15 Newcastle Road, Dooey Hill, Newcastle, Portaferry, Co Down, BT22 1QQ

Much altered two storey farm house of approximately 1900, set on a hill about a mile from the south east coast of the Ards peninsula, roughly three miles east of Portaferry. The house has a large two storey rear return and a modern flat roofed entrance porch added around 1990.

The front (west) elevation is largely symmetrical. A flat roofed porch with timber and glazed door and a large adjoining two pane sidelight sits roughly to the centre, with blank sides. To the left of the porch is a large modern four pane timber window with small top hung upper openers and smooth cement surround with small moulded keystone. A similar window sits to the right of the porch. Three similar windows appear on the first floor with cill course.

The north gable of the main building has a narrower two pane timber window to the left on the ground floor with smooth cement surround, and two similar windows to the first floor set in segmental arch head openings with cill course. The south gable has two windows of the same type on the first floor.

The rear features a large two storey gabled return with a flat roofed extension to its right (north) and a smaller lean-to extension to its left. A single storey pitched roof extension with felt covering and incorporating a store is attached to the gable of the return and merges with a single storey garage. Both the return and extensions have modern PVC windows of various sizes with casement and top hung openings, finished in rough cast render.

The main house and return have pitched roofs with Bangor blue slates. Four yellow brick chimney stacks sit on the main roof with one on the roof of the return, all featuring dentilled corbelling and uniform pots. Stone parapets run along the main roof and return. PVC gutters and downspouts complete the roof work. The main building is finished in rough cast render with moulded chamfered quoins. A low rough cast render wall surrounds a small front garden. Two adjacent cast iron water pumps are located on the property.

Historical records indicate that a building occupied this site in 1834, shown on the Ordnance Survey Map with a very long portion next to a rath and stump of windmill. As this building does not appear in the 1838 valuation, it was probably a modest single storey dwelling. The revised Ordnance Survey map of 1860 shows a building of the same shape. The present house was likely built around 1900, though its single room depth suggests it may follow the plan and perhaps contain some fabric of the earlier building. The flat roofed porch, which covers an original doorway with elliptical arch, was added in the early 1990s. Windows have also been replaced recently.