7 The Square, Hillsborough, Co. Down, BT26 6AP

7 The Square, Hillsborough

This is an end-of-terrace, two-storey rubble stone house built around 1780, terminating the southern end of the terrace that lines the east side of The Square. It faces west, looking directly towards the former Market House and Hillsborough Castle. The building is of particular local interest for its historical connections to the South Down Militia, and despite some internal alterations, it retains its original external character.

Architectural Description

The building is rectangular on plan, facing west, with a pair of two-storey gabled returns to the rear and an attached range of two-storey former outhouses. Roofs throughout are pitched natural slate with black clay ridge tiles, and there are two rebuilt red brick chimneystacks with terracotta pots. Cast-iron guttering on iron brackets runs along a red brick eaves course, with cast-iron downpipes.

The front and former outhouse walls are of galletted rubble stone. The rear elevation and returns are in red brick, the south gable and south elevation of the returns are cement rendered. Window openings are square-headed with rubbed brick heads, rendered reveals, painted masonry sills, and early 20th-century 6-over-6 timber sash windows with exposed sash boxes and angled horns. The rear elevation has uPVC windows, and the former outhouses have replacement multi-pane timber casement windows with red brick surrounds and granite sills.

The front west elevation is five windows wide with a central symmetrical shopfront inserted around 1900. This comprises a central square-headed door opening with a vertically-sheeted timber door, flanked on either side by a fixed-pane triple-light shop display window with slender pilasters to concrete sills supporting a plain fascia. Console brackets flank a lead-lined cornice above. To the left of the shopfront is an elliptical-headed red brick carriage arch fitted with a decorative iron gate designed by Graham Harron. The arch opens onto a cobbled area enclosed by granite kerbing to the pavement.

The north side elevation is abutted by the adjoining house at No. 6. To the rear, the two gabled returns flank the back elevation: the northern return has red brick walls, the southern is rendered and is abutted by the converted outhouses. The south gabled return has a lean-to entrance porch with a vertically-sheeted timber door to the north cheek and a timber fanlight to the east. At first floor there are square-headed uPVC windows, one of which opens onto an iron balconette, and at ground floor there is a 3-over-3 timber sash window. The south gable is blank with cement rendered walling, while the rendered return has a lean-to projecting bay with two 6-over-6 timber sash windows.

Setting and Outbuildings

The attached range of two-storey former outhouses at the rear return is built in rubble stone with red brick surrounds, replacement painted timber windows (some sliding sash), and natural slate roofs. A late 20th-century single-storey rendered extension is attached to the east gable of the outbuildings. The rear yard is enclosed by rubble stone and brick walling with modern paviors, leading further east to an original rear landscaped garden.

Historical Background

No buildings are shown on this side of The Square on an estate map of 1777, but by 1788 a schematic row of buildings appears on the site. A map of around 1800 shows these houses in more detail, identifying the current building as the residence of a person named 'Gardiner' and depicting it as rectangular on plan with a return added during the currency of that map. The building appears on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1833 and is recorded in the Townland Valuation of 1828–40 as the residence of Hance Band — a house, offices, and yard valued at £14.

By the time of Griffith's Valuation of 1856–64, the building had been taken over by the Staff of the South Down Militia and was listed as a barrack, offices, yard, and small garden, described on the accompanying town plan as providing 'temporary quarters' for the militia. It was valued at £20 10s, though exempted from rates due to its use. Dimensions are recorded for a house, gateway, porch, wash-house, and four further out-offices.

A Commissioners' report of 1842 indicates the Royal South Downshire Militia had been stationed in Hillsborough since at least 1841. The Militia of Down, as it was originally known, was raised in 1793 by the second Marquess of Downshire — the same year he proposed the Irish Militia Act. It was later divided into North and South regiments as part of sanctions against Lord Hillsborough for failing to support the Act of Union in 1800, and ultimately became the fifth battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles. At the time of Griffith's Valuation, the colonel of the Militia was the fourth Marquess of Downshire, Arthur Hill, who is depicted in uniform as Lieutenant Colonel of the Militia in a painting at Hillsborough Castle.

By 1870 the militia had removed to Downpatrick, where they occupied the old gaol (now the County Museum), and the building was left vacant. In 1875 William McCue became resident and the valuation was reduced to £16, possibly following an appeal. By 1884 James McClughan, merchant, was in occupation. McClughan died in 1915 leaving a modest estate of over £2,000, after which the house passed to William James Beattie.

The building was listed in 1976. An extension was built to the rear in 1977 but, according to the owner, had been removed by 2011.