Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB18/06/018

Address :
Echohall 62 Spa Road Spa Ballymaglave south Ballynahinch Co Down BT24 8PT

Townland:
Ballymaglave south

---

Survey 2:
B+

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

---

OS Map No:
204/14

IG Ref:
J3673 4956

---

Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

Long two storey ‘vernacular Georgian’ hipped roof house whose central portion probably dates from the mid to later 18th century, with end bays added in c.1850 and an assortment of rear returns mainly dating from the late 19th century. To the N is a single storey portion, which was used as an outbuilding but is now largely integrated with the house itself. The property at end of an attractive tree-lined drive to the E of Spa Road, within the small hamlet of The Spa, c.2 miles S of Ballynahinch. When built, the property undoubtedly had large grounds around it, but close by to the S there is now a large school, and relatively near by to the E (beyond the garden) is Ballymaglave Road. The front façade faces roughly W and is symmetrical. To the centre is a panelled timber door with semicircular radial fanlight. The doorway has a simple moulded surround and a fairly recently added [?timber] hood on curved brackets. To both left and right of the doorway are three relatively small sash windows with Georgian panes (6 panes over 6). The outermost window to either side sit within a recessed bay. Both bays mark the limit of the end portions which were added in the mid 1800s. To the first floor there are seven windows. Six of these are identical to follow the line of those to the ground floor but that to the centre is a small scale Venetian window (2/2, 12/6, 2/2). To the N end of the building there is a short single storey flat roofed section which links to a single storey (with attic) section which was originally separate from the main house. This short link has a partly glazed modern door to the front. To the rear (E) the link is joined to a two storey return / link- see below. To the S façade of the single storey section there is a garage opening with timber sheeted double doors. To the right of this is a small sash window, as main house. The W facing gable of the single storey section has an uneven pitch, as a large lean-to was added to the N side at some point. The gable itself has an upper level sash window, as before, and a broad segmental headed window (with recent looking multi-pane frame), to left on the ground floor. To the N face of the single storey section (actually the lean-to) there is a broad modern window to left, then a modern door then a small window with modern frame. To far right a small (flush) chimney stack rises from the façade. To this side the gabled roof of this section sports two, modern looking, flat roofed dormers. To the S side of the roof there is a small Velux window. To the E end the single storey section is abutted by a two storey portion which links to the main house. To the N facing gable of this portion there is a plain sheeted door to left on the ground floor and a small window to right on the first floor with modern looking window. To the E façade there is a modern glazed door and two sash windows, (much as front only narrower), to the ground floor and two smaller windows (with modern Georgian paned frames) to the first floor. To the S this section is abutted by a single storey rear return- see below. The S elevation of the building consists of the S façade of the main two storey house and the (flush) S face of a relatively small, hipped roof return. The main façade has two small four pane sash windows to the ground floor, with another to the return. The rear elevation is complex looking, consisting of a small single storey hipped roof return to either end of the main house, a two storey gabled return in between these, and, to far right, the two storey gabled section (which links to the single storey former outbuilding), described above. The single storey hipped roof return to left has a modern glazed door to its rear (E) face, with its N face blank. The S face of the two storey gabled return has a timber sheeted door to the ground floor and a small (4/4) sash window to the first floor (directly above the door). To the gable there are two small sash windows (all (4/4) to each floor). To the N face There is a similar sash window to the ground floor and another to the first floor. Between these two returns (to façade of main house), there is a French door to the ground floor and a relatively small double sash window (4/4, 4/4) to the first floor. To the left of this window (directly above the single storey return) is a small sash window (2/2). The single storey return to the right is joined to the two storey linking section to the N (see above). To the E face of this return there is a small sash window (6/6). The S face of the return is blank. Between this return and the two storey return (to left) there is a French door to the ground floor of the rear façade of main house, and a small double sash window (4/4, 4/4) to the first floor. To the right of this (above the single storey return is another (single) sash window (2/2). The façade is covered in a slightly rough plain render and painted. The recessed bays to front have modillions. All sections of the roof are slated. The main roof has two brick cream chimney stacks (modern replacements) with a rendered stack to the gable of the two storey rear return. Cast iron rw goods. To the immediate SW of the house is a large one and a half storey gabled garage, finished in similar style as main house. At the entrance to the drive off Spa Road there is a set of late Victorian looking cast iron gates, with simple square pillars.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

