Milecross Cottage, 9 Milecross Road, Milecross, Near Newtownards, Co Down, BT23 4TX

Milecross Cottage is a rubble-built single storey gabled house of the 1860s, probably constructed around a dwelling of pre-1833 origin. The building is situated picturesquely back from a sharp bend on the narrow Milecross Road, approximately 1 mile north-west of Newtownards, with a large return and outbuildings.

The main portion of the house lies to the east and is built of dark whinstone rubble with painted brick dressings. The front (east-facing) facade is formally arranged with a central doorway containing a panelled timber door with elliptical arch fanlight featuring leaded 'spider web' tracery. The sidelights are also leaded with coloured and patterned glass, with panelled aprons to the sidelights. Two windows flank either side of the doorway, all now fitted with modern timber frames. The gables are finished in rough cast render, each with upper level windows and one ground floor window on the far right of the south gable and centre right of the north gable. All these windows have simple moulded surrounds; those to the upper level rest on a cill course with mostly modern frames, except for one sash window on the ground floor of the south gable. A small moulded shield 'plaque' is positioned high in the south gable.

At the rear is a large return which probably houses the oldest part of the entire property. The north facade of the return has two windows, the left one slightly larger with a sash frame with horizontal glazing bars, the right with a modern frame; both have simple moulded surrounds as in the gables. The south facade of the return features a modern glazed door with fanlight to the left, a sash window to its right, and a smaller modern window to the far right. The upper portion merges into a long flat-roofed dormer with large modern windows. The west gable of the return has a small flat-roofed conservatory or sun room attached to the left side, with a long row of rubble-built single storey outbuildings attached to the right side, featuring brick dressings to openings. Like the gables, the return is finished in rough cast render with plain quoins. The main roof and that to the return are gabled with Bangor blue slates and stone parapets. The main house has two gable yellow brick chimney stacks with corbelling; a rendered stack stands at the centre of the return roof. Cast iron rainwater goods are present.

Historical records indicate that a long rectangular building stood on this site according to Ordnance Survey Maps of 1833-4 and 1858-60, which may correspond in part with the return of the present house. This is supported by the presence of the outline of a large 'kitchen' fireplace within the return itself. First valuation records of circa 1833 suggest the structure at that time contained a dwelling house. The main portion of the house (to the east) was probably built during the 1860s.