Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB23/16/016

Address :
Rockport School 15 Rockport Road Holywood Co Down BT18 0DD

Townland:
Ballyrobert

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
27/01/1975 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
School

Former Use
House

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
115/09

IG Ref:
J4373 8188

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

A detached two-storey three-bay private school with basement and attic, built c.1815, substantially remodelled c.1870, and located at the north side of Glencraig, overlooking Belfast Lough. Rectangular on plan with single-storey classical porch and large twentieth-century extension to east (of no interest). Hipped natural slate roof with rolled leaded hips and central valley; plain rendered chimneystacks (rebuilt) to centre. Aluminium box gutter supported on series of profiled eaves brackets. Cast-iron downpipes with decorative fixings. Cement rendered walling with rusticated quoins, plinth and architrave with plain frieze; moulded cill course to each floor. Windows are timber sashes without horns, 6/6 to south entrance elevation, generally 6/1 to north and west elevations (except where stated). Ground floor windows have architrave surrounds, cills project over foliated brackets and panelled aprons, moulded canopy over on ornate scrolled console brackets. First floor windows have lugged architrave surrounds. All basement windows are timber casement replacements. Door is double-leaf timber with glazed top panels and semi-circular fanlight over. Principal elevation faces south and is symmetrical with five openings to each floor arranged about a central ashlar sandstone porch. The porch is classically styled, with cornice and blocking course, columns with decorative Ionic-style capitals flank main entrance and corresponding pilasters to either side of round-headed side openings, all over a pedestal course. West elevation has exposed basement with banded rustication. To right side is a modern timber basement door with undersized 3/3 sash over; landing has a round-headed 6/6 sash with spiderweb toplight. Left side has a window to each floor. North elevation has four equally spaced openings to each floor; no apron panels to ground floor windows, plain cill brackets rest on an ashlar sandstone platband. Basement windows are as stated above with the exception of a canted bay insertion to left side. East elevation is completely abutted by the extension. Setting The school is set in extensive grounds comprising lawns and playing fields. There are additional buildings on the site, dating from throughout the twentieth century and of no interest. The shore of Belfast Lough is accessed directly from the north side of the site, and it is bounded by mature trees. Accessed via a tarmacadam drive from south, with entrance marked by a pair of modern cement rendered piers. Roof: Natural slate Walling: Cement render Windows: 1/1 timber sash RWG: Concealed gutters, cast-iron downpipes

