The Old Rectory, 5 Shore Road, Strangford, Co.Down

The Old Rectory, 5 Shore Road, Strangford, County Down

This is a former Georgian rectory, built in circa 1817 as the glebe house for Ballyculter parish, and subsequently extended in 1838 and 1858. It is an asymmetrical, two-storey, five-bay rendered building set within its own grounds on the south side of Strangford village, a short walk from The Square at the centre of the village. The house currently serves as holiday accommodation. It lies within a conservation area but does not meet the threshold for statutory listing, owing to refurbishment and extensions carried out over many years.

Historical Background

The Ecclesiastical Register of 1820 records that the building was completed in 1817 and funded by a gift of £450 from the Board of First Fruits together with a loan of £50 from the same body. The architect or builder is not known. The OS Memoirs of 1833 describe it as "a plain 2-storey house, being characteristic of a rectory." At that date the building was associated with Ballyculter parish, whose church — Christ Church — stands on Drumroe Road approximately 2.5 kilometres south of Strangford. Christ Church is listed at grade B+ and dates from 1723, with its tower and spire added in 1770 and the nave remodelled in 1881–82.

The OS map of 1834 shows the original, symmetrically planned three-bay main block with a small square appendage at the eastern corner, a long freestanding outbuilding at the south-eastern side of the rear yard, and a further small square structure just north-west of it. The first valuation of July 1838 records the main building as measuring 41 feet by 27½ by 18½ feet, with a scullery addition of 10 by 11½ by 6 feet (possibly the appendage noted above), an outbuilding attached to a car house measuring 25½ by 9½ by 8 feet, and stables measuring 60½ by 15 by 8 feet 3 inches, all valued at £9 6s 0d for rating purposes. By the revised OS map of 1858, the plan had changed markedly, apparently reflecting several additions to the rear of the house, although these do not appear to be directly referenced in the 1863 valuation. That valuation records the main section as measuring 14 yards by 9 by 18 feet with two outbuildings of 20 yards by 5 by 9 feet and 9 yards by 5 by 12 feet, with a rateable value of £18. This figure remained unchanged into the mid-1930s, suggesting no major alterations during that period, although the 1901 OS map shows a plan broadly similar to today, with the present return linking to the outbuilding. Whether a former extension to the north-eastern end of the main front block had been added by this stage is unclear.

The property was originally occupied by Reverend Charles Wolseley until his death in 1838, followed by Reverend William Leahy to 1844, Reverend John Frederick Gordon to 1865, Reverend John Wilson to 1873, and Reverend Edward Blanchard Ryan to 1904. In the 1901 census, Reverend Ryan, 53 and Dublin-born, was living here with his two young daughters, a governess, and two domestic servants, the house being recorded as a first-class dwelling with 20 rooms in use. In the 1911 census, the next incumbent, Reverend George Walter Capsey, aged 33 and from County Kerry, occupied the rectory with his wife Emily Constance Capsey, their two infant daughters, and three domestic servants, with 16 rooms recorded as in use. Subsequent occupants included Reverend William Burton Leslie Smith from 1915 to 1918, Reverend George Foster to 1935, Reverend William Frederick Frazer to 1946, and Reverend George Kidd until 1957. In that same year the former stable block was reported as having been converted into a centre for holiday weeks, quiet weekends, and conferences for members of the Church of Ireland. The 1976 OS map shows the north-eastern extension, which the First Survey of Historic Buildings of the following year describes as having a shed roof, while the main original block had a two-storey entrance bay. The house passed into private hands around 1990. Since then, the matching end bay has replaced the north-eastern extension, the entrance projection has been removed, and a large modern-style addition to the south-west side has been added, at least some of this work apparently carried out around 2007.

Plan and Layout

The building is composed of a main frontage block facing north-west, a return running north-west to south-east from the southern end of the house, and a further rear return running south-west to north-east from that. A garage structure to the rear of the north-eastern end of the front block, together with these elements, forms an enclosed courtyard accessed via large timber gates on the north-east side. A single-storey, flat-roofed, timber and steel framed glass side extension — described as a Garden Room — is positioned centrally on the south-west elevation. A block-built, rubblestone-faced boathouse is sited approximately 18 metres south-west of the main house. Both the Garden Room and the boathouse are 21st-century additions.

Approach and Setting

The house is accessed from the northern end of the site through large stone piers, up a curving driveway to a forecourt facing gardens on the north-east side. The driveway continues past the front of the house and exits further south-east along Shore Road, opposite the entrance to Stella Maris Church. Dense woodland lines the driveway and there are extensive lawns to the north-east and a side garden to the south-west, with a walled paddock beyond. The site, which extends to approximately 1.12 hectares, is bounded on all sides by a tall random rubble stone wall with flush sand and cement joints and a pitched top, with matching pyramid-topped gateposts at both the front and rear vehicular access points. There are views over Strangford Lough to the east and south-east from the rear boundary. Immediately to the north-east of the house is a stone folly or rampart with steps leading to a small platform. The surroundings include private residences and retail premises to the north-west boundary, private residences to the south-west boundary, farmland to the south-east boundary, and Stella Maris Church on the opposite side of Shore Road at the north-east boundary.

Front Elevation (North-West)

The principal façade is two storeys, five bays, finished in ruled and lined sand and cement render with toothed raised rendered quoins to both corners and a plain rendered plinth. The entrance door and portico are positioned towards the right-hand side. At ground floor level, reading left to right, there are three window openings, then a door screen opening, then a single window opening. At first floor level there are five window openings, all vertically aligned with those below. The windows throughout are six-over-six putty-faced timber sliding sash, single glazed, painted white. The pitched roof is covered in natural slate with black clay ridge tiles and has three rendered chimneystacks — one on each gable and one approximately one third of the way along from the left — each with four clay pots (likely replacements) and concrete or Victoria Stone coping. Verges in sand and cement finish are present to all main roofs. The entrance portico comprises four fibreglass marble-effect fluted Doric columns on square concrete bases with a plain concrete entablature, a moulded stone cornice, and a flat roof over, possibly of rubberised membrane in dark grey. The ground beneath the portico is concrete. The replacement door screen has a timