Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB23/20/061

Address :
20 Victoria Road Holywood Co Down BT18 9BG

Townland:
Ballykeel

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
01/12/2014 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

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OS Map No:
130/04

IG Ref:
J4044 7923

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

An asymmetrical three-bay two-storey-with-attic detached late-Victorian house; built 1850 and located north of Victoria Road near Holywood town centre. T-shaped plan with single-storey canted bay and projecting porch to front, double-height lean-to return and single-storey extension to rear. Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and tall rendered chimneystacks. Plastic rainwater goods on projecting timber boarded and bracketed eaves. Walling is painted smooth render on plinth, with eaves band, channelled rustication to ground floor and moulded string course between floors: moulded roundel with shield inset to first floor of main elevation. Windows are 1/1 timber-framed sliding sash with horns to ground floor; 2/2 to first floor with horizontal glazing bars, moulded surrounds and continuous sills (that to projecting bay has plain architrave and moulded cornice); round-headed 2/2 window with horizontal glazing bars and timber casements to attic. The principal elevation faces northwest comprising, from left, projecting gabled bay one window wide with canted bay to ground floor; single-storey porch to centre at re-entrant angle and right bay two windows wide. Porch is surmounted by a uPVC conservatory accessed from central bay a replacement timber door. Porch has window at right cheek and is accessed via two bull-nosed steps. Entrance door has six-raised-and-fielded-panels, brass door furniture and transom light in moulded surround, surmounted by corniced canopy with parapet on ornate console brackets. Diminutive blind window to centre at attic. The northeast elevation is three windows wide; blind window to left and right at attic. The southeast (rear) elevation has projecting bay at right with two windows to attic; abutted at first floor by the two-storey lean-to return having a window to first floor of northeast elevation; further abutted by the single-storey return (of no interest). Left bay has two windows to attic, window at first floor left, diminutive 1/1 window at centre and replacement stairwell window at right; window to ground floor left. The southwest elevation has a window to centre at attic. Setting Situated on a substantial mature site north of Victoria Road. Lawn and shrubs garden to all sides, enclosed by mature trees, hedgerow and timber fence. Detached modern garages to rear. Secondary entrance from Victoria Road to rear with modern timber gates; original entrance from Victoria road to northwest having original square painted rendered gate piers with caps surmounted by ball finial on plinth; attached are modern metal electric gates. Roof: Natural slate Walling: render Windows: timber RWG: Plastic

Architects

Turner, Thomas

Historical Information

After the opening of the railway in 1848, Holywood became increasingly attractive to prosperous merchants, professionals and developers. The demand grew for substantial houses in spacious grounds and much of Holywood’s rural hinterland began to be developed. In the early 1850’s William Bankhead Esq built three structures on this High Holywood plot. According to Auld, Thomas Turner was the architect engaged to design the buildings, which were initially intended to comprise a mansion, outbuildings and porters lodge. Correspondence of 1854 between Thomas Turner and William Bankhead is referred to by Auld, and the Dictionary of Irish Architects also refers to documents of 1852 held by PRONI which show that Thomas Turner supplied designs for alterations to Hillbrook including the addition of outbuildings. (Auld, p.51; www.dia.ie) All the structures on the site were initially known as ‘Hillbrook’, this house later becoming known as ‘Glenburn’ and a further house to the east ‘Donnybrook’, the remaining structure retaining the name ‘Hillbrook’. The three buildings are first shown on the second edition OS map of 1858, captioned, ‘Hillbrook’. According to Merrick, Hillbrook was used as a school in the 1850s and 60s by John Turpin, however, given the changes of name, it is not clear that the school was in the building now known as Hillbrook. Auld suggests that the school may have been in the current house, ‘Glenburn’. (Merrick, p.58, Auld, p.51) As a result of the confusion surrounding the house names some uncertainty attaches to the occupiers, but as far as could be determined the occupiers were as follows. Griffith’s Valuation (1861) lists the occupier as Allen Clarke who leases the house, offices, yard and land from William Bankhead. It is valued at £54. In the late 1860’s the house was taken over by John Larkin and then by Richard Farrell. The valuation was reduced to £44 in 1882 as part of a general devaluation of property in this area. Subsequent tenants were Thomas Fisher in 1887 and Edward S Meredith in 1892. By 1900 Glenburn was the home of James C McErvel, a seed and implement merchant with premises in Victoria Square, Belfast who was later to live in a house he appears to have built for himself, ‘Temora’ in Ballycultra. (HB23/18/061) The 1901 census tells us that he lived in Victoria Road with his wife and a general domestic servant. (1901 census) In 1903 the valuation was reduced again to £38.10s and by 1908 the house had passed to the Wylie family who were to become long-term residents. John Beattie Wylie was a Presbyterian minister who appears to have chosen Glenburn as his retirement home. In 1911 he was 70 and lived with his wife and two servants, a general domestic from County Monaghan and a coachman from County Cavan. (1911 census) He had formerly ministered in congregational churches in Cork and in Kingstown, in 1874 becoming the minister of Macrory Memorial church in Belfast. He was a Temperance reformer, and acted as Convener of the General Assembly's Temperance Committee from 1884 till 1891, the year of his resignation through ill-health. (History of Congregations) After Wylie’s death the house passed to his widow, Jane and then to John Owens Wylie, probably a son, who became the immediate lessor in 1924. The house was improved in the 1910s, and rose in valuation. A ‘motor house’ accounts for a rise of £2 to £44.10s in 1914. James Owens Wylie, estate agent, died in 1931 has remained in use as a domestic dwelling, although soldiers were billeted in the house during the Second World War. (Will of James Owens Wylie; Owner Information) Map evidence suggests that there has been a substantial extension to the rear in recent years. References: Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/3/1/2 – Second Edition OS map 1858 2. PRONI OS/6/3/1/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1900-02 3. PRONI OS/6/3/1/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-31 4. PRONI OS/6/3/1/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1938-41 5. Griffith’s Valuation online (1861) 6. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/10A-G – Annual Revisions (1867-1930) 7. PRONI VAL/12/E/123/5/1 – 1903–[1916] 8. PRONI Will of James Owens Wylie, died 8th March, 1931 9. 1901 census online 10. 1911 census online Secondary Sources 1. “A History of Congregations in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 1610-1982” authorised by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Belfast: Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland, 1982 (available at www.presbyterianhistoryireland.com) 2. Auld, C. ”Forgotten Houses of Holywood, Co Down” Holywood: Con Auld, 2002 3. Merrick, Tony “Buildings of Holywood” Holywood: Holywood Advertiser, 1986 4. Owner Information 5. www.dia.ie – Dictionary of Irish Architects online

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

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

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

An asymmetrical three-bay two-storey-with-attic detached late-Victorian house; built 1850. Although the architectural fabric is largely intact, although somewhat compromised by the uPVC conservatory over the porch and a large modern extension to the rear. However, the design is unusual with respect to the attic storey and this well-proportioned and relatively well-preserved villa is a good example of the type built by the wealthy professional classes during Holywood’s expansion from the mid-nineteenth century.

General Comments

Date of Survey

23 February 2011