Lake View House, 151 Ballyronan Road, Magherafelt, BT45 6HZ

Lake View House is a two-storey, three-bay pebble-dashed house dating to approximately 1800, standing in a rural setting within its own farmland near Magherafelt. It is an attractive and nicely proportioned late Georgian house of special interest for its age, form, and unusual detailing. The house was built for the Gaussen family, who were responsible for the development of the village of Ballyronan.

The main elevation faces east and is symmetrical, with a central entrance flanked by two-storey segmental bays. The walling is pebble-dashed with a smooth rendered plinth, eaves course, and quoins at the extremities. The roof is of Bangor blue slate in regular courses, with flat-topped bays. Two chimneys, one to each gable, are smooth rendered, lined, and blocked, with moulded frieze and cornice and modern stub pots. Rainwater goods are of uPVC.

The windows are rectangular timber sliding sash, vertically hung without horns. The tripartite windows on each floor of the bays consist of a central light of 6 over 6 flanked by sidelights of 4 over 4, set in smooth rendered surrounds with a keystone and projecting stone cills. The sashes to the right-hand bay have fluted bow-fronted timber mullions. Those to the left-hand bay have been altered and now have flat mullions with tubular metal posts set in front of them with square flanges, inserted to provide extra support for the deep reveal above.

The main entrance is in a semi-circular arched opening with sidelights and a radial fanlight, with a keystone. An incised inscription beginning "Built …" is present but the rest of the lettering is filled in and painted over. Above, on the first floor, is a smaller tripartite window with narrower sidelights of 2 over 2, bowed and fluted mullions, surmounted by a radial-glazed segmental head.

The south elevation comprises the main gable with similar walling to the front and a long rear return extending to the left. The gable contains two modern rectangular timber fixed lights with top-hung vents in raised rendered surrounds, and timber barge boards. The rear return is two storeys but of lower height than the front block, with a slated roof and roughcast walls. Windows in the house part of the return are large modern rectangular type, one incorporating a modern glazed door. The outbuilding part of the rear return has two rectangular windows and two doorways, with its end gable finished in render with some brickwork revealed and an upper window blocked with concrete blocks. The northern side of the rear return is plain, with slated roofs, two rendered chimneys, and three windows containing modern fixed lights and top-hung vents.

The west elevation of the front block is roughcast with a slated roof. It contains a semi-circular headed window on the first floor with a radial fanlight and three other rectangular windows with modern frames. A modern extensively glazed porch with a low brick plinth wall and flat roof is positioned at the rear.

The north elevation comprises the main gable with similar walling to the front, containing windows in two storeys plus an attic storey, and a lower two-storey extension extending to the right, also pebble-dashed with quoins at the outer extremity. The roof sweeps as a continuation of the main pitch. Windows in the main gable are rectangular timber sashes of 3 over 6 to the upper floors and 6 over 6 to the ground floor. Windows to the extension are modern fixed lights and top-hung vents.

The house is approached by a concrete driveway bordered by hedges and fences, leading past the front and along each side to terminate in a yard on the south side enclosed by outbuildings. These are of one and two storeys with slated roofs and roughcast walls, and are of no special interest. To the north and west is a garden enclosed by hedges, while to the front is an extensive field. The front boundary is formed by wooden fencing, and the main gateway comprises a pair of modern decorative iron gates set in stone piers with flanking screen walls of no special interest.

The house appears on the Ordnance Survey map of 1832 and was documented in historical sources of the period. The present owner took over the property in 1962. The building retains most of its distinguishing late Georgian features on the main front, including the tripartite windows and radial fanlights, which are of further architectural and local historic interest.