Stables at Rubane House, Rubane House, 62 Gransha Road, Echlinville, Portavogie, Newtownards, Co Down, BT22 1AJ

Stables at Rubane House

The stables at Rubane House form a large U-shaped two-storey stable block situated north of the main house, dating from the late 18th century, probably the 1780s or 1790s. An estate map of 1799 confirms the structure was already standing at that time, suggesting a date earlier than the 1960s Archaeological Survey of County Down had proposed.

The stable yard is enclosed on three sides by ranges of two-storey buildings constructed of rubble with sandstone dressings and slate roofs. At ground level are two large segmental-headed cart openings with key blocks and broken architrave surrounds, together with smaller square-headed doors featuring key blocks, either eared or with broken architrave surrounds. Both floors contain sashed windows with flat arched heads in brickwork. The north-east range is distinguished by a bell turret at its centre, comprising two open stages with a lead-covered ogee-shaped cupola and weathercock. Each stage has columns with moulded bases and capitals and full entablature. The first floor is reached by an external stair at the end of the south-east range.

Since the 1966 survey, considerable alterations have been made. Three windows and a door to the south-east range, together with the two cart arches, have been covered with galvanised sliding doors. Many ground floor windows and a door to the south-east range have been blocked up, and some openings to the other ranges are also blocked or partly blocked. The south-west and south-east sides of the south-east range have been finished with rough-cast render, with smooth cement surrounds to some windows and doors; windows on this face have been replaced with modern steel frames. The rear is finished in plain render. A pump formerly standing in the yard has been removed, and a cast iron gas lamp has been damaged.

A tall castellated rubble-built gate screen stands to the north-west of the yard, partly attached to the south-west gable of the north-west range. It features square gate posts with decorative finials, a coach arch and pedestrian arch, and remains largely intact although the gates are missing.

A small summer house or garden pavilion, approximately 7.5 metres by 6 metres, is situated at the edge of a small lawn to the north-west of the main house. It is brick-built with painted stone dressings and three arched openings to the south-west side (now blocked), together with one blocked opening each to the south-east and north-west. The roof is topped with Bangor blue slate in a hipped profile and has a small rendered chimney. The north-east and north-west sides are embedded in rubble-built walls; the north-east side is now rendered with rough cast and has an elliptical-arch headed opening at its centre. All formerly open arches feature decorative Coade stone keystones. There is a small dilapidated sliding sash and case window in the blocked arch to the south-east, with a similar now-boarded window opening to the north-west.