Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB23/16/017

Address :
Craigdarragh House 57 Craigdarragh Road Helens Bay Bangor Co Down BT19 1UB

Townland:
Ballyrobert

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
27/01/1975 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Residential Home

Former Use
House

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
115/10

IG Ref:
J4440 8236

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

A two-storey-over-basement detached Italianate stucco house; built c.1850 in the style of Charles Lanyon, situated on a lawned slope overlooking Belfast Lough, north of Craigdarragh Road on the outskirts of Helens Bay. Rectangular on plan with projecting single-storey porch to front; three-storey extension to east (1950s) and large three/four-storey extension to NE (1990s); both extensions forming an L-shape and are of no interest. Hipped natural slate roof; rendered chimneystacks having corbelled plinth and tall decorative clay pots. Cast-iron rainwater goods on overhanging corbelled eaves. Walling is painted ruled-and-lined render with raised quoins and moulded plinth; floriated frieze and dentilled cornice with raised and moulded metopes between corbels; raised and moulded panel between continuous sill to first floor and moulded string-course below. Windows are mainly boarded; those remaining to first floor are 6/6 timber-framed sliding sash; all are aediculated; projecting moulded cornice to first floor; ground floor having ovolo moulded corniced canopy on scrolled console brackets and corbelled sill (some with scrolled lugs). The principal elevation faces south and is symmetrically arranged, dominated by a large central Doric porch with single opening to either side; above is wide window flanked by two narrow ones divided by narrow strips decorated with overlapping paterae; single opening to either side as at ground floor. The porch has paired Doric pilasters to left and right of segmental-headed slender windows. Central doorway with fanlight in moulded surround flanked by semi-engaged columns having plinth on stone step; doorway and windows with scrolled keyblock; entablature decorated with triglyphs and ovolo moulded cornice, surmounted by pierced balustrade; left and right cheeks with window as described in elevation, flanked by pilasters; corbels to sill. The west elevation has slightly recessed bay to right with two windows to each floor; railing enclosing steps to basement; four window openings to basement: Left bay has single opening to first floor; to ground floor is an entrance with columns in antis; ramped access with modern railing. The north elevation is four windows wide. The east elevation is abutted by modern extension (1950s). Setting Set in extensive mature grounds, part open ground and part woodland, accessed by long tree-lined driveway to south west which runs over the railway line to a gate lodge, before continuing to the main house itself. The house is set on slightly elevated site overlooking Belfast Lough; the North Down costal path runs along the northern site boundary. Lawned to all sides with agricultural to south belonging to a nearby farm. Sloping garden to north gives access to the coastal path. The
setting is largely unspoilt, with a screen of mature trees concealing the house from the main approach. Entrance at Craigdarragh Road has rubble stone boundary wall and round gate piers with pointed caps; replacement timber gate. Roof: Natural slate Walling: render Windows: timber RWG: Cast-iron

