Clady House, 10 Shaneoguestown Road, Dunadry, Antrim, Co Antrim, BT41 4QL

Clady House is a Georgian house of late 18th or early 19th century date, built in a distinctive style with proportions and a plan form typical of the period. It is thought to have been built for Hugh Swann, who died in 1848 aged 95, and may be the house shown on Lendrick's map of County Antrim of 1782, though it was probably refronted after that date. It is clearly shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1832. It was later owned by the Cinnamond family until 1900. Despite some later inappropriate alterations and additions, and the loss of certain features, the house retains much of its original character, including ornamental interior plasterwork.

THE MAIN HOUSE

The principal block is a two-storey, three-bay, gabled house with an attic and basement. Attached to one side is a lower gabled single-storey block, and to the other a lower wing. Outbuildings enclose a yard to the rear. The main entrance faces north.

The north (entrance) elevation is symmetrical, with one window on each side of a central doorway. The roof is covered in Bangor blue slates laid in regular courses with dark ridge tiles. The walls are smooth cement render, lined and blocked, with rusticated quoins at the corners. There is a moulded stringcourse at first floor level, and a further stringcourse above that steps over the first floor windows. The eaves have a projecting rendered course with a modillion cornice. The cast iron gutter is moulded, with circular metal gutters at each end. There are two chimneys, one on each gable, also smooth cement rendered, lined and blocked, with moulded cornices and modern pots.

The ground floor windows are tripartite rectangular timber sliding sash windows, vertically hung and without horns, with 8-over-8 glazing to the central lights and 2-over-2 to the side lights, with panelled and pilastered mullions. Each window is set in an aedicule surround consisting of a pair of Tuscan pilasters surmounted by a triangular pediment, with moulded projecting stone cills. The first floor windows are also tripartite and similarly sashed but reduced in height, with 4-over-8 glazing to the central lights and 1-over-2 to the side lights, and without aedicule surrounds; their cills are formed by the stringcourse.

The entrance consists of a rectangular timber four-panel door with arched heads, flanked by three-pane sidelights with margins, and surmounted by an elliptically arched fanlight with looped and radial tracery. The whole is recessed within a moulded elliptical archway with keystone and Tuscan pilasters, and approached by four concrete steps between low smooth rendered plinth walls with broad overhanging painted copings.

The east gable is rendered in the same manner as the north elevation, with quoins to the right-hand corner and a projecting moulded stringcourse at eaves level. There is a PVC soil pipe. The attic window is a rectangular timber sliding sash, vertically hung, 6-over-6 with horns, in exposed sash boxes set in moulded reveals, with a projecting stone cill. The eaves overhang with shaped bargeboards on shaped brackets. At the base of the gable is a small flat-roofed boiler house, rendered to match, with a timber louvred door, timber fascias, and aluminium roof trim, with a full-height flue pipe attached to the gable of the house. Projecting forward on the left-hand side is the end of the two-storey wing of the rear yard: smooth cement rendered, lined and blocked, with a parapet roof at the top. The ground floor has a segmental-headed blind opening with a projecting stone cill, blocked with smooth cement render and containing a fan extract with wire mesh box. The first floor has a segmental-headed window with small-paned timber fixed lights of tripartite form and a concrete cill. Above the window, the parapet contains a rectangular blind recessed panel.

The west gable is of similar walling to the east gable. The attic window is similar to that on the east gable, except that it is recessed in plain reveals. At the base of the gable is a low modern lean-to roof with PVC and aluminium framing, set on low smooth rendered walls, providing an escape from the basement area of the house.

The rear elevation of the main block is two-storey, three-bay, and symmetrical, with one window on each side of a central entrance. The roof slating matches the entrance front. The walls are rendered with a dry dash of crushed stones, colour-washed over. The gutters appear to be moulded cast iron, with metal downpipes. The entrance bay contains a pair of rectangular double doors, glazed and panelled, set below a tall arched stair window, both placed within a semi-circular arched recess. The windows are tripartite and rectangular in timber, comprising fixed central lights with casement sidelights, of similar pattern to those on the entrance front but in unmoulded frames with plainer detailing to the panelled mullions. The stair window is a timber fixed light of small panes with radial tracery lights to the head.

