Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB18/07/010

Address :
Belle Vista 27 Mourne View Ballynahinch Co. Down BT24 8EL

Townland:
Ballynahinch

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
11/02/1980 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:
204/7 NW

IG Ref:
J3690 5270

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

‘Belle Vista’ is a relatively small and somewhat picturesque single storey villa of c.1865. It has been much extended at the rear in recent years. The building is set to the E end of Mourne View, NE of Ballynahinch town centre. The front (S) façade is asymmetrical. To the left of centre is the entrance doorway which is set within an elliptical headed arch recess. The door itself is timber panelled (two panels with arched heads) and is flanked by Ionic columns with support a projecting entablature with cornice. Above, and set back from the entablature is an elliptical fanlight. The entrance recess has a narrow moulded surround. To the left and to the right of the entrance is a hipped roof, canted bay. To each side of each bay there is a sash window with segmental head and sash frame. The windows of each bay rest on a cill course and all have simple moulded surrounds. Each bay has a chamfered plinth and steps to the entrance fan out between the bays. To the right of the right hand bay is another window (as bays). The W gable has two windows, as front. The E gable has one window, also as front. To the left (E) at the rear, there is a large two storey, hipped roof, extension. The W face of this extension has a central garage door to the ground floor with modern up & over door. To either side of this door is a small window with segmental head and modern timber frame. To the upper floor are three similar windows, set in gabled half dormers. The E face has two similar half dormers, a window to the left set at a lower level, and another to ground level far left. The shorter N face has a ground floor doorway and a half dormer. To the right (W) of the extension the rear of the main house merges into a lean-to like section. The N face of this section has a large doorway with partially glazed double doors to the left, then two sash windows, with a paired sash window to the far right. The front façade, gables and façade of the extension are finished in rusticated render, with a tall chamfered base. Chamfered quoins to front and gables. The N face of the rear ‘lean-to’ is finished in rough cast with smooth render surrounds to the openings. All facades are painted. The roof of the original section is gabled and covered in natural slate with red clay ridge tiles. The roof has a slight overhang with a bracketed eaves to the front. There are four tall, rendered, chimney stacks to the ridge with two octagonal pots each. The stacks are unevenly spaced. The roof of the extension is hipped and also appears to be covered in natural slate. It has an overhang also. Cast iron and PVC rw goods.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

Building development at ‘Mourne View’, the short link between the Belfast and Crossgar Roads, did not commence until after c.1863*. This particular house may have been the first to be built along the stretch, possibly by a William Shaw. Sources suggest that the building itself have been originally known as ‘Mourne View’. The present owners acquired the property in 1992 and added the large extension to the rear in the mid 1990s. *The 1974 UAHS guide to the Mid Down area (secondary source No.2) suggests this house was built in c.1845, but it is not shown on the OS map of 1859, nor does it appear to be listed in the 1863 valuation. References- Primary sources 1 PRONI D.1255 Title deeds, legal and testamentary papers, correspondence and Irish Land Commissioners Papers re the Ballynahinch Estate, 1630-1940. 2 PRONI and Linen Hall Library ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ]). 3 PRONI OS/9/41/1 OS Town plan of Ballynahinch, 1860 4 PRONI and Linen Hall Library Second (Griffith’s) valuation, Magherdrool, c.1863 [in print]. 5 PRONI VAL/12E/83/1 Valuation town plans, Ballynahinch, 1864-1905. 6 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886), pp.369-379. 7 PRONI VAL/12E/83/2 Valuation town plans, Ballynahinch, 1905-35. 8 PRONI OS/8/3/2 OS town plan of Ballynahinch, 1920. 9 PRONI VAL/3G/59/1 Valuation town plans, Ballynahinch, 1937-53. Secondary sources 1 S. McCullough ‘Ballynahinch: centre of Down’ (Ballynahinch Chamber of Commerce 1968). 2 C.E.B. Brett ‘Historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in the towns and villages of Mid Down’ (Belfast UAHS 1974), p.38.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation H-. Alterations detracting from building J. Setting

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Relatively small and somewhat picturesque single storey villa of c.1865. The property has been much extended at the rear in recent years.

General Comments

Date of Survey

04 October 1999