Newfield, 3 Chapel Road, Aghadavy, Ballinderry Upper, Lisburn, BT28 2HH

Newfield is a substantial two-storey, three-bay plus one stone farmhouse with outbuildings, predating 1832 and possibly originating from an earlier three-bay single-storey dwelling. The building is situated in the townland of Aghadavy at the end of a long lane off Chapel Road, approximately one mile south of Upper Ballinderry.

The farmhouse has a pitched natural slate roof with clay ridge tiles and cast-iron rainwater goods. The walling is lime-rendered, largely eroded to expose field stone. Windows comprise 6/6 and 3/6 timber sliding sash windows without horns, set in dressed stone cills with exposed red brick surrounds. A timber six-panelled door is present. The front elevation faces north and is asymmetrically arranged, with a small brick porch with lean-to roof located to the right of centre. Two windows appear to the right and a single window to the left of the porch, with three diminished first-floor windows above. A coursed line present at first-floor cill level on the right-hand bays suggests enlargement of unknown date. The far left bay was added later, with clear distinction in stonework visible, comprising a single first-floor window and a bricked-up opening to the ground floor. The left gable is blank. The rear elevation is largely overgrown and obscured from view, with various openings to ground and first-floor throughout, marked by red brick surrounds; the rear roof pitch is largely deteriorated. The right elevation is blank, formerly abutted by a single-storey outbuilding now partially deteriorated.

Field inspection reveals slight variation in masonry and mortar between floors, suggesting the two-storey dwelling may have originated from an earlier single-storey structure later formalised into its current Georgian design. The external appearance displays characteristics resulting from 19th-century formalising, though the building has lost a significant amount of historic fabric and detailing.

The setting comprises a gated circular piers entrance lined with trees leading to the farmyard. Numerous outbuildings of snecked rubble and good workmanship, constructed from field stone with pitched natural slate roofs on timber collar-beam trusses, abut and are adjacent to the farmhouse, arranged to form a yard to the front. These buildings vary from completely derelict to moderately good condition, with the outbuilding to the north of the house particularly well preserved. A large modern agricultural unit stands to the rear, with an orchard to the south and open rural landscape to all aspects. The quality of the outbuildings and overall open rural landscape suggest a prosperous small holding.

Historical records show the dwelling first appeared on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1832, depicted as an oblong building. In the 1830s it was occupied by Mr Thomas Beckett, a local farmer letting the property from the Marquis of Hertford. The Townland Valuation described the two-storey house as a 1b+ class dwelling measuring 38 feet by 19.6 feet, valued at £4 10s. 11d., with a single-storey range of out offices valued at £1 10s. 2d. and measuring 46.6 feet by 19.6 feet, though the middle section of this range has since been removed. Beckett also possessed additional smaller farm offices including a potato house, cow house, and turf house. The entire farm was valued at £4 17s.

During the 1830s possession passed to Mr John T. Beckett, recorded as sole occupant until 1859 when he and Mr William Beckett were noted as joint occupants. The farm had increased in value to £6. Griffith's Valuation records that John and William Beckett let eight small houses valued between £1 and 10 shillings to various occupants, though it is unknown whether these were located on the farm. In 1875 the farm value was split when a second house was recorded in the Annual Revisions; it is unclear whether a new house was actually built or whether the range of offices were converted into a second house, as there is no discernible alteration to farm layout between the second and third editions of the Ordnance Survey maps (1857–1900). From 1875 John Beckett occupied a house valued at £2 10s., whilst William Beckett resided in the larger house valued at £3 10s. By 1894 William Beckett was recorded as sole occupant of the farm, which again consisted of a single house, revalued at £4 10s.

The 1901 Census records William Beckett (68) occupying the farm with his wife Anne (69) and their two sons, George (40) and Joshua Henry (27). The building return of that year described the farmhouse as a 1st class dwelling comprising seven rooms, with a stable, cow house, piggery, fowl house, potato house and barn amongst its out offices. Beckett came into full ownership of the farm in 1906 when he purchased the property outright. Following the death of his wife between 1901 and 1911, Beckett remarried circa 1906 and lived at the farm with his son George and his new wife Elizabeth. Under George Beckett an additional dairy and boiling house were recorded amongst the farm's out offices. William Beckett died in March 1917 at the age of 85; in his will he left effects of £1,345 to his sons. In 1921 the value of the farm greatly increased to £11 when the offices became rateable. George Beckett continued to occupy the farm until the end of the Annual Revisions in 1929.

The house and its outbuildings currently lie abandoned and are falling into a state of disrepair, though the outbuilding to the north of the house has been well preserved.