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

Clady House is a substantial two-storey, three-bay gabled house with attic and basement, dating from the early to mid-19th century. It features a lower single-storey gabled block to one side and a lower wing to the other, with outbuildings forming an enclosed yard to the rear. The house stands well back from the road within extensive grounds comprising fields and lawns with mature trees, largely hidden from public view. A river runs through the grounds to the east, crossed by a modern steel-framed footbridge. The approach is via a long tree-lined driveway from a gateway with circular rubble stone piers and modern timber gates, with a gravel area to the front of the house and a modern tennis court south of the driveway near the yard gateway.

North (Main Entrance) Elevation

The principal north-facing elevation is symmetrical, presenting a well-composed two-storey façade with one window on each side of a central doorway. The roof is finished in Bangor blue slates laid in regular courses with dark ridge tiles. Walls are of smooth cement render, lined and blocked, with rusticated quoins to the extremities. A moulded stringcourse runs at first floor level, with a further stringcourse above that steps over the first floor windows. The eaves feature a projecting rendered course with modillion cornice. Moulded cast iron guttering is fitted, with circular metal gutters at each end. Two chimneys rise from the gable ends, both smooth cement rendered, lined and blocked, with moulded cornices and modern pots.

Ground floor windows are tripartite rectangular timber sliding sashes, vertically hung without horns, with eight-over-eight glazing in the central lights and two-over-two in the side lights. The windows have panelled and pilastered mullions and are set in aedicule surrounds comprising paired Tuscan pilasters surmounted by triangular pediments. Moulded projecting stone cills finish the openings. First floor windows are similarly tripartite but reduced in height, with four-over-eight and one-over-two glazing, and without the aedicules. Their cills are formed by the stringcourse.

The entrance is 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 entire doorway is recessed in a moulded elliptical archway with keystone and Tuscan pilasters. The entrance is approached by four concrete steps between low smooth rendered plinth walls with broad overhanging painted copings.

East Gable

The east gable is rendered to match the entrance elevation, with quoins to the right-hand extremity and a projecting moulded stringcourse at eaves level. A PVC soil pipe is visible. The attic window is a rectangular timber sliding sash, vertically hung, six-over-six with horns, set in exposed sash boxes within moulded reveals with projecting stone cill. Overhanging eaves feature shaped barge boards on shaped brackets. At the base of the gable stands 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 house gable.

Projecting forward at 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. The ground floor contains a segmental-headed blind opening with 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 of tripartite form with timber small-paned fixed lights and concrete cill. The parapet contains a rectangular blind recessed panel above the window.

East Wing East Elevation

The east elevation of the east wing is constructed of basalt rubble, partly covered with original lime render and partly repaired with cement. It contains four rectangular timber small-pane casement windows—the two to the north painted black, the two to the south 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 slated roof, approached by two concrete steps. At the left-hand end is a smaller rectangular timber sheeted door with similar reveals and steps. Moulded PVC gutters and PVC downpipes serve the elevation. The roof is of Bangor blue slates in regular courses. One chimney sits at an intermediate position, of red brick with projecting brick cornice and modern pot.

East Wing South Gable

The south gable of the east wing is two-storey with a wet-dashed rendered wall 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, two-over-two with horns, set in plain reveals with concrete cill. Overhanging verges feature timber barge boards on projecting purlin ends.

East Wing West Elevation

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

South (Rear) Elevation of Main Block

The rear elevation of the main block is two-storey, three-bay and symmetrical, with one window to each side of a central entrance. The roof is slated as the entrance front. Walls are rendered with dry dash of crushed stones, colour-washed over. What appears to be moulded cast iron guttering is fitted, with metal downpipes. The entrance bay contains a pair of rectangular double doors, glazed and panelled, below a tall arched stair window, both set in a semi-circular arched recess. Windows are tripartite rectangular timber, comprising fixed central lights with casements to the sidelights, of similar pattern to the entrance front but in unmoulded frames and with plainer detailing to the panelled mullions. The stair window comprises a timber fixed light of small panes with radial tracery lights to the head.

Extending to the left-hand side and projecting forward is a single-storey conservatory block with roof slated as before. One chimney rises from the west gable, smooth cement rendered with plain cornice and modern pot. The south face is of small-paned timber glazing incorporating top-hung opening lights, set on a low plinth wall of smooth cement render with concrete cill. Moulded PVC gutter and timber fascia finish 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 of the conservatory is smooth cement rendered, lined and blocked, with oversailing eaves featuring timber barge boards on shaped brackets and a metal downpipe at the right-hand side. Extending to the right in the same plane is a similarly rendered screen wall to the rear yard with 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. Concrete paving slabs form two steps up to the doorway. The roof is slated as before.

West Gable of Main House

The west gable features similar walling to the east gable, with an attic window similar to that in the east gable except 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.

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. Walls are of basalt rubble with red brick block quoins to the extremities and red brick dressings to openings. Openings comprise one segmental-arched double doorway of ledged timber, and a number of rectangular doorways and windows containing sheeted doors and fixed light windows with concrete cills. A modern steel exterior stairway at the right-hand end gives access to the first floor.

The west gable features similar walling to the north elevation and contains a large rectangular first floor window of modern timber fixed lights and casements set in modern red brick reveals, with 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 a new brick surround—and PVC rainwater goods. Projecting from the wall is a lower block in concrete blockwork with a flat roof of asphalt covering and PVC gutter. An open shed of concrete blockwork and preformed metal sheeting stands to the right-hand side. The east gable of the outbuilding is similar to the west but contains no openings.

Linking the outbuildings to the rest of the yard is a basalt rubble wall with rough cement coping to the east side, connecting to the east wing by a modern iron mesh gate. To the west side, a smooth rendered screen wall with concrete coping connects to the rest of the yard wall via a gateway comprising a pair of large circular smooth rendered piers with conical cement caps, containing a pair of double doors of ledged timber.