Ballysallagh House, 51 Ballysallagh Road, Bangor, County Down, BT19 1UT

Ballysallagh House is an early-nineteenth century two-storey farmhouse with attic, located west of the Clandeboye estate in the townland of Ballysallagh Minor. The house is rectangular on plan, arranged symmetrically with simple late Georgian proportions and comprises three bays on its principal elevation. It is set back in a farmyard, visible from a bend on Ballysallagh Road, with pasture to the east and south and farmyards to the west. Access is via a tarmacadam drive from the south with a tarmac forecourt.

The house appears to have been raised at some point, though no historical evidence supports this. The principal elevation faces east and is symmetrically arranged about a central entrance, with five openings in total; the side bays each have two windows grouped together. Attic level has no openings but is articulated by a deep projecting band across the facade. The right north gable has two attic windows. The left south gable has been pierced and extended with a modern uPVC sunroom extension that includes a first-floor window and attic opening.

Walling is ruled-and-lined rendered to the principal elevation, with roughcast rendering over a contrasting plinth to the remainder. The roof is artificial slate with replacement brick chimneystacks to the gables and to the party wall between bays, with clipped verges and plastic rainwater goods on drive-in brackets. Windows are uPVC sash replacements with plain reveals and projecting stone cills; uPVC casements are used to the rear. The door is a replacement four-panelled timber frame with sidelights over timber aprons, panelled pilaster jambs and a segmental fanlight on fluted brackets; a smooth rendered rusticated head with an oversized lantern is affixed above. A cast-iron bootscraper is present at the door.

To the rear, the house is abutted by a substantial return and modern extension; a lower double-height store and further modern extensions extend on axis to the west. The overall external character has been broadly retained, but refurbishments and extensions have removed much historic fabric, including original roof timbers and windows.

To the north of the house is a linear two-storey outbuilding with a corrugated asbestos cement roof, roughcast rendered walling and timber sheeted openings; a segmental-headed coach-arch is now infilled. The farm setting remains largely intact, though much altered, with original outbuildings present.

The house is shown uncaptioned on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1834. The Townland Valuation of 1828–40 lists the occupier as John Magowan, recording a house and offices valued at £15 13 shillings, comprising a house and three returns, a stable, turf house, loft, barn and shed. The valuer describes it as "well-circumstanced". Ordnance Survey Memoirs note that the master of Ballysallagh Minor school "receives the interest of 200 pounds left for that purpose by the late Mr Magowan". On the second edition Ordnance Survey map of 1858, the house is captioned as "Ballysallagh House" and is the residence of James Kennedy, who leases it from Lord Dufferin. The valuation is initially £16 but is later reduced to £15, with the valuer commenting that the "House and offices in bad repair and too extensive for occupier". In 1866 the house was taken over by Lord Dufferin and Clandeboye and was subsequently let to James Wright in 1870, reverting to Lord Dufferin in 1888. By 1903 the house was occupied by William Armstrong, a linen merchant of Upper Queen Street, Belfast, with nine children. His two sons, John and William Armstrong, fought in the First World War. William was killed leading a night attack north of Jerusalem to clear Turkish artillery in 1917. John Armstrong joined the Royal Naval Air Service in 1915 and fought on land in the armoured car division; he was awarded the Russian medal of St George for gallantry during action in Romania in 1916. After his discharge in 1918 he continued in the family business as a linen and textile salesman and was well-known locally, serving as a Sunday School Superintendent and Elder at Hamilton Road Presbyterian Church. In 1923 the house was taken over by William Armstrong Senior's widow, Elizabeth.