Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB19/07/010 A

Address :
Woodford House 21 Woodford Avenue Dromara County Down BT25 2AA

Townland:
Dromara

---

Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
03/12/1992 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
House

Former Use
House

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

---

OS Map No:
203/11

IG Ref:
J2815 5037

---

Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

A large symmetrical three-bay two-storey Georgian farmhouse, built as part of a mill complex c.1800; located west of Woodford Avenue to the north of Dromara. To the rear is part of the original house on the site, built c.1770. Rectangular on plan with large two-storey and single-storey return to rear. Pitched natural slate roof with tall smooth rendered chimneystacks having four terracotta pots; chimney also to gable of rear return. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods on projecting eaves. Walling is ruled-and-lined render (rough-cast to rear return) with raised quoins. Windows are double-hung 6/6 timber-framed sliding sash with horns and keyblock; variety of timber-framed windows to rear return. The principal elevation faces east and is symmetrically arranged, five openings wide. There was once a parapet, but it was removed. Centred original timber entrance door of six flat panels, accessed by three bull-nosed stone steps, surmounted by large segmental fanlight with radial glazing bars; pattern repeated in sidelights; paired fluted pilasters with carved urns to base of sidelights; voussoirs over doorway. The south elevation is blank. The west elevation has two windows to first floor and a single opening to right at ground floor; abutted to centre by rear return with five various sized windows (some replacements) to each elevation. The north elevation is partially abutted by coalhouse; at far left is small entrance porch with catslide roof; timber door with six shallow panels having decorative knocker and surmounted by fanlight; accessed by eight masonry steps contained within parapet wall. Gable is abutted by double-height return with Venetian window; south elevation with 6/6 window; exposed section to left abutted by coalhouse. Setting: The house forms part of Woodford Estate, totaling approximately 120 acres of land. Situated at the end of a private single-track road, accessed at St John’s Parish Church (HB19/ 02/012), the house forms part of a linen mill complex comprising a number of industrial and agricultural buildings to the north and west of the house; including a sile, lying-in shed, large machinery shed and barn, and the mill itself. Three two-storey red-brick former workers cottages, offices and managers house are also located on the site. Lawned and shrubbed garden to front of house contained within low parapet wall with decorative cast-iron railings. Roof: Natural slate Walling: Ruled-and-lined and roughcast render Windows: Mainly 6/6 sliding sash RWG: Cast-iron

