Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB23/10/002 A

Address :
Clandeboye House Clandeboye Estate Ballyleidy Bangor Co Down BT19 1RN

Townland:
Ballyleidy

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
06/01/1975 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:
131/3NW

IG Ref:
J4744 7949

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Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

Large, relatively unadorned and unpretentious, two storey country house of 1800-4 by Robert Woodgate built around a much smaller, plainer three storey mid 18th century residence, which itself is believed to have replaced a modest pre c.1710 dwelling. The home of the Blackwood family / Marquises of Dufferin & Ava, the building is roughly square in plan with a render and dressed stone façade, shallow hipped roof and restrained classical detailing in the form of a pedimented bay and a Doric portico to the south, the latter over the original entrance w+hich became redundant in the 1860s when the later to be 1st Marquis aided by William Henry Lynn created new entrance and inner halls to the west (along with an unassuming entrance) by converting the lower level kitchen and scullery. The house is set in a large 800 acre demesne to the southwest of Bangor and is approached from a long curving drive opening off the main Belfast Road. The house is roughly square in plan consisting of four ‘wings’ with the space in-between largely filled with a varied mass of linked returns and corridors. Though mainly two storey (with a basement) throughout, the building is not set on a single level, the S and E ‘wings’ on higher ground with the portions to the N and W (many of which are actually single storey) on considerably lower ground. The formal E and S elevations are in lined render with even textured limestone-like stone dressings and quoins to S, with much of the less formal N elevation in lined render, and even more informal W elevation faced in rubble stone now partly covered in creeper growth. The roof a is complex mixture of hipped and gabled portions all slated with a varied collection of chimneystacks of differing lengths, some with base courses and projecting cornicing others much plainer. The windows though varied in terms of size and shape are generally filled with timber sliding sash frames with Georgian panes, however there are some large stained glass windows (largely hidden from external view) over the grand stairwell and the inner and outer halls. The main entrance to the building was originally to the S but was moved to the W around the later 1860s when the new entrance halls were created. West elevation The main W elevation is approached from the drive to the S via a short shrub-lined walk between the outbuilding complex to the NW and a single storey outbuilding projection (with store rooms etc.) to NE. As stated above, the elevation itself is distinctly informal, consisting of a tall single / one and a half storey rubble stone façade now partly covered in creeper growth. Roughly to the centre of the elevation is the main entrance which consists of relatively tall but narrow doorway filled with a slightly mediaeval looking plain timber double door with studs and cast iron knockers. The doorway has plain stone [?sandstone] dressings and is covered by a large classical style flat-roofed port cochere (with Ionic columns, pilasters, modillions, dentils etc), added in 1959. The area of walling covered by the port cochere either side of the doorway is rendered and painted. To the left of the port cochere is a smaller service doorway with panelled timber door and plain rendered dressings. To the left of this doorway the height of the façade drops as the elevation merges with the W face of the abovementioned single storey outbuilding section (which is largely hidden behind the thick shrub growth). To the far right hand side of the elevation there is a much taller two storey basement section set well back from the line of the main elevation. This section is actually the short W face of the S ‘wing’ and has a sash window to right on the ground floor (6 panes over 6) a smaller plain sash window set at a slightly higher level to left (this window is awkwardly positioned- it may not be original), whilst to the first floor there are two sash windows to left and centre as that to right on ground floor. To right on the first floor there is a blind window. North elevation The main N elevation, (which is partly obscured from general view by a tall rubble wall which encloses a roughly triangular shaped garden to the N), has an complex, untidy appearance. To the left hand (E) side is a tall 3 storey basement section whilst to the centre and right is a much lower 1½ / 2 storey section. The taller section itself is in two portions with the western half having a lower roof level. To the basement level of the taller left hand section there are two sash windows of differing size, that to left 4/8 that to right 3/6. The right hand window sits within a two level flat-roofed bay. To right again of this bay there is doorway with recent-looking glazed door. Directly above the right hand window (and within the bay) is a smaller window (6/6), whilst directly above the door is a larger window (6/6); both these