Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB02/10/002

Address :
Walworth House 11 Walworth Road Ballykelly Limavady Co Londonderry BT49 9JU

Townland:
Ballykelly

---

Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
28/03/1975 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

---

OS Map No:
28/8

IG Ref:
C6241 2263

---

Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

Walworth house and bawn situated 500 metres NW of the present village of Ballykelly along the bank of the river consists of an early 18c house and the remains of a bawn wall and 3 flankers. The original bawn with 4 flankers and 3.6 metre wall enclosed an area of approximately 1500 square metres with 3 storey house in the centre. Nothing remains of the original house, little of the enclosing walls but 3 flankers are still standing. The flat and secluded aspect of the site with its surrounding trees and shrubs and garden has allowed it to remain undisturbed over the last 2½ centuries in spite of the proximity of a World War II airfield and its continued use since. Private housing development has crept ever closer but the immediate adjoining land has so far resisted any new building encroaching on the house and gardens which are extensive. The two storey house has 5 bays with centrally placed entrance door and a single storey adjunct in line with the main block and forms the principal facade looking south out onto a sweep of lawn bounded by high trees. The ground floor sliding sash windows (12 panes) are of good proportions while the first floor windows are similar but of 9 panes. The steeply pitched natural slated roof contains attic accommodation with windows in the gable on either side of the chimney stacks. The walls have a harled finish on the south front, elsewhere the rendering is smooth and has been renewed from time to time. The roofs of the return wing have asbestos slates. Guttering is half round metal on the south, elsewhere PVC. The main facade has painted sandstone quoins and the top of the wall is finished with a pleasing simple sandstone cornice with cyma recta moulding. The house has a long two storey return wing , one and a half storeys on the west side, almost reaching the N W flanker. The main doorway fanlight divides into 3 lozenge shapes. The flankers remaining are the NW, NE and SE and these have retained their original form though their present use is that of stores and pigeon loft. The NW flanker is circular, built of rough whinstone and bits of sandstone, 3600mm high with faceted natural slated roof forming a 10 sided pyramid. It has an upper floor with curving external steps and the walls punctuated with fixed sash windows at first and ground floor levels. There are no gutters and the slates just overhang the top of the wall which has a slight corbel. The N E flanker is polygonal with 5 sides, built of rough whinstone walls with sandstone quoins and as the ground rises the wall height varies externally. Two of the walls are stiffened with battered brick buttresses and slated with 5 sided pyramid roof. A window has been inserted in one wall and it would appear to have only one floor. The S E is similarily built as the N W with narrow access down at ground level, no windows and a faceted slated roof. Above the door is an opening for the pigeons/doves to gain entry. The wall between the N E and S E flankers remains is built of brick and is unlikely to be original. A long shed runs from the east wall and parallel to what would have been the north wall of the bawn but set back several metres from it so that the N E flanker appears in an isolated manner. Another shed runs from the S E flanker, parallel to the south wall, to the entrance gates of the bawn. The northern bawn wall is missing. The L plan house completes the enclosure of the bawn on the south and west sides. N W of the N W flanker is a large walled garden 0.8 hectares in extent surrounded by a stone/red brick wall 3000mm high. The walled garden was replanted 7 years ago and is impressive.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

The bawn and early house established between 1617 and 1631 when it was occupied by James Higgins and George Downing and later in 1654 by Captain Lane. The present house substantially rebuilt in 1730 replacing the original and in the process demolishing the west and south walls of the bawn and the S W flanker. Robert Given prepared a plan in 1823 but though the general disposition of elements appears as it is today, it differs in many respects in detail, e.g. the main block plan, particularly the staircase, is different, as is the proportion of rooms. The shed at the S E flanker is turned round the other way. The house at this stage was occupied by James Stirling, agent. Later in Grifffiths valuation of 1858 Arthur Sampson is given as resident. Ingrams occupied the house until c 1930. Maud Alice Ingram died there on 11 January 1931. The Brown family have occupied it since. References: O S Memoirs of Ireland Vol. 25 The Civil Survey A.D. 1654 - 1656 Curl J S The Londonderry Plantation 1609 - 1914

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form E. Spatial Organisation H+. Alterations enhancing the building I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance V. Authorship W. Northern Ireland/International Interest Z. Rarity

Evaluation

One of the few remaining examples of a London Companies 17th century bawn, bawn wall and flankers remaining in Co Londonderry. These are good extant remains erected by the Fishmonger’s Company. The house is a good example of early provincial Georgian style. Handsome grounds with walled garden in a secluded site. A very important historic site .

General Comments

Date of Survey

11 June 1997