The Valley, 15 Valley Road, Crevilly-Valley Td, Ballymena, BT42 2LX

The Valley is a relatively small, one and a half storey picturesque early Victorian country house dating from approximately 1840, with a large but well-proportioned single-storey extension added in 1982. The property is located to the south-east of Valley Road, roughly 3 kilometres west of the village of Kells, and sits within extensive well-tended grounds with a yard to the rear. At the north end of the yard stands a large two-storey contemporary stable block.

The original house is basically rectangular in plan with a one and a half storey rear return to the north-east, which may be partly original but appears to have been largely rebuilt around 1900. A small projecting flat-roofed porch projects to the front. The 1982 extension lies to the east and features a large canted bay to its front. To the north, a two-storey stable block is connected to the rear of the house by two-metre high walls that enclose a yard. A stone wall extends from the east of the stable block, and a later lean-to roof has been added, creating a long range that now houses open car ports and garden stores.

Window openings are generally flat-headed, though directly above the porch there is a gothic-style opening. The landing on the rear north façade is lit by a semi-circular-headed opening. All openings are framed with raised moulded surrounds and rest on painted sills. Window frames are painted timber; the majority are 6/6 sash, though the north side of the extension has some top-hung frames to the ground floor and some side-hung casement frames to first floor dormers.

The south front façade of the original house is symmetrical. Ground floor windows flanking the front porch are surmounted by a blocking course or frieze and a projecting cornice. The main entrance is central within the porch and comprises paired timber-panelled doors surmounted by a plain fanlight and flanked by plain clasping pilasters. To each side wall of the porch there is a fixed light window. Either side of the ground floor there is a flat-headed window with 6/6 timber sash. Directly over the porch, set within the half-dormer, is a Tudor-type arch window with Gothick sash frame, the upper sash having 6 panes surmounted by intersecting tracery. To the east side of the front elevation is the 1982 extension, which is set back; to its left side is a French window and to its right side is an outsized canted bay.

The west façade of the main house merges with the one and a half storey return. Window openings are irregularly arranged with three to the first floor and one on the left side of the ground floor. The return connects with the yard wall, which projects forward and has a central gateway with double timber gates.

The rear north façade is informal in arrangement. Window openings are irregularly disposed; those to the rear of the extension have top-hung frames. The first floor window of the main house has a semi-circular arch with a fixed multi-paned frame; the remainder have 6/6 frames. The east façade of the original house is mainly obscured by the extension, though there is one 6/6 first floor window visible to the left side of the first floor. The east façade of the extension has two 6/6 windows set one to either side.

Walls are finished with roughcast render over a projecting plinth. The front walls are flanked with clasping pilasters. There is some carefully manicured ivy to the south façade. The roofs are pitched and covered with blue-grey slate with overhanging boxed eaves and verges. There are two half-dormers, one centrally placed on the south face and one on the west face of the return. A gabled dormer is positioned on the left of the south face of the extension with a further three to the north face. Rendered chimneystacks rise off gables and are set on the line of the ridge, with corbelled caps and matching clay pots. Rainwater goods are uPVC.

The stable block is two-storey and lies to the north of the house at the north end of a brick-paved yard. Walls are random rubble and much obscured by trimmed ivy and other climbing plants. To the centre of the north façade is an elliptical-arched coach opening with paired timber sheeted doors; the archway divides the ground floor in two and leads into the patio area. Window openings are regularly arranged, all with smooth render surrounds and timber frames; a few are 6/6 sash but most are top-hung. To the east façade there is an external set of steps set at an angle, rising to an external landing and then to the first floor interior. The treads are finished with ceramic tiles and have modern wrought-iron balusters and handrail. The roof is pitched and covered with blue-grey slate. The ground floor is used for storage; the first floor comprises one large room in use as a gymnasium.

The house is set in mature grounds with a gravelled drive leading from a modern period-style gateway of wrought-iron railings, curving gate screen and matching gates. The grounds contain remnants of the original formal layout, consisting mainly of mature trees and the line of the drive. A gravelled forecourt precedes a lawn with mature trees beyond, with further gardens to both sides. The site backs on to fields to the north, and the Kells Water river bounds the site to the east.