Brook Cottage, 58 Bryansford Road, Newcastle, Ballaghbeg, Co Down, BT33 0LD

Brook Cottage is an unusually eclectic two storey building standing at the end of a drive to the west of Bryansford Road, west of Newcastle town centre. Originally a farmhouse of pre 1834 origin, it assumed much of its present irregular form with large projection and multiple small gables to the front circa 1850s. The building was latterly used as a hotel until 1999, when it was vacated and subsequently became derelict and prone to vandalism.

The front façade faces east. Slightly right of centre is a single storey gabled projecting entrance porch with a modern timber entrance door, now partly boarded, and pointed arch windows to both north and south faces, also boarded. The gabled roof projects forward to form an entrance portico. To the far left is a large two storey hipped roof projection with a canted front face culminating in a small gable. The ground floor has a large modern window now boarded, whilst the first floor has a similar window with a fixed two light frame. The outer faces have similar first floor windows, with the south side being much longer and featuring a boarded doorway to ground floor and a first floor window with small gable above. A tall mid Victorian chimney stack with three large diamond shaped pots and capped with octagonal clay pots rises to the right of these openings. To the immediate left of the entrance porch is a boarded ground floor window, above which is a small pointed arch window with margin panes set into a gabled half dormer. Directly above the porch is a similar arrangement. To the right of the porch are two boarded ground floor windows and two first floor gabled half dormers, the left containing two narrow sash windows and the right a single broad two over two sash window with vertical glazing bars.

The south elevation consists of the south side of the large front projection, a central irregularly gabled large two storey projection, and the south face of a small rear two storey gabled return. The central projection has a boarded modern window to ground floor and a large sash window to first floor. Its east facing side has a small modern window to first floor and a boarded doorway to ground floor. A conservatory formerly stood against this side but was recently demolished after vandalism. The south face of the small return has a dilapidated modern window arrangement spanning both floors.

The rear elevation comprises a large two storey double gabled return to the left, linking to a low largely two storey flat roofed section, with the low gabled return to the right. This large return contains numerous openings, many boarded, though two first floor sash windows set into one gable remain intact. The flat roofed section has two large modern openings, both boarded. To the far left, the return links to a small single storey flat roofed section with a prominent fire escape walkway and stair. A similar fire escape stair is set against the two storey flat roofed section. The gable of the low two storey gabled return to the right is blank.

The north elevation, comprising the north gable of the main building and the north side of the large rear return, is blank. The entire façade is largely finished in roughcast and painted. All sections of the older gabled and hipped roofs are covered in natural slate. Six chimney stacks are present, all of similar mid Victorian design with varying numbers of pots. Cast iron rainwater goods are mainly in place.

To the rear stands a large one and a half storey rubble built gabled outbuilding with a small single storey section to the north. Both sections have slated roofs and whitewashed façades. The larger section has had modern windows inserted and a tall rendered chimney stack. The rear has a small gable with an upper level loft door, and several small lean-to projections, one appearing modern. High rubble walls enclose the rear yard to the south of the outbuildings and to the north of the main property.

Historical records indicate the building was shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1834 with a plan similar to today but without the large front projection. Valuation records show it then belonged to William Burns. By the revised Ordnance Survey map of 1859, it had assumed the name Brook Cottage and had passed to William Beers. The property remained in the Beers family until at least 1886, passing subsequently to Thomas Hamilton by 1899 and Richard Brinsley LeFanu by 1910. In the mid 20th century it became a hotel, a use that continued until 1999. Flat roofed extensions to the rear date from the latter half of the 20th century, and some window openings appear to have been enlarged in fairly recent times.