Originally this house consisted of the central, five windows wide, section, now between the recessed outer bays. This alone is recorded in the valuation of c.1836 and is shown on the OS map of 1834, with a smaller return to the rear. This original section probably dated from the late 1700s, (the valuers of 1836 thought so), but it is difficult to give a more accurate date than this, but buildings are indicated in this general area on Taylor’s and Skinner’s map of 1777 and on Byers’s map of c.1790. Perhaps significantly, the earlier map only shows the Spa Road, whilst the latter shows both the Spa and Ballymaglave roads; as the Ballymaglave Road comes relatively close to the rear of this house, one would assume that the house itself predates it- thus possibly indicating that the building is pre 1790. On the revised OS map of 1858 the house appears to have been lengthened to both north and south, with a small return added to the north side at the rear. It would appear therefore that the two end bays had been built this point, however it is likely that at least one of these bays may have initially been single storey, for whilst that to the north appears to entirely stone constructed, that to the south is brick at first floor level. It would appear that the rear returns were also probably built at differing times, for whilst the single storey hipped roof return to the north appears to be present in 1858, the matching return to the south is not, nor is the large two storey central one. The latter (which was probably built as a kitchen with maid / servant’s room above) is brick built and such was probably the last to be added, preceded by that to the south (which like its northern counterpart is stone constructed). The two storey section to the north-east of the main house, which links to the single storey former outbuilding, is also late 19th century. The human history of Echohall appears less clear. The present owner believes the house to have been originally built as the residence for an agent of the Rawdon (Montalto) estate, however, whilst the freehold (like many others in the townland) appears to have originally belonged to the estate, it is not certain whether this actually was an agent’s house at any point. In 1836 the resident is recorded as one Robert Thompson and in 1863 a Hans Arnold. It later came into the hands of a family named Cooper, who, in the early 1900s ran it as a guest house for those visiting The Spa. The Coopers later sold it to a Mr Johnson, and in 1976 it was acquired by the present owners. The origin name of the house, ‘Echohall’, appears to be something of a mystery. 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 ‘Taylor’s and Skinner’s maps of the roads of Ireland’ (Dublin 1777) map 284 3 PRONI D.272/41 MS map of Ballynahinch by William Byers, c.1790 4 PRONI OS/6/3/29/1 OS map, Down sh 29, 1834 5 PRONI VAL/1B/388A-B Valuation records, Magherdrool, 1834-1838 6 PRONI and Linen Hall Library ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ]) 7 PRONI OS/6/3/29/2 OS map, Down sh 29, 1858 8 PRONI and Linen Hall Library Second (Griffith’s) valuation, Magherdrool, c.1863 [in print] 9 PRONI OS/6/3/29/3 OS map, Down sh 29, c.1901 Secondary sources 1 Archaeological survey of Co Down (Belfast HMSO 1966), p.392 2 C.E.B. Brett, ‘Historic buildings…Mid Down’ (Belfast UAHS 1974), p.43. 3 R. Pierce, A. Coey, R. Oram, ‘Taken for granted….’, (Belfast 1984), p.132

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

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

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Long two storey ‘vernacular’ Georgian style hipped roof house whose central portion probably dates from the mid to later 18th century, with recessed end bays added in c.1850, (but possibly originally single storey), and an assortment of single and two storey rear returns mainly dating from the late 19th century. A former outbuilding has been converted and integrated internally with the rest of the house

General Comments

Date of Survey

15 September 2000