Projecting forward to the left-hand side of the rear elevation and extending as a single-storey block in the form of a conservatory: the roof is slated to match the rest of the house. There is one chimney on the west gable, smooth cement rendered with a plain cornice and modern pot. The south face consists of small-paned timber glazing incorporating top-hung opening lights, set on a low plinth wall of smooth cement render with a concrete cill, with a moulded PVC gutter and timber fascia to the eaves. The east face of the conservatory contains a glazed timber door with small-paned sidelights and a smooth rendered spandrel panel above. The west gable is smooth cement rendered, lined and blocked, with oversailing eaves and timber bargeboards on shaped brackets, a metal downpipe on the right-hand side, and a similarly rendered screen wall extending to the right in the same plane to enclose the rear yard, with a projecting concrete coping. The north face of the conservatory is smooth rendered, lined and blocked, containing a rectangular timber door flanked by small-paned sidelights, with concrete paving slabs forming two steps up to the doorway.

HISTORICAL CHANGES TO THE REAR

Ordnance Survey maps from 1832 to 1962–63 show that the house formerly had a short central rear return, a longer west wing to the rear, and a long east wing to the rear. The two former returns have since been removed.

THE EAST WING

The east elevation of the east wing is of basalt rubble, partly covered with original lime render and partly repaired with cement. There are four rectangular windows with small-paned timber casements; the two to the north are painted black, the two to the south are later and plain varnished. The main doorway comprises a pair of varnished timber small-paned glazed doors set in plain modern cement rendered reveals, surmounted by a modern gabled timber strutted hood canopy with a slated roof, approached by two concrete steps. At the left-hand end is a smaller rectangular timber sheeted door with similar reveals and steps. Rainwater goods are moulded PVC gutters and PVC downpipes. The roof is Bangor blue slates in regular courses. There is one chimney at an intermediate position: red brick with a projecting brick cornice and a modern pot.

The south gable of the east wing is two-storey. The wall is wet-dash rendered using blackstone chippings, recessed between projecting side walls of basalt rubble. The ground floor contains a modern rectangular moulded plastic garage door recessed in smooth rendered reveals. The first floor has a large rectangular timber sliding sash window, 2-over-2 with horns, set in plain reveals with a concrete cill. The verges overhang with timber bargeboards on projecting purlin ends.

The west elevation of the east wing is of roughly coursed basalt rubble, with a slated roof and PVC rainwater goods. There is one rectangular timber small-paned casement window set in cement rendered reveals, with a brick flat arch to the head and a concrete cill. The doorway contains a rectangular timber sheeted half-door set in cement reveals and surmounted by a modern gabled timber strutted canopy with a slated roof.

THE OUTBUILDINGS

The south side of the rear yard is occupied by a long gabled two-storey block with what appears to be an asbestos-slated roof. The walls are of basalt rubble with red brick block quoins at the corners and red brick dressings to the openings. The openings include one segmental-arched double doorway with ledged timber doors, and a number of rectangular doorways and windows containing sheeted doors and fixed-light windows, all with concrete cills. A modern steel exterior stairway at the right-hand end gives access to the first floor. The west gable is of similar walling to the north elevation, with a large rectangular first floor window of modern timber fixed lights and casements set in modern red brick reveals, and a rectangular timber sheeted door below. The south elevation is of similar walling to the north, with two windows — one old in its original brick surround, one new in new brick surround — and PVC rainwater goods. Projecting from the south wall is a lower block in concrete blockwork with a flat asphalt roof and PVC gutter. To the right-hand side is an open shed of concrete blockwork and preformed metal sheeting. The east gable of the outbuilding is similar to the west but has no openings.

The outbuildings are linked to the rest of the yard by a basalt rubble wall with a rough cement coping on the east side, connecting to the east wing by a modern iron mesh gate, and by a smooth rendered screen wall with concrete coping on the west side, connecting to the rest of the yard wall by a gateway formed by a pair of large circular smooth rendered piers with conical cement caps, hung with a pair of double ledged timber doors.

SETTING

The house stands well back from the road, largely hidden from public view within its own extensive grounds, which comprise fields and lawns with mature trees and a river running through the grounds well to the east, crossed by a modern steel-framed footbridge. The approach to the house is by a long tree-lined driveway from a gateway of circular rubble stone piers with modern timber gates. There is a gravel area to the front of the house and a modern tennis court to the south of the driveway, just before the gateway into the rear yard.