at a right angle to it, is a large three storey return (referred to as ‘Return’ on slides) with a hipped roof and random greywacke rubble façade with rough-faced brick dressings to openings. This return, with its plain rubble façade looks as though it could represent the oldest section of the house, but available evidence suggests otherwise and there appears to be no obvious indication in the coursing of the rubble to suggest that is has undergone major alteration or extension. The SE façade of the has a timber sheeted doorway to the left. To the right of this is a small-ish window with fixed light frame with nine Georgian panes and to the right of this is a modern glazed door. To the immediate right of the is a short single storey brick built shed with three stable doors to its SE façade. Its natural slated roof appears to be mono-pitched and on the ridge are two lead figures of cats with their backs arched as though they were squaring up for a fight [probably designed to scare off real cats]. This structure looks as though it was once used for keeping fowl. To the first floor of the SE façade of the return are three larger, unevenly spaced, sash windows with Georgian panes (six over six). Above these (and in corresponding positions) are three smaller similar but smaller windows (six over three). To the far left side of this façade at an intermediate landing level is another sash window, as first floor. Due to the differing ground level, the short NE façade of the return appears as two storey, with a large tripartite sash window (with Georgian panes (two over two at sides, six over six at centre), set at a high ‘ground floor level’. To the upper floor is a similar, but slightly smaller, window. Against much of the NW elevation of the return is the gabled ‘NW section’ (see above). A short portion to left hand side of this elevation of the return is exposed, however, the writers were unable to see this portion, due to the fact that tree and shrub growth inhibit a direct view of it. All gabled and hipped sections of the roof are covered in natural slate. The ‘Rear’ section appears to have a flat roof. The roof of the return has a slight overhang. To the SW gable of the ‘NW section’ there is a chimney stack which may once have been free standing but is now built into the façade (to give the elevation an overall gabled appearance). This section has a tall chimney stack in grey-ish blue [?engineering] brick to the NW side of its roof. The ‘SE section’ has a similar tall stack to the NE side of its roof and there is a similar stack to the ridge of the return roof. The RW goods appear to be entirely cast iron. To the drive to the S of the house there are set of octagonal plan gate posts in sandstone, whose gates appear to have been removed some considerable time ago. Strangely, there is no evidence of walling or fencing on either side of this posts. At the entrance to the drive (on the Ringdufferin Road) there is gate with much plainer hexagonal gate posts in granite, with simple wrought iron gates. To the immediate N of the house is a large walled garden (no access to this). To the E of the house is a large collection of outbuildings, including stables, a blacksmith’s forge, a piggery, boat house and ruins of what appears to be a watch tower. A description of these can be found under the ref. 18/02/019B.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

The earliest reference to modern settlement at Ringdufferin occurs in a report in State Papers dating from c.1602 which mentions a castle built by John White ‘on a neck of land’, leased to him by Sir Ralph Lane, ‘called Randuffren’. The exact position of the castle is uncertain, the common consensus, including most OS maps of the area since 1859, favouring a site close to the present house; however, presence of ‘Castle Island’ at the end of the isthmus just to the south of this may be instructive. In 1636 Alexander Baillie of Innishargy (near Kircubbin) received the lands of Ringdufferin on mortgage from 1st Viscount Clandeboy, becoming absolute owner in 1674. His descendants remained in possession of this land for the next two centuries, during which time Ringdufferin House assumed much of its present form. It is difficult to plot the evolution of the property, however. The plan is shown much as today on the OS map of 1834, though the SE section is not present. The contemporary valuation records, as always, give a detailed account of the building as it stood at that point, telling us that it consisted of, a ‘dwelling’ (the present front section) measuring 61ft x 20 x 18½ (with cellars 61 x 20 x 6½), an addition (perhaps the NW section) at 22 x 10 x 14, and another addition (the return) at 50 x 17½ x 23. The valuers also state that the front section was (in their opinion or to their knowledge) relatively ‘new’ at that stage, noting it as grade ‘A’, that is perhaps around thirty years old or thereabouts. They also state that, the large return was of the same age, but the NW section was possibly considerably older, perhaps over fifty years or. Given this evidence, therefore it appears that the front section and the return were built around the same period, perhaps c.1790-1800, but that the NW portion may have been a survival from an earlier dwelling. Much of this evidence ties in with what is commonly believed about the house, in that the front portion (at least) is said to have been added by James Baillie, who resided there from 1774 to 1810. A key date for the building could well around 1793, the year when Baillie married Sophia Loudon and began a family- surely a plausible reason to prompt the extending of his house? Most of the outbuildings appear to date from this period also. Whether the present section to the NW is the survival of the earlier dwelling is difficult to say. Its dimensions to terms of height do not appear to match those given by the valuers (though this discrepancy could be explained if the lowest level was taken by the valuers simply as a basement and not a ‘dwelling’ area and therefore not counted), and its window openings appear to have been greatly altered in more recent times. Despite all of this, however, it does have a somewhat anomalous appearance almost is if it were indeed a remnant of an older house. The 1859 OS map repeats the plan of its predecessor, but by the early 1900s the SE section had been added, giving the house much its present form, though the flat roofed rear section may in part be 20th century. In 1945 the house was bought by a Mr. Mackie. References- Primary sources 1 QUB Calendar of State Papers Ireland, 1601-3, p.303. 2 PRONI T.776, p.89-90 Transcript of a Fee Farm Grant of lands at Ringdufferin- Henry, Earl of Clanbrassill to Alexander Baillie, 9th April 1674. 3 ‘Taylor’s and Skinner’s Maps of the Roads of Ireland (Dublin 1777), map 281. [This map shows a house at Toye belonging to a Mr. Baillie, but its position on the map and its name suggests that this is in fact ‘Toye House’, which appears to have been a Baillie property at one stage also. It is odd that Ringdufferin House is not marked on the map however.] 5 PRONI OS/1/3/24 OS map, 1st ed. 1834, Co. Down 24. 6 PRONI VAL/1B/336 p.75 First valuation, Killyleagh, 1837. 7 PRONI OS/6/3/24/2 OS map, 1st rev., 1859, Co. Down 24. 8 PRONI Second valuation, Killyleagh, 1861. [In print in PRONI search room and Linen Hall Library.] Secondary sources 1 ‘Archaeological Survey of Co. Down’ (Belfast HMSO 1966), p.263.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form H-. Alterations detracting from building I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting K. Group value

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Large, two and three storey gentleman’s residence mainly dating from c.1790-c.1800, but possibly incorporating elements of an earlier dwelling. The front elevation of the house is typically Georgian (though somewhat small in scale), with an Adamesque doorway and a hipped roof hidden behind a parapet itself topped with small classical statues. Behind this is a large three storey return with a rubble façade, but with a slightly anomalous plain rendered section to the north west side, which may represent part of the earlier house though it is difficult to be certain. To the south east is a much smaller two storey ‘wing’, probably added in the later 19th century. To the immediate north of the house is a walled garden and to the east is an extensive collection of outbuildings, also probably largely late 18th century. This property is built on or close to the site of a tower house, built in the later 1500s or c.1600, but no trace of this appears to have survived.

General Comments

Date of Survey

28 June 1999