Drummaul House, 41 New Street, Randalstown, Antrim, Co Antrim, BT41 3AF

Drummaul House is a former early Victorian rectory built in 1853 as the rectory for Drummaul Parish Church (Church of Ireland). It stands in a prominent position within the conservation area of Randalstown, set well back from the main road within its own gently sloping grounds, which are approached by a tarmac drive from an adjacent cul-de-sac. The building ceased to be a rectory in the late 19th century and was subsequently known as Laurel Lodge. A substantial modern extension was added in 1996.

The original building is a two-storey three-bay house with a hipped slated roof. The walls are constructed of coursed basalt rubble with roughly squared quoins to the extremities. A projecting plain brick block cornice in three courses and raised block dressings to windows and the front entrance, all smooth rendered and painted, provide the principal ornament. The hipped roof is clad in Bangor blue slates in regular courses with cast iron guttering and downpipes.

The main entrance faces east, contained within a single-storey flat-roofed porch of similar construction to the main block but with a moulded smooth rendered blocking course and a flat lead-covered roof behind a parapet. The entrance doorway consists of a rectangular timber six-panel frame surmounted by a rectangular fanlight with semi-circular arched radial glazing bars, set in a plain timber frame matching the window surrounds. Modern antique-style lamps flank the door. The porch has one window in each side wall, similar to those of the main block. Access to the entrance is provided by a flight of concrete paved steps flanked by plain iron or steel handrails, with modern concrete pavings extending to the left as a ramp.

The principal windows throughout are rectangular timber sliding sash of 6 over 6 configuration with horns, set in plain rendered reveals with exposed sash boxes and projecting stone cills, all painted. The south elevation is two storeys and two windows wide to the first floor. It contains a single gabled dormer with a smooth rendered front and slated cheeks. The dormer features a semi-circular arched timber sliding sash of 3 over 6 with radial lights to the head and flush verges to the roof. A curved single-storey bay projects to the right of the ground floor, constructed of random basalt rubble with painted window dressings, two sashed windows, a moulded painted stone cornice and plain blocking course with lead dressing. To the left of this bay is a doorway which appears to be a later enlargement of an original window, containing a pair of rectangular metal multi-paned double doors surmounted by a rectangular fanlight with semi-circular arched radial glazing bars in a plain timber frame. Modern patio area pavings and steel handrails lead to this doorway.

The north elevation is similar to the south, with a gabled dormer and four identical windows (two to each floor) matching those of the entrance front. The rear elevation is largely obscured by the modern two-storey extension, which is set back slightly on each side with a lower roofline. Some original basalt walling remains visible at the ends of the rear elevation, while the central area is rendered with dark roughcast walling with brick courses returning from the side elevations. Three dormer windows similar to those on the south elevation are present on the rear extension, along with one square chimney of modern red brick with a modern pot.

A screen wall projecting to the right-hand extremity bounds the rear yard, constructed of random basalt rubble with a smooth rendered frieze and concrete copings. This extends to a lower screen wall of roughly coursed basalt rubble with concrete coping, terminating in a gateway comprised of a pair of square basalt rubble piers with Tardree granite copings, though the gates have been removed. The pier to the right is linked by a short screen wall to a gabled single-storey outbuilding.

The 1996 rear extension is two storeys with both flat and hipped roofs clad in synthetic slates and rendered with dry dash of black stone chippings. Windows are rectangular timber fixed lights with top-hung vents, projecting concrete cills, and black metal frames. A large metal flue pipe and steel fire escape stairs are positioned to the north side. The left-hand side extension features a recessed front glazed with tinted glass. A tarmac yard to the north side of the extension contains two gabled outbuildings: one to the east, attached to the yard gateway, constructed of roughly coursed basalt rubble partly rendered with a slate roof; and one to the west, rendered similarly to the extension with a roof of synthetic slates.

The front boundary of the grounds consists of a low basalt rubble wall, while boundaries to the other three sides are formed by shrubs and fences. The grounds are laid out with lawns, mature trees, tarmac carparks, and a modern paved area to the south side forming a patio between the house and the rear extension.

Despite the substantial extension to the rear, the building retains its early Victorian architectural character, with particular note of the quality of its window joinery, decorative features such as the fanlights, and the coursed rubble construction characteristic of its period.