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

Woodford House first appears on the Ordnance Survey map for the Dromara area in 1833 as a T-shaped building situated by the Lagan River just north of the village of Dromara. The shape of the house has not changed since and at that time Woodford was situated next to a Bleach mill and up to four other out office to its north. The Townland Valuation (1830s) records the occupant of Woodford as a Mrs Martha Black who later married a man named David McCartney. Mrs Black occupied Woodford which the valuer recorded as a 1b+ class dwelling, worth £22. and which possessed three returns and six offices, one of which was a coach house. The valuer observed that the bleaching mill ‘is nearly in a state of dilapidation … not used for some years past.’ Other out offices included two boiling houses, a beetling mill, a wash house and a drying loft. The Ordnance Survey Memoirs for Dromara do not mention Woodford house, however they do note that a Mr. Black owned an old corn mill which was situated in the centre of the village. In 1859 the second edition of the Ordnance Survey map showed that one of the larger out offices surrounding Woodford house had been put down. Griffith’s Valuation (1861) then listed Martha’s husband David McCartney as the occupant of Woodford which had been increased in value to £28, and which the McCartney’s rented for £14. per annum. The valuer described Woodford as a ‘very good respectable house [with] good offices’ and that if sold ‘this farm would sell for more than £1,000.’ Further the valuer stated that an old graveyard exists on the site, however no information regarding this graveyard was found By 1865 a Mr. William Dodds had taken over possession of the property at Woodford which was now described as ‘House, offices, scutch mill and land’ worth £40. In 1885 another scutch mill has been added to the site, although the value was actually decreased in that year to £30, a note states that the ‘value of buildings [is] too high. House too large for farm. Scutch mills work only four months during the year.’ William Dodds died on 20th November 1896 leaving Woodford House and effects of £422. to his son Robert Dodds who is recorded as the occupant in 1899 (PRONI Wills – 08/02/1897). In 1901 the value of the farm was lowered to £28. 10s. as one of the stores had fallen into disrepair. The value of the site was again lowered in 1907 to £24. In 1911 another William Dodds came into possession of Woodford House which he bought outright in 1918. In 1921 Dodds replaced the Scutch Mill with a new Flax Mill which greatly increased the value of the site to £43. A small flax mill had replaced the bleach mill by the third edition of the Ordnance Survey map (1859) but by the fourth edition (1920) three large buildings had been constructed forming a large Flax Mill factory. On 21 October 1893 the Belfast Weekly News reported that a Mr. James Dodds of Woodford House, Dromara, was appointed one of the original 600 members of the Ulster Defence Union Central Assembly, a representative body comprised of unionists ‘from every class and creed’ which was formed to resist the Second Home Rule Bill which was defeated later that year. The census records tell us that in 1911 Robert Dodds (66), a Presbyterian farmer, lived at Woodford House with his wife (of 34 years) Abigail and a number of their seven children. The building return records Woodford as a 1st class dwelling consisting of seven inhabited rooms. The extensive out offices included two stables, two cow houses, two calf houses, two piggery’s, three fowl houses, a boiling house, a barn, a potato house, a workshop, and a shed and store. The listers state that the house was originally built in the early 19th century and that the first occupant was a Mr James Black who owned the bleach mill (NIEA File). Lewis expands on this telling us that Woodford was once the seat of a flourishing Linen industry in the area (Lewis, 1837, Vol.1 p. 503). Rodney Green takes the date of construction back further believing the façade of the house to be early 19th century but the rear to be much older, constructed sometime in the mid-18th century; field research would support a build date of c.1800. The Black family were in Linen trade from as early as 1758 and this leads Green to hint that Woodford was possibly built at this time. He also states that the new flax industry established sometime before 1920 was called the Dromara Flax Co. Ltd. (Green, p. 23). Woodford house was listed in 1992; however, the old mill has unfortunately fallen into a ruined condition. Many of the other early agricultural and industrial out offices still remain to the north of Woodford House but are in a similar state. The house retains many of its original interior features and is a notably grand Georgian Farmhouse built to accommodate the owner of the Flax Mill. References: 1. PRONI VAL/1/A/3/28 – Field Map c.1833 2. PRONI VAL/1/B/341 – Townland Valuation 3. PRONI OS/6/3/28/1 – First Edition OS Map 1833 4. PRONI OS/6/3/28/2 – Second Edition OS Map 1859 5. PRONI OS/6/3/28/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1903 6. PRONI OS/6/3/28/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1903-1920 7. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/36 – Griffith’s Valuation 1861 8. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/9 A – Annual Revisions 1865-1879 9. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/9 B – Annual Revisions 1880-1892 10. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/9 C – Annual Revisions 1893-1908 11. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/9 D – Annual Revisions 1909-1929 12. PRONI Wills Catalogue - 1897. 13. Belfast Weekly News - 1893. 14. Lewis Topographical Dictionary, 1837 Vol.1. Secondary Sources 1. Brett, C. E. B., ‘Buildings of North County Down’ Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2002. 2. Green, R., ‘The Industrial Archaeology of County Down’ Belfast: 1963. 3. NIEA File – HB19/07/010.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting

Historic Interest

R. Age S. Authenticity T. Historic Importance X. Local Interest Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

Woodford House is an imposing and handsomely proportioned three-bay two-storey Georgian farmhouse; built c.1800 as an extension to an earlier house dating from c. 1770, and as part of a mill complex set on an extensive site of approximately 120 acres north of Dromara village. Retention of the early 19th century fenestration to the main façade and the prominent fanlight and entrance door adds to the architectural integrity of the house. The house is of considerable social importance to the local community, the linen mill once being a major employer in the area. Woodford House is set in an unspoilt rural landscape, contributing significantly to the architectural heritage of Dromara village and the wider area. It is a fine example of a large Georgian farmhouse typical of the type built in Northern Ireland from the mid-18th century.

General Comments

This record has been renumbered from HB19/07/010

Date of Survey

01 October 2010