Farm buildings at Montalto House, Dromore Road, Ballymaglave north, Ballynahinch, Co Down, BT24 8PX

Farm buildings at Montalto House, Dromore Road, Ballymaglave North, Ballynahinch, Co Down

This is a single and two-storey estate farm complex, probably dating mainly from around 1837, built in coursed dark fieldstone. The buildings are arranged around a courtyard within the Montalto House demesne, a short distance south-west of the house itself. The complex was largely restored in the late 1990s.

The grouping comprises roughly five main sections. Four are arranged around the courtyard, with a fifth large barn set apart to the east. The northern and southern wings are single storey, rectangular buildings containing stables. The northern wing is narrower and has a mono-pitched roof. The eastern entrance wing is a slightly grander one-and-a-half storey building with single storey lean-to projections to front and rear, and may pre-date 1834. This wing is physically connected to the northern and southern wings. The western side of the courtyard has a large two-storey building now containing offices.

The front elevation of the main entrance wing is symmetrical, with large single storey projections to left and right flanking a recessed entrance area. The entrance itself consists of a relatively low elliptical-headed carriage arch flanked by semicircular-headed window-like arches. Above these are much squatter arched windows of corresponding shape, all filled with modern timber frames. The front façades of both projections each have three large arches, with timber-sheeted double doors at the centre of each, and modern windows with timber-sheeted aprons in the remaining arches. The inner faces of the projections, facing into the recessed entrance area, each have a large arched door similar to the front, with a squat semicircular louvered opening at a higher level.

The inner (west-facing) elevation of the entrance wing has a central recessed portion with a similar arrangement to the front. The flanking single storey projections each have two relatively large semicircular arches filled with windows and aprons as on the front elevation. The inner faces of these projections each have a similar arched door. To the outer edge, the left projection is abutted by the northern wing and the right by the southern wing.

The gabled south façade of the entrance wing is rendered and has a projection to the right. To the left is a small window with modern frame to both levels. To the right is a timber-sheeted door at ground level and a similar loft door at upper level. The north gable has a projection to the left. To the right of this is a modern garage door with a small window to its left. To the upper level are two smaller windows with modern frames. The gabled roof is slated.

The inner (south-facing) façade of the northern wing has five large elliptical arches all filled with timber stable doors with sidelights and brick aprons, except that to the far left which is filled with a window with rendered apron. The outer façade is a high rendered wall. The short west façade has a semicircular arch with timber-sheeted double door and a squat semicircular arch with louvering at a high level. To the left edge of this façade stretches a tall gate screen (in similar rubble as the farm buildings) with large flat arch and squat piers, spanning between the northern and western wings.

The inner façade of the southern wing mirrors the northern wing. The south façade is rendered with a more modern, utilitarian appearance, featuring several flat-arch doorways of various sizes and small windows with modern frames. The short west façade is gabled and has openings similar to the north wing but doubled in number. An identical gate screen abuts the centre of this façade and stretches to the western wing. The short east façade has a large flat-arched opening with timber-sheeted double doors, and to the right is a small high-level window with modern frame. The wing has a slated gabled roof with small skylights appearing on the south side.

The inner (east-facing) façade of the large two-storey western wing has five large arched openings. The three central ones are larger with elliptical heads; the two outer ones have semicircular heads. All are filled with timber-sheeted double doors with fanlights. To the first floor are five relatively small elliptical-arch-headed windows with modern four-pane frames, resting on a sill course. The northern and southern gables and rear façade are all finished in plain render. The south gable has an upper-level plain double fire escape door with fire escape stair. The north gable has a small window with modern frame to the right at ground floor level. To the left on the rear façade is a small single storey lean-to with small modern windows. To the right of this are four modern windows and two timber-sheeted doors. The western wing has a slated gable roof with Velux windows to the rear and rendered parapets.

The courtyard has a paved perimeter with gravel to the centre. Positioned roughly to the centre point is a late Victorian-looking cast iron pump. A stone trough formerly stood next to this.

A short distance to the east of the main complex is the large barn. This is single storey but contains a tall basement level, visible only to the south gable. The building is finished in slated gabled roof and coursed dark fieldstone as the previous buildings.

The west façade has five large elliptical arches all now filled with door-like timber sheeting, but only the centre opening (which is slightly broader than the rest) contains actual working doors with a wicket gate. The north gable has three tall arches all timber-sheeted, the outer two with semicircular heads and that to the centre with an elliptical head. Above these is a small louvered roundel.

The ground around the south gable is much lower than the rest of the building, revealing the basement level. The basement is broader than the upper portion of the gable as it stretches beyond the actual footprint of the barn and has three arches to the centre similar in shape to those on the north gable. Beyond these are two outer arch recesses. The floor above has three arches and a roundel, all as on the north gable.

The east façade has a large central elliptical-arched opening now completely glazed, flanked by narrow semicircular-headed arched openings also completely glazed. Beyond these are matching shallow arched recesses, which may originally have been openings.