Mount Pleasant, 38 Banbridge Road, Drumaran, Gilford, CRAIGAVON, BT63 6DJ

Mount Pleasant is a symmetrical two-storey three-bay house over semi-basement, built around 1780, situated on the north side of Banbridge Road to the east of Gilford village. The house is L-shaped in plan with a one-and-a-half storey annexe and later extension to the west side. It occupies the south corner of a rectangular courtyard of outbuildings and opens onto a walled garden at the west.

The roof is pitched natural slate of mixed sizes, possibly of local origin, with a return and parallel ridge forming an M-profile to the south-west elevation. Angled clay ridge tiles cap the slopes. The front pitch is concealed by a castellated parapet, with rendered chimneystacks rising to each gable. Concealed valley gutters and cast iron downpipes manage drainage.

The main walling is ruled-and-lined rendered with rusticated quoins, terminated by the parapet. A variety of windows appears throughout, some without horns and some retaining original crown glazing. The principal south-east elevation is symmetrically arranged about a central door case. The first floor is five windows wide, with closer spacing to the outer bays. The principal windows are tripartite, comprising a central 6/6 timber sliding sash flanked by 2/2 sashes, all set in an elliptical-headed architrave with plain tympanum. First floor windows are 6/6 timber sliding sashes in moulded architraves. Remaining windows throughout are mostly 6/6 timber sliding sashes in plain reveals. All windows have Mourne granite sills; those to the principal elevation have paired brackets.

The principal entrance is set within a round arch and features an Ionic doorcase with entablature, surmounted by a delicate iron spider-web fanlight. The nine-panelled timber door retains original ironmongery including a lion's head knocker. Access is via a granite perron with five sweeping steps bounded by cast-iron railings, which bridges the basement. The basement itself has a six-panelled timber door and a nine-pane window to either side.

To the left of the principal elevation is a single-storey extension with a window to the right and a nine-over-two timber door to the left, accessed up five steps with plain masonry guarding. To the right stands a carriage screen with three centred arched openings leading to the farmyard. Both these flanking elements are castellated.

The south-west elevation is M-profile, with castellated parapets between gables concealing the valleys. It has three windows to the first floor. The ground floor is abutted at the right by a hipped-roofed, cement-rendered extension with a twentieth-century metal-framed window insertion. This is abutted to the south-west by a mono-pitched corrugated-metal-roofed concrete-block-built addition of no architectural interest.

To the left of the cement-rendered extension is an annexe with a loft, featuring a hipped slate roof and random rubble walling with some snecking to the upper reaches and roughly dressed quoins. Two replacement timber 3/6 sliding sash windows occupy brick-dressed openings; the left-hand window shows evidence of an altered opening. The loft is lit by a modern rooflight.

The annexe is abutted by a further single-storey annexe, integrated with the west outbuilding range. This section has a lean-to slate roof raised in brick above the eaves line of the main annexe. A replacement top-hung window has been inserted into a former brick-dressed segmental-headed opening, with rubble stone infill to the right. A replacement vertically-sheeted timber door occupies the left side.

The rear elevation is plainly detailed, comprising a rear return to the right and a two-storey lean-to accommodating rear landing and sanitary quarters to the left. Rear entrance is via a modern door with sidelight to the single-storey, hipped-roofed addition to the right side.

The lean-to comprises, to the left, two horizontal 4/4 sliding sashes with a 3/6 sliding sash (exposed box) centred above. To the right is a tripartite window comprising three equally sized nine-pane windows with central pivot. The first floor landing is lit by a triple gothic window with interlocking glazing bars and coloured glass.

The rear return comprises two 3/6 top-hung windows to the ground floor with a 6/6 sliding sash (exposed box) to the first floor on the left-hand side. The north-east face of the rear return comprises a tripartite window (6/6 sliding sash flanked by 2/2) to the ground floor left; a 3/6 sliding sash with exposed box to the ground floor right; and a 4/8 sliding sash with recessed box to the first floor. The north-east elevation is lit by a single window to the first floor right. The rear lean-to wall has been raised and castellated, containing a single replacement timber gothic window.

The courtyard is enclosed on all sides by ranges of stables, a barn and stores. The north-west range is a two-storey barn with pitched slate roof, central clock tower with weather vane, and rubble stone walls. Windows are uPVC with granite sills and brick lintels; quoin stones are dressed. Doors are vertically sheeted timber. To the left are a pair of segmental-arched coach arches; otherwise five doors including two loft doors, those to the ground floor having granite plinth blocks and thresholds. To its left is an open double-height cart house with internal access to the walled garden. To the north-east side are single-storey rubble stone stables, and to the south-east a single-storey rubble stone shed, each with replacement corrugated metal roof and doors.

The house occupies an elevated site surrounded by mature trees and is accessed by a long tarmacadamed lane leading to a gravel forecourt. Extensive views extend over surrounding farmland. The entrance is marked by square piers of dressed granite with moulded cap, flanked by replacement granite-faced walls. The walled garden now contains a lawn and is bounded by a tall rubble stone wall, raised with brick and containing timber access gates. A modern farmyard lies to the rear.