Former Dunleath Arms, 72B Main Street, Ballywalter, Newtownards, Co. Down, BT22 2PJ

Former Dunleath Arms

A large single-storey former hunting lodge and public house built in 1902 on the west side of Main Street, Ballywalter. Designed by architect W.J. Fennell for the 2nd Lord Dunleath and constructed by A. Gordon of Newtownards, the building exemplifies the Arts and Crafts and English Domestic Revival styles. It was originally built to accommodate hunting parties visiting Ballywalter Park, with large tea rooms on one side and a bar with hotel accommodation on the other side.

The building presents an asymmetrical east-facing front elevation with a dominating red rosemary tile roof, the most striking feature of the composition. The entire façade is finished in whitewashed roughcast. The roof extends forward to form a timber veranda, beneath which stands a wide arched entrance set within an open timber-framed gabled porch. This entrance leads to a central courtyard at the rear. Two carved harpy-like gargoyle figures are attached to the timber pillars supporting the porch.

The building rises to single-storey height with dormered attics lit by large skylights to No.72B. Decorative clay ridge tiles run along the roof edges, with clay finials to the rear gables. A large bay window to the left of the porch features multiple canted sides and sits beneath the veranda; a smaller projecting bay stands to the right of a central glazed door. The rear returns of both sections feature large multi-pane windows, some with segmental arch heads and brick dressings.

The building has been converted into two separate dwelling houses, with a brick and rendered wall dividing the courtyard. A low castellated rendered wall fronts the property. The rear extensions to both dwellings appear to date from around the same period as the original construction. The large bay window to the left of No.72A does not appear to be original to the building.

W.J. Fennell also designed the west gate lodge at Ballywalter Park and worked on extensions to the main house there. The building is now in private residential use.