Brookhill Demesne Walled Garden, 88A Ballinderry Road, Ballyellough, Lisburn, County Antrim, BT28 2QX

Brookhill Demesne Walled Garden

This is part of a walled garden belonging to Brookhill Demesne, a historic estate on the north side of Ballinderry Road, approximately 2.5 miles south-east of Upper Ballinderry in County Antrim. The walled garden forms part of a group of historic structures associated with the estate, including gates, outbuildings, and a tower (HB19/03/064B & C). The main house, which was built in Jacobethan style, has been demolished. The structures date from between 1800 and 1870.

The walled garden itself comprises four boundary walls, each with distinct construction and historical characteristics. The south-west boundary wall is built of basalt stone laid in courses with a concrete coping, possibly replacing an earlier wall around 1870. This wall has been subdivided into two separate ownership units, with two twentieth-century openings (Gate 01 and Gate 02) leading to modern dwellings now built within the walled garden. Gate 02 and its associated walling are in separate ownership (HB19/03/064C).

The south-east wall is predominantly of coursed basalt and features an access gate (Gate 06) positioned to the left, dated circa 1850. This gate has a red brick pointed arch with basalt spandrels and iron gates. The far right of this wall has been modified, and formerly contained a gate lodge.

The north-east wall is partially coursed basalt on its right half, with basalt rubble and intermediate brick courses and upper brick arches on the left-hand side. This wall is also subdivided into two separate ownership sites (HB19/03/064C-D). Gate 05, which is in separate ownership (HB19/03/064C) and represents the earliest gate to the walled gardens, is a simple brick arched opening with a replacement door.

At the south-east corner stands the south elevation of a small one-and-a-half-storey lean-to gardener's cottage predating 1830. This elevation is incorporated into the face of the walled garden wall and consists of a brick facade with a rubble upper section. It features a central door with two first-floor openings. The other elevations on the north side of this wall, which are in separate ownership (HB19/03/064B), consist of rubble masonry with brick surrounds. These elevations include a central door flanked by window openings on the north-east elevation and blank side elevations.

The north-west wall is in separate ownership (HB19/03/064C) and appears to be the earliest section of the garden walls, possibly dating back to an earlier dwelling from circa 1610. It is built of field stone with upper brick courses likely added at a later date. A central gate (Gate 04) was added circa 1870. This gate has a compound pointed arch in brick with basalt spandrels.

The historic agricultural buildings to the rear of the estate, which form part of the setting, are primarily asymmetrical two-storey structures with pitched slate roofs. They are built of coursed basalt with red brick surrounds to openings and date from circa 1830 to 1855 (HB19/03/064B). These buildings extend to the north and some have undergone twentieth-century alterations. The gate lodge (HB19/03/064A), built circa 1870 to replace an earlier gate lodge, is located at the east entrance to the estate.

The former walled gardens now enclose two modern dwellings accessed from the road running parallel to the site. Beyond the walls lies mature woodland that leads up to the new house built at the former site of Brookhill. The historic agricultural buildings form the agricultural setting beyond which extends open rural landscape. The boundary walls are constructed of random and coursed masonry, basalt rubble, and brick.