Architects

Lanyon, Charles Turner, Thomas

Historical Information

Formerly known as ‘Craigdarragh’, the house is first shown, captioned, on the second edition OS map of 1858 in a prime area of coastal land, overlooking the sea. The area is shown as open fields on the first edition OS map of 1833 and when the house was built c1850 it provided a substantial residence in spacious grounds for owners who were for the most part, wealthy merchants. Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) lists the house as the residence of George Bowen Hamilton, who leases it from Robert Francis Gordon. It is valued at £100, later raised to £120. The valuer comments, ‘A very elegant house, stone-fronted and all in excellent repair’. Dimensions are given for a variety of structures on the site including the house with portico and basement; a felt shed, coach house, stable, gatehouse, cowsheds and piggery. Brett comments that the house was designed by Charles Lanyon for Francis Gordon, but may have been largely the work of his assistant in the 1840s and early 1850s, Thomas Turner. (Brett, p.115) In 1863 the property was taken over by Lord Dufferin and Clandeboye who leased it from the Representatives of Robert J Kennedy in chancery. Daniel Joseph Jaffe lived there briefly from 1872 to 1874. Daniel Joseph Jaffe, linen merchant, was the founder and organiser of Belfast’s Jewish congregation and laid the foundation stone of the synagogue in Great Victoria Street in 1871 shortly before occupying Craigdarragh. His son was to become Belfast’s first Lord Mayor in 1899. (Dictionary of Irish Biography) In 1874 the house was let, again briefly, to John Patterson, who also appears to have been a linen merchant. The valuation fieldbook for the 1870s carries a newspaper clipping of May 24th 1879, “Craigdarragh House and Demesne on the County Down shore of Belfast Lough between Craigavad and Clandeboye Railway Stations to be let unfurnished with immediate possession. Rent £325 per annum. Apply to the Agent, Dufferin Rent Estate Office.” The advertisement appears to have been successful for by 1882 Thomas Workman is in residence. The valuation of the property was increased that year to £150, a marginal note reading that part of the farmyard had been built on, and in 1886 he became the owner in fee. A plan and dimensions are given in valuer’s notes of 1909. (Annual Revisions) Thomas Workman (1843-1900) of John Workman and Sons, linen merchants, later one of the founders of Workman, Clark shipbuilders, was a keen gentleman naturalist, and had a particular interest in spiders, collecting locally and abroad. In 1882 he had recently returned from Brazil with several specimens. He published a list of Irish spiders in ‘The Entomologist’ but his major work was volume I of ‘Malaysian Spiders’, which he illustrated himself using examples from his own collection. Volume II was printed posthumously, Workman dying in 1900 from a chill caught while crossing the Rocky Mountains. At least two tropical spiders are named after him. (Dictionary of Irish Biography, Snoddy, p.726) His daughter, Jane Service Workman (1873-1949), became a well-known artist and assisted her father in his illustrations of spiders. She showed at numerous exhibitions including the Paris Salon in 1901 and the Royal Academy in 1903, but is not represented in any public collections. (Snoddy, p.726) The house remained in the Workman family until at least the 1930s. In 1933 the house is the property of Major Robert Workman, son of Thomas, who owns it in fee. The valuation has been raised to £205 and a plan and dimensions are given. The valuer comments, ‘Rather old-fashioned house. Main portion built of sandstone with slated roof. Wing or return built red brick, rubble masonry and slated. Stands well back from the road and approached by a carriage drive. Good view of lough. Electric light. Helen’s Bay water. Grazing land. Eight acres pleasure grounds, electric plant, one gardener”. (First General Revaluation) At this time the accommodation comprised, in the basement: a billiard room, stoke hole, laundry, disused scullery, two disused pantries, washhouse, coal store, disused servants’ hall, disused cellar, disused dairy; on the ground floor: entrance hall, library, drawing room, dining room, still room, two larders, kitchen, servants’ hall, bathroom, WC, pantry, WC and cloakroom; on the first floor: five bedrooms, two dressing rooms, WC, HMS (?), store room, two bathrooms with baths, WC, nursery, sewing room, servants bedroom; on the second floor: five servants’ bedrooms, store room, two tank rooms. (First General Revaluation) According to Brett, Major Robert Workman had fought in the 1914-18 war at Ypres and was a traveller and yachtsman. He was active in public life being chair of Down County Council, Commodore of the Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club and President of the Linen Hall library from 1928-1949. During the Second World War huts were constructed in the grounds of Craigdarragh to house some of the first American troops to arrive in Europe. (Brett, p.116) The house was sold to the Sisters of Mercy after Major Workman’s death and was converted into a care home for the elderly in 1952. (Brett, p.115-6) The former stable block to the east of the house was demolished and a new wing added to the east in the 1950s. In the 1980s a further extension was added, abutting the first. However, the building has since fallen vacant and was recently purchased by a developer, who intends to restore the building. (Planning Appeal) References: Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/3/1/2 – Second Edition OS map 1858 2. PRONI OS/6/3/1/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1900-02 3. PRONI OS/6/3/1/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-31 4. PRONI OS/6/3/1/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1938-41 5. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/1 – Griffith’s Valuation Map (1856-64) 6. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/18B – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) 7. PRONI VAL/12/A/3/20 – Valuers Notebook (1907-11) 8. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/10A-G – Annual Revisions (1867-1930) 9. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/11A-C – Annual Revisions (1888-1930) 10. PRONI VAL/3/D/4/4F/4 – Valuers’ RV Binder (1933-57) 11. Proceedings of Belfast Natural History and Philosophical Society, 1882, p.15 12. Planning Appeals Commission Report W/2004/0625, W/2004/0671 Secondary Sources 1. Brett, C.E.B. “Buildings of North County Down” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2002 2. Familia 2004, Ulster Genealogical Review, No 20, Issue 20, 2004, p.3 3. McGuire, J and Quinn, J, eds “Dictionary of Irish Biography” Cambridge: Cambidge University Press and Royal Irish Academy, 2009 4. Snoddy, T “Dictionary of Irish Artists, 20th Century” Dublin: Merlin Publishing, 2002

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation J. Setting

Historic Interest

V. Authorship X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Two-storey-over-basement detached Italianate stucco house; built c.1850 in the style of Charles Lanyon. The three/four-storey modern extension and the 1950s extension detract from the symmetry of the original design. The grounds are mainly intact and the setting largely unspoilt. St Columbanus is an elegant building, if not by Charles Lanyon himself, then heavily influenced by his work, and as such is a building of architectural importance and merit.

General Comments

Date of Survey

31 May 2010