Gulladuff, 573 Belfast Road, Bangor, Co Down, BT19 1UD

Gulladuff is an early 19th-century farmhouse with 1½ storeys, built in Georgian vernacular style. It stands at the end of a tree-lined driveway off the south side of the main Belfast to Bangor road in the townland of Ballygilbert, overlooking the main route. The building is a modest rural Georgian country house built with reference to vernacular house proportions, with some of its outbuildings pre-dating 1833. Much historic character and detail survives, though compromised by modern additions and elements. This is a good example of a type that is becoming rare.

The house has a rectangular plan form with rear returns, constructed of stone walling with rule-and-lined smooth render finish painted white over a smooth rendered plinth painted black. The left-hand side return is finished in smooth render painted white, while the right-hand side extensions are in rough cast finish painted white. The roof is pitched natural slate with clay ridge tiles and lead flashing, with natural finished coping stones over the gable ends. Chimneystacks at the gable ends have a smooth rendered finish crowned with black painted stone and haunching with paired octagonal clay pots with cornice details. A slated hipped roof covers the 1½-storey left-hand side rear return. A 1½-storey felt-covered flat roof extension with projecting single-storey lean-to roof extends to the rear right-hand side. Semi-circular uPVC guttering and circular uPVC down pipes and brackets serve the side and rear extensions. The east elevation is fitted with cast iron ogee moulded black painted gutter on a single corbel course.

The principal elevation faces north-east and is symmetrically arranged with a centrally located front door flanked by two windows on either side. The main entrance is a flush twelve-panelled timber door with moulded architrave surround and a half circle arch with glazed fan light over, flanked by Ionic columns painted black with cornice detail. Windows are predominantly single-glazed 6/6 timber sliding sash in Georgian style, painted white with no horns and large rectangular stone cills painted. Crown glass survives on the east elevation windows except for a replacement lower sash on the right-hand side. Two pitched roof dormer windows with timber barge boards, painted, are located symmetrically. Stucco moulded architrave surrounds painted white frame the east elevation windows. Dormer windows are single-glazed 1/1 timber sliding sash. The north elevation features one single-glazed 6/6 timber sliding sash with horns. The left south-east gable end has an attic window and ground floor access into an abutting modern uPVC conservatory. The right north-west gable end has a pair of attic level windows located under the apex of the gable, with a single Georgian window to the right side at ground floor level. uPVC double-glazed windows serve the gable ends at attic level and rear extensions. A large uPVC double-glazed conservatory is situated on the south elevation.

The rear south-west elevation is asymmetrically arranged with cumulative abutting rear returns: a 1½-storey single bay hipped return to the right and a small single-storey pitched roof outbuilding connected back to the main building by an intermediate flat roof addition on the left side. A hipped box bay projects on the north face.

The property is set in a rural setting overlooking the main Belfast to Bangor road. It is accessed by a sweeping tree-lined driveway which opens onto a gravelled area in front of the building adjacent to surrounding lawns. To the south stand masonry rubble slate-roofed outbuildings and stables.

The house appears uncaptioned on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1834, alongside a lodge. The Townland Valuation of 1828–40 lists it as the residence of John McDowell, valued at £9 4s, comprising a house and offices. In 1844, John McDowell's niece Sarah Wardlaw married Rev. Abraham Liggatt, Minister of Ballygilbert Presbyterian Church; the marriage took place at the house and was conducted by Rev Henry Cooke. After two years elsewhere, the couple returned in 1846 and the house served as the manse to Ballygilbert Presbyterian Church. Rev. Liggatt died in 1851 and was succeeded by Rev John Quartz, who occupied the house until a new manse was built in 1858.

On the second edition Ordnance Survey map of 1858 and in Griffith's Valuation of 1856–64, the house is named Sarahfield. At that time it was occupied by Mrs Sarah McDowell, possibly the widow of John McDowell and likely the 'Sarah' of 'Sarahfield'; Rev. Liggatt and his wife were also resident. The property is described as a gate lodge, offices and land valued at £15 for buildings, with the house measuring 14 by 8 by 1½ feet and the return 7 by 3 by 1 foot. Four single-storey outbuildings are also listed. The valuer commented, 'very neat little house...a fancy concern'.

By 1887 the house had become the property of John Simms. It is captioned Sarahville on the map of 1900–02, then owned by James McKeown from 1907. By 1933 the house was listed as Gulladuff and occupied by Charles D Patterson, who owned it in fee under early 20th-century land acquisition legislation. The gate lodge, present on earlier maps, had been demolished by an unknown date and no longer appears on the Ordnance Survey map of 1938–41. By this period the house comprised 5 bedrooms, 2 reception rooms, a kitchen, scullery, pantry and bathroom. Water was supplied by pump and lighting by lamps. Various outbuildings are identified as a fodder store, old stable, cart shed, coal shed, greenhouse and fowl house. The property was valued at £15 initially, later raised to £38.

The significance of the house lies in its history as the manse for Ballygilbert Presbyterian Church during the 19th century, its association with Rev. Abraham Liggatt and his wife Sarah, and its survival as a good example of an early 19th-century vernacular farmhouse of a type that is becoming rare. It is included in the Helen's Bay Area of Village Character.