Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB18/19/027

Address :
Marlborough House 64 Killough Road Ballymote middle Downpatrick Co Down BT30 8BL

Townland:
Ballymot middle

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
29/07/1983 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:
224/16

IG Ref:
J4964 4228

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

Large, double-pile, two storey gentleman’s residence of perhaps c.1740s with attic, basement and large two storey return, the latter probably (largely) dating from the late 18th century. The house is situated at the end of a drive to the E of Killough Road, c.1½ miles S of Downpatrick. The symmetrical front façade faces roughly W. To the centre of the façade is a full height gabled bay. To the ground floor of the bay is the main entrance which is approached by a broad flight of steps. This consists of a panelled door (which looks original) with v-channeled side pilasters, all topped with a cornice, and a broken pediment on brackets, which encloses a semicircular fanlight with gothick tracery. The door is flanked by large eight pane sidelights (with cornice over). Directly above the door (to first floor) is a Palladian window with sash frames (Georgian panes- 1/2, 12/6, 1/2). This window has a plain surround with brackets to the sill. To each floor, each side of the bay there are two sash windows with Georgian panes (6/6). These windows have [?late Victorian] moulded labels. At basement level there are two windows to each side, all as before but without labels. The front façade is finished in lined render with in-out beveled quoins and is painted. The basement lightwell is enclosed by simple wrought iron spear-head railings with open ironwork end piers. The double-pile S façade is blank and largely clad in rough-hewn slates. To the ground floor of the façade is a single storey rendered projection with part gable-part shed roof. To the E face of this there is a doorway and to the S face there is a small window with modern two pane frame. The N façade is rendered and has two tall projecting chimney breasts. There are two windows (to left and centre) to the ground floor and two directly below to the first floor. The upper floor windows have Georgian panes (6/6) whilst those to the ground floor are plain sash. To the left at basement level is another sash window (2/2). To the left (S) this façade merges with the N side of the large rear return. The N façade is finished in unpainted render. The left of the rear elevation is the large two storey return. This actually consists two projections built at different stages, with the larger section to the right (N), older. The section to the left is at present having a new floor with gabled roof added, as it used to be topped by a flat water tank (probably added in the early 1900s and now the floor of the new uppermost room). The E face of the this portion of the return has a sash window (2/2) to the ground floor and another (4/4) to the first floor. To the uppermost floor there is a small window opening, currently without a frame. To the E face of the larger portion of the return there is a four-pane window to basement level, a large tripartite sash window to ground floor (2/2, 6/6, 2/2) with a single sash window (4/4) to first floor. To the rear façade of the main portion of the building there are two small two pane windows to basement level. To left of these (and set at an intermediate level between basement and ground floor) is a timber sheeted door. To the ground floor are two plain sash windows, with another two to the first floor. Directly above the door there is a small stair landing sash window (with margin panes), with another to the landing above this. The rear elevation is largely finished in unpainted render. The gabled roof is at present being reconstructed, but the finished section is slated. There are some Velux windows facing into the roof well (i.e. not visible from ground level to either front or rear) Four brown brick chimney stacks (possibly mid 20th century replacements). Single and two storey outbuildings to rear with some sections altered in recent years. Curving gate screen to front of drive with thick square panelled piers and rendered and lined walling. The main vehicle gates have been removed but a wrought iron spear-head pedestrian gate remains.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

Marlborough House appears to have been built in the early to mid 18th century, perhaps c.1740s. Some sources, including the 1966 ‘Archaeological survey of Co Down’, take the view that it was built by the Nevin (or McNevin) family. This is supported by a source of 1814 which states that the townland of Ballymote was then in the ownership of a Mr McNevin. However, Taylor’s and Skinner’s 1777 road map of the area marks Marlborough as the property of Lord [de] Clifford, that is Edward Southwell, the then landlord of Downpatrick. None of the Southwells (who also owned estates in County Cork and England) are known to have resided in or around Downpatrick, nor does Marlborough itself appear grand enough for landowner of such stature. However, if not lived in by any of his family, the property does appear to have been in Lord de Clifford’s ownership in the later decades of the 18th century, for in 1799 he leased it to his former agent and local businessman, James Crawford. Crawford must have eventually bought the house outright, for in 1816 he sold it (for £1,500) to a Richard Stitt. At this stage the building appears to have consisted of much of what we see today, with much of the rear return present and noted in the valuation of c.1838, the valuers stating, incidentally, that all sections of the building were ‘old’. The Stitt family remained at Marlborough until c.1900, when the building was acquired by an ancestor of the present owner. The name ‘Marlborough’ also appears to be somewhat mysterious. The current owner believes it refers to the soil of the surrounding area (i.e ‘marl’). It is possible, however, given that the building probably dates from the early to mid 1700s, that the name could be a reference to the enduring popularity of the Duke of Marlborough- the military hero.* [*Mark Bence-Jones’s ‘A guide to Irish country houses’ (London 1988) contains a description (on p.203) of a ‘Marlborough House’ in County Dublin which reads: ‘A 2 storey 5 bay Georgian house. Pedimented breakfront centre, with Venetian window above pedimented and fanlighted tripartite doorway’. This sounds very like the ‘Marlborough House’ described above. Could their be a connection between them?] References- Primary sources 1 ‘Taylor’s and Skinner’s Maps of the Roads of Ireland (Dublin 1777), map 287 2 PRONI OS/6/3/38/1 OS map, Down sh 38, 1834 3 PRONI VAL/1B/378 First valuation, Down, c.1838 4 PRONI OS/6/3/38/2 OS map, Down sh 38, 1858 5 PRONI Second valuation, Down, 1863 (in print) Secondary sources 1 Anthony M. Wilson, ‘Saint Patrick’s town’ (Belfast 1995), pp.148, 156

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion H-. Alterations detracting from building I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting K. Group value

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest Z. Rarity

Evaluation

Large, fine, double-pile, two storey gentleman’s residence of perhaps c.1730-40 with attic, basement and large two storey return, the latter probably (largely) dating from the late 18th century. To the front there is a central bay with pedimented doorcase and Palladian window.

General Comments

Date of Survey

13 November 2000