Ballyvester House, 84 Ballyvester Road, Ballyvester, Donaghadee, Co. Down

Ballyvester House

Situated approximately 2 kilometres south-west of Donaghadee town centre, on the south side of Ballyvester Road, Ballyvester House is a large farmhouse dating originally to the 17th century. It is built over two storeys with an attic storey, and features prominent gables.

The front north elevation is symmetrical in composition. The central focus is a six-panelled front door with fluted and blocked pilasters and a semi-circular archivolt containing a 'spider's web' fanlight. To either side are sliding sash windows with Georgian panes. The window immediately to the left of the door is a dummy window, and the upper sash of the window to its left is partly obscured internally by a high-level water cistern. A small modern lean-to garage with an up-and-over garage door stands to the right side of the elevation. At first floor level are five equally spaced similar windows, all six-over-six panes; the two left-hand windows are dummy windows.

The east elevation is also symmetrical, with two sliding sash windows to the first floor and two shorter similar windows to the attic. The first-floor windows on this elevation are positioned much lower than those on the front elevation, as the main lounge opens off the half landing.

The rear south elevation is more complex. Left of centre stands a two-storey gabled return. To its left is a modern glazed door at ground floor with a matching sliding sash window at first floor. To the right of the return is a small lean-to modern conservatory, above which are two first-floor windows—the left a round-headed multi-paned fixed light, the right a drop-hung window as before. At second floor is a small top-hung window with Georgian panes. To the east side of the return are two sliding sash windows, the lower with horizontal astragals only, the upper in the standard pattern. The south gable of the return has no windows but carries a potless chimney at its apex, with a modern weather vane attached to the chimney stack. The gable is traversed by guttering. The west side of the return has a modern casement window at first floor level. The rear of the lean-to garage extends to the extreme right of this elevation with no openings.

Adjacent to the west side of the garage are several outhouses of considerable age but poor quality. The west gable of the main house has one small modern top-hung timber window to the left; a matching window previously existed on the right side but is now blocked. Both main gables carry potless chimneys.

Externally, the building is finished in painted rubble construction, with parts of the rear and gables rendered and painted. The detailing of the stonework differs between the west and east sides of the main house, suggesting that construction occurred in different phases or that part of the house was rebuilt. Windows on the front west side sit almost flush with the elevation, whilst those on the east side have well-defined reveals. The west gable has stone coping to the parapet; the east gable has no parapet.

The roof is covered with Bangor blue slates. Cast iron gutters and downspouts are in place throughout.