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

The house is first mentioned in primary sources in the early nineteenth century but underwent major remodelling c.1870 and after conversion to a preparatory school in 1906. A letter from the first known owner of the house, ‘John Turnley’ places him at the house in 1818 and the house is shown on a map of ‘Hollywood’ Parish from Mason’s Statistical Survey of Ireland, dated 1819. Atkinson’s survey of 1823 calls Turnly’s [sic] house ‘a good modern edifice’ and continues, “It is embellished with plantations, and very neatly laid out. The lands appear in high heart; and in point of prospect, nothing can be more beautiful than that view of the town of Carrickfergus over the crystal surface of the bay which this seat commands”. He adds that the house, ‘owes its existence and beauty to the present resident’. According to Auld, the Turnly family’s considerable wealth came from the brewing industry and overseas trade in the East India Company. Richmond Lodge on the Belfast Road and Drumnasole, near Carnlough, also belonged to the Turnlys. An engraving by E.K Proctor shows the house in 1832. (Atkinson, p.86, Auld, Forgotten Houses, p.85) The house is shown captioned ‘Rockport House’, with extensive outbuildings to the west on the first edition OS map of 1834. It is listed in the Townland Valuation of 1834 as a house and offices with steward and gardener’s houses, occupied by Mr Turnley and valued at £55.1s. Numerous outbuildings are listed including piggeries, a boiling house and a carpenter’s shop. It is mentioned in OS Memoirs as a gentleman’s seat and Mr Turnley is named by Lewis as a supporter of one of the public schools in the area. (OS Memoirs, p.76; Lewis, p.6) Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) lists the house as the residence of Edward Stephen May, with John Turnley as the lessor. The valuation is £72, later raised to £80 and the valuer comments, “A fine substantial block of a house, but plainly built and furnished – does not appear to be kept in very good order, offices inferior...Mr Turnley, the proper heir of this is a lunatic but John Turnley is his brother and receives the rent.” At an unknown date after 1867 the house is taken over by Robert Neill, shipowner and coal importer and in 1875 by his son, Henry James Neill. There is a date of 1871 on a keyblock within the front porch, and a corresponding monogram ‘HJN’ indicating the addition of the porch at this time, possibly along with other alterations. A third keyblock is carved with a lion, which may be the Neill crest, and appears throughout the house on fireplaces. (The school crest is now a lion). Henry James Neill had made a fortune providing a provisioning service for Australian gold miners. Having married in Australia in 1856, he bought Rockport on his return to his native land and took on an ailing wine and spirits business which he directed to financial success. Neill had a large family of twelve children and a grandson, Stephen Neill, became a celebrated missionary, bishop and scholar. (Daughrity, p.31-2; www.oxforddnb.com) Coachman’s and steward’s houses were added to the plot in 1882 and this increased the valuation to £88. Henry James Neill died in 1891 leaving the house to his widow Isabella Neill who herself died in 1898 in Cannes. In 1904 the property was taken over by James T Barrett and the valuation was reduced to £51 the same year, as the result of an appeal. Valuer’s notes from 1904 give a plan and dimensions of the building and record that the rent is £60 although £100 was being asked ‘a few years ago’. It is a ‘very fine house, but old – a long way from road. Vacant for a long time.’ The owner had spent £200 on renovations. At this time there were three sitting rooms, nine bedrooms and a bathroom with hot and cold water, a large basement and the house obtained water from a private supply. In 1906 the house was taken over by Geoffrey Bing who converted the house for use as a boys’ preparatory boarding school. The first enrolment was four boys and Headmaster Bing was assisted by one master and a matron. (Auld, Holywood Then and Now, p.67) In 1919 the valuation is raised to £130 and valuer’s notes show a substantial addition to the east of the main house. Adaptations included a ‘football and cricket pavilion’ and dormitory cubicles. A plan and dimensions are given of the house and outbuildings. Mr Bing was headmaster until 1945 and towards the end of his tenure the school became a charitable trust which introduced girls as well as weekly boarders and day pupils. Building work took place in the 1970s which added a classroom block, additional changing rooms and shower areas. A pre-prep section was also added to the school. In the 1980s pre-school and day care facilities were introduced and in 1998 a Senior School. The school now caters for around 200 children. (www.rockportschool.com) References: Primary Sources 1.PRONI OS/6/3/1/1 – First Edition OS Map 1834 2.PRONI OS/6/3/1/2 – Second Edition OS map 1858 3.PRONI OS/6/3/1/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1900-02 4.PRONI OS/6/3/1/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-31 5.PRONI OS/6/3/1/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1938-41 6.PRONI VAL/1/A/3/1 – Townland Valuation Map (1828-40) 7.PRONI VAL/1/B/318 – Townland Valuation (1828-40) 8.PRONI VAL/2/B/3/1 – Griffith’s Valuation Map (1856-64) 9.PRONI VAL/2/B/3/18B – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) 10.PRONI VAL/12/A/3/19 – Valuer’s Notebook 11.PRONI VAL/12/A/3/22 – Valuer’s Notebook 12.PRONI VAL/12/B/17/10A-G – Annual Revisions (1867-1930) 13.PRONI VAL/12/B/17/11A-C – Annual Revisions (1888-1930) 14.PRONI D3688/D/1 – Letter from John Turnley, 1818 15.PRONI Will of Henry James Neill 16.PRONI Will of Isabella Neill 17.The Argus, Melbourne, 12 June 1856 18.Mason, W S “A Statistical Account or Parochial Survey of Ireland: drawn up from the communications of the clergy” in four volumes, Dublin, London and Edinburgh: 1814, 1816, 1819 19.Atkinson, A “Ireland exhibited to England in a political and moral survey of her population in a statistical and sceneographical tour of certain districts.” London: Baldwin, Cradock and Joy, 1823 20.Day, A. and P. McWilliams, eds. “OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of County Down II, 1832-4, 1837, Vol. 7.” Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1991. 21.Lewis, Samuel. “A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Comprising the Several Counties, Cities, Boroughs, Corporate, Market, and Post Towns, Parishes, and Villages, With Historical and Statistical Descriptions; Embellished with Engravings of the Arms of the Cities, Bishopricks, Corporate Towns, and Boroughs; Of the Seals of the Several Municipal Corporations.” London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837. Secondary Sources: 1.Auld, C. “Holywood Co Down, Then and Now” Holywood: Con Auld, 2002 2.Auld, C. ”Forgotten Houses of Holywood, Co Down” Holywood: Con Auld, 2002 3.Daughrity, D “Bishop Stephen Neill: from Edinburgh to South India” New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2008 4.www.oxforddnb.com 5.www.rockportschool.com

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

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Rockport is a two-storey three-bay house with dormer attic, now in use as a private school and occupying large private grounds overlooking Belfast Lough. On first inspection the house appears as a modest Victorian country house in restrained classical style, generally conforming to a simple symmetrical plan enlivened by ornamentation to windows and an Ionic porch, dated 1871. However, internal inspection and historic research suggests early nineteenth century origins, and associations with the Turnley and Neill families, both prominent merchants. The building has served as a private school since 1906. It has been somewhat compromised by the large extension, and although the original house remains largely intact, there have been some minor inappropriate alterations. However, the main house survives in fairly original condition and it is a good example of the type and of development in the are..

General Comments

Date of Survey

07 July 2010