The Chestnuts, 25 Crossnamuckley Road, Drumawhy, Millisle, Newtownards, Co Down, BT22 2AA

The Chestnuts is a single-story house with an attic, likely built in the early nineteenth century, and altered more recently, now in a derelict state. It is situated at the end of a short lane off Crossnamuckley Road, approximately two miles northwest of Carrowdore.

The front, west-facing facade features a centrally placed modern door with a simple, partly glazed fanlight and surround. Sash windows flank the door, with matching surrounds. The north gable has two sash attic windows with “Georgian” panes and corresponding surrounds. The south gable has a sash window with horizontal glazing bars on the ground floor, alongside a modern glazed door. An attic-level modern window is also present on this gable. All openings are framed by surrounds consistent with the front facade. A single-story lean-to extension is located at the rear, with two timber windows featuring mullions and transoms on its east facade. The south facade of the extension, flush with the south gable, has a similar window and another window and sheeted door on the north facade. A large modern metal window is situated to the right of the extension on the rear of the main house. The facade is finished with rough cast render, featuring smooth base and edges. The pitched roof is covered with Bangor blue slates, some of which have been tarred, and is punctuated by two rendered gable chimney stacks. Several slates have become dislodged at the rear, along with small cast-iron skylights. Remnants of cast-iron rainwater goods are also visible. A low rendered wall runs along the front, and a stone-covered well is situated to the east of the house. An extensive collection of outbuildings is located to the north.

Old Ordnance Survey maps from 1833/4 and 1858-60 show a longer building on the site, suggesting either a later construction date for the present house or the prior existence of an outbuilding attached to the south gable, which has since been removed. Given later alterations visible on the south gable, it is more likely that an outbuilding was demolished. The interior of the house appears to have been renovated recently, but the property now shows signs of abandonment. Historical records, including Valuation records from the 1830s and Ordnance Survey maps from 1833/4, 1858-60, and Griffith’s valuation from 1863, held at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), document the site’s evolution.