windows serve ground floor rooms. To the far right at ground floor level there is a large squarish window (12/12). To the first floor level there are three similarly sized but unevenly spaced windows- all 6/6, with two similar windows to right on the second floor. The W-facing gable of this taller section is exposed at second floor level and here (to the right hand side of the gable) there is a small semicircular-headed window (whose frame could not be seen clearly). The much lower 1 ½ / 2 storey section to right (W) has two similar sized windows (6/6) to ground (actually basement) level. To the right of these is a large single storey lean-to with an 8/8 window and a large roof light. Abutting the W side of the lean-to is a small single storey stone-faced section with a partly glazed timber door with a 2/2 window to its left. To thefar left on the upper level is a small four pane window to right of which is a gabled half-dormer with a semicircular headed window with an unusual sash frame which has plain glazing to the lower half and four symmetrically arranged panes to the upper half. To the right again are two similar half-dormers with similar shaped window openings; that to right has a 2/2 frame whilst that to the left has a frame with five symmetrically arranged panes to the upper half and two ‘normal’ panes to the lower half. To right of this the façade is abutted by a large two storey section set on a N-S axis (see below next paragraph) beyond which there two small windows to the ground floor with a squat window to the first floor (6/6). As mentioned above, close to the W end the lower section of N elevation is abutted by a similar sized rubble-built section (now the estate office with flats above) set on a N-S axis. To the left hand side of the E face of this section (where it abuts the previously described section) there is a shallow bay with a partly glazed timber door to the ground floor and two small plain double sash windows to the first floor. To the right of the bay there are two double sash windows to each floor (all 6/6, 6/6). These openings have brick dressings. To the W face of this section there are two windows with a doorway to the far right to the ground floor whilst to the first floor there are three roughly similar sized windows with another smaller one to far right. To the N side of this section there is a small area enclosed by a rubble wall within which is an oil tank(?s). A few feet to the W side of the estate office section there is a small single storey brick and rubble-built hipped roof shed-like building which (to the W) abuts the single storey outbuilding section mentioned above in the description of the W elevation. The shed has a timber-sheeted double door, with large three pane fanlight, to its N face along with what appears to be a tall narrow boarded over window opening. The E face of the outbuilding has four sash windows (2/2) to the left and centre with a doorway between the first and second windows. To right of the windows is a large recent looking flat arched vehicle doorway. Most of these openings are brick-dressed, with occasional brick ‘arch’ outlines scattered along the façade suggesting some other openings were blocked at some point. The short N face of the outbuilding contains a large mullioned and transomed louvered opening. The roof of the outbuilding has at least four small dormer-like vents to the E side, at least three of which are louvered. A tall rubble-built wall stretches from the NE corner of the outbuilding to the wall surrounding the garden enclosure further to the E (see above). This wall contains a large elliptical arched vehicle gateway with timber gates. South elevation The main portion of the south elevation consists largely of a two storey formal composition which was originally wholly symmetrical but which was altered in the later 1800s. The portion consists of a broad shallow central bay flanked by narrower recessed bays, all believed to contain some of the fabric of the mid 18th century house. The façade is finished in lined render with flush in-out stone quoins, a projecting base course, a plain string course between ground and first floor levels, and a moulded eaves course. To the far left hand side of the elevation (where the ground level drops considerably) there is a much lower and much plainer two storey section. To the centre of the of the ground floor of large central bay is a broad portico with four Doric columns supporting a flat roof with dentilled [?or modillioned] projecting cornice course. Within the portico the façade is rusticated and there are three tall semicircular-headed windows with those to centre and right 15/12, but with that to left apparently acting as a French window and having twelve Georgian panes over a doorway of six larger panes. The original entrance was contained within the portico, with the present window arrangement dating from around the later 1860s, when the new entrance was created to the W. A broad but short flight of stone steps leads up to the small paved terrace / threshold of the portico. To left of the portico is a tall window as centre and right within the portico itself, whilst to left again (within the recessed bay) there is a tall ‘tripartite’ window (3/3, 9/9, 3/3) with rendered