(Site of) Raleagh House, 34 Dromore Road, Ballykine Upper, Ballynahinch, Co Down, BT24 8HS

Site of Raleagh House

This was a large two-storey Edwardian-style residence located south of Dromore Road, to the west of Ballynahinch town centre. The house was possibly built around an earlier dwelling of pre-1834 origin, with the final form of the building featuring canted bays and an irregular hipped and gabled roof.

The property first appears in the valuation returns of around 1838 as a two-storey house whose dimensions matched the front portion of the later building. At some point before 1856, the building (or another erected on the site) became the manse for 3rd Ballynahinch Presbyterian Church, continuing in this role until at least 1932. Following this, it was sold to a Mr Coulter and became known as Raleagh House.

In September 1970, the building was surveyed and described as a two-storey house with a slated hipped and gabled roof. It had rendered chimneys and walls of painted rough cast with black pilaster quoins. The left-hand side featured a two-storey oriel bay, while the right-hand side had a single-storey oriel bay with a gable above and two first-floor windows. A recent central projecting porch contained a window in the main wall above a recessed glazed screen with a central panelled door. The windows were drop hung with no astragals. The property included outbuildings and a back extension, and had a frontage of approximately 50 feet. At that time, the building was noted to be in fair condition.

The house, whether wholly Edwardian in date or representing a comprehensive remodelling of around 1900-1910 of the earlier 1834 dwelling, was demolished around 1980, and a modern housing estate was subsequently built on the general site.