mullions and a large segmental fanlight above with ‘radial’ tracery. To right of the portico there is a pair of flat-arched windows (both 9/9) separated by a thick pier with a ¾ Corinthian column thereon with banding to the centre point of the column shaft. To the outer sides of the windows there are odd pilaster-like features with banding similar to the column and small floral ‘brackets’ to their respective window reveals, whilst above the windows is a relatively plain box cornice-like moulding. These windows are another c.1860s alteration. To right again (within the recessed bay) there is a large single storey canted bay with tall plain parapet (which completely hides its roof); this bay is another c.1860s alteration. To the first floor of the larger central bay there is centrally located broad but shallow pedimented bay with three 6/6 windows set on a sill course. Each of these windows has a simple moulded surround and above each is a simple shallow ‘hood’ moulding. Either side of the pedimented bay there is another 6/6 window with surround as before, with another similar window to each of the recessed bays. The lower two storey section to the far left hand side of the elevation has a plain appearance. To the left hand side it consists of a tall rendered section of walling (the S face of the single storey billiard room) devoid of any openings. To the right of this is a slightly taller two storey house-like section with a hipped roof. This section has two plain sash windows and a panelled timber door (with large fanlight) to the ground floor and three marginally smaller plain sash windows to the first floor. East elevation This two storey elevation is long and formal. Slightly to the left of centre is a broad but shallow full-height bay which is dominated by a very broad shallow full-height bowed bay. To the ground floor of the bow there is a large central tripartite window (4/6, 6/9, 4/6) with rendered mullions and a segmental arched recess above. To left is a 6/9 window, with a similar sized window to right which acts as a French window with six pane double door with six Georgian panes above. To the first floor of the bow there is a similar but shorter central tripartite window (4/4, 6/6, 4/4) with a 6/6 window to either side. To the left hand side of the bay containing the bow there are three tall windows to the ground floor (all 9/9) with three shorter windows to the first floor (all 6/6). To the right of the bay there are four windows to the ground floor and four to the first floor, all corresponding to those to left, but with the far right hand window on both floors set further apart from the rest and separated from the rest by a broad full-height pilaster. To the right hand end of the elevation there is a recessed bay the same height as the rest of the elevation but with three levels. To the lowest level there is a 6/6 window, with another to the level above this to the uppermost level (actually the first floor proper) there is a 9/9 window, as rest of the first floor to this elevation. The E elevation is rendered as that to S and has a similar base course, string course and eaves course, but does not have any quoins. ‘Rear elevations’ Sandwiched in the area between the main ‘wings’ of the house are various returns corridors and the lean-tos of different size and shape which merge into one another to form an almost solid mass of largely hipped roofs with only the differing roof heights and several very small widely spaced yards allowing occasional areas of walling to be exposed. This whole area defies detailed description, however certain general points can be made. Firstly, all of the sections appear to be of utilitarian appearance, much as one would expect from what were originally largely service rooms mainly hidden from external view. There are differing roof heights with some sections single storey others two, however all are generally low in stature - again much as one would expect from service rooms. The roofs are either hipped or gabled and slated, however the long L-shaped narrow corridor section which leads from the gallery in the E ‘wing’ to the entrance halls in the W has a broad roof light which runs along its entire length whilst several other sections have small regular shaped roof lights. The exposed areas of walling appear to be wholly plain rendered and the windows, though of varying size and shape, are mainly filled with timber Georgian-paned sash frames. The exposed sections of the rear elevations of the main ‘wings’ have a similar plain rendered utilitarian appearance with little hint of formality. However, there are several notable features such as the full-height and mainly glazed canted bay to the rear of the E ‘wing’ which lights the grand stairwell and is filled with stained glass, and, to the W ‘wing’, the large mullioned and transomed stained glass windows which light the inner and outer halls. As stated at the beginning, the chimney stacks are of varying shape, though largely uniform in terms of render and lack of decoration. The stacks to the estate office section (and some others to the W side) have an overtly Victorian appearance with a well-defined base, projecting cornice course and uniform octagonal pots. The rw goods appear to be largely metal.

Architects

Historical Information

The country house now known as ‘Clandeboye’ (originally ‘Ballyleidy House’) assumed much of its present form in c.1800-4 when James Blackwood commissioned architect Robert Woodgate construct a much grander residence around his relatively modest mid 18th century dwelling. The Blackwood family had lived at Ballyleidy since at least 1681, originally as tenants of the Clanbrassil estate, but some time prior to 1688 debts incurred by the 2nd Lord Clanbrassil allowed John Blackwood to acquire the freehold of the townland and other lands in the area. It is not known when the first house at Ballyleidy was actually built but a two storey dwelling is shown on a map believed to date from c.1710. By c.1750 this was either enlarged or completely replaced by a larger building which is shown on a mid 18th century map as being either 2½ or 3 storey with small 2-2½ storey gabled wings, four windows each to the upper floors of the main central section with four chimneystacks to its roof. A later more precise drawing, which appears to date from the later 1700s [?c.1790s] and which purports to be the house before the 1800-04 enlargement, also shows a three storey building, however the wings are shown as single storey with hipped roofs and the main central section has five windows to each of the upper floors and two chimneystacks. These discrepancies may simply be due to the fact that the c.1750s map merely shows a ‘representation’ of the house, or that the later drawing is a later 18th century proposal- not the house as it actually was (it certainly has the look of a proposal drawing), however they could suggest that major works carried out to the building at some point prior to 1800. Whatever the case, the rise in his family’s fortunes by the end of the 18th century lead James Blackwood (2nd Baron Dufferin) to commission a much grander residence from architect Robert Woodgate. Woodgate, a former pupil of Sir John Soane sent by him to Ireland in the 1790s to supervise the rebuilding of Barons Court, redesigned the house on a much larger scale constructing large new wing to the east, a smaller block to the north and the service rooms to west, with the old house practically rebuilt to form the entrance wing to the south. Apart from being renamed ‘Clandeboye’ by Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, (5th Baron Dufferin later 1st Marquis of Dufferin and Ava), in the 1840s, the house remained complete in its Woodgate form for over fifty years, the façade escaping the 5th Lord’s successive ideas for remodelling it along Elizabethan, French chateau and baronial castle lines. Some time around the later 1860s, (the actual date appears to be uncertain) alterations were carried out to the interior including the creation of the library by knocking the entrance hall into the adjoining study and conversion of the former scullery and kitchen to the west into new outer and inner entrance halls. In the latter decades of the 19th century the new halls became filled with exotic objects, artefacts and curios collected by the now 1st Marquis during his distinguished public career- Governor General of Canada (1872-79), ambassador to Russia (1879-81) and Constantinople (1881-84), Viceroy of India (1884-88), and ambassador to Italy (1881-91) and France (1891-96)- objects ranging from a Red Indian fertility idol to a grizzly bear, a mummy case to an elaborate model of the Royal Palace at Mandalay. Further changes to the were carried out to the interior the 1st Marquis in or around the late 1880s with back rooms off the halls converted to a billiards room / library, table tennis room, strong room, museum room, gentlemen’s cloak room and other service rooms. Like many other larger country estates, Clandeboye was occupied by military authorities during the First and Second World Wars and by the end of the latter the house had fallen into disrepair. The building was restored in the following decades by the 4th Marquis’s widow Maureen and by the 5th Marquis and his wife, the present Lady Dufferin. The most notable external change to the building during this period was perhaps the addition of a classical style port cochere added in 1959, (to mark the coming of age of the 5th Marquis), over the unassuming new western entrance created in the 1860s. [The writers would like to thank Mrs Lola Armstrong for her assistance in the compilation of this report.] References- Primary sources 1 PRONI D.1071 Dufferin Papers 2 ‘Belfast scenery in thirty views 1832. Drawn by Joseph Molloy, Belfast, engraved by E.K. Proctor, London’ [reprint, Linen Hall Library, 1983 with modern commentary by Fred Heatley and Hugh Dixon] 3 PRONI VAL/1B/315 First valuation, Bangor parish, 1833 4 PRONI OS/6/3/1/1 OS map, Co Down sheet 1, 1834 5 PRONI OS/6/3/1/2 OS map, Co Down sheet 1, 1858-60 6 PRONI VAL/2B/3/1B Second valuation, Bangor parish, c.1862 7 PRONI VAL/12B/23/7A-G Annual valuation revision books, c.1864-c.1893 8 PRONI OS/6/3/1/3 OS map, Co Down sheet 1, c.1901 Secondary sources 1 Peter Rankin et al, ‘Clandeboye’ (Belfast, 1985) 2 Mark Bence-Jones, ‘A guide to Irish country houses’ (London, 1988), pp.83-84 3 Information supplied by Mrs Lola Armstrong, archivist and curator at Clandeboye (March 2003)

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

Historic Interest

Evaluation

Large and important, relatively unadorned and unpretentious, two storey country house of 1800-4 by Robert Woodgate built around a much smaller, plainer three storey mid 18th century residence, which itself is believed to have replaced a modest pre c.1710 dwelling. The home of the Blackwood family / Marquises of Dufferin & Ava, the building is roughly square in plan with a render and dressed stone façade, shallow hipped roof and restrained classical detailing in the form of a pedimented bay and a Doric portico to the south. Clandeboye is a large but relatively plain late Georgian country house with not insignificant later 19th century alterations which resulted in the breaking up of the symmetry of the original south front and the creation of a new understated entrance to the west. The contrast between the c.1804 Neo-Classical main sections of the house and the c.1860s ‘baronial’ entrance halls reflect something of the changes in 19th century architectural styles as well as the personal taste of the 1st Marquis, however, the creation of the latter has given the house a somewhat ‘disjointed’ layout and the effect of the parts being greater than the whole.

General Comments

Please note this record has been renumbered it was previously HB23/10/002 Within Clandeboye Local Landscape Policy Area BR24

Date of Survey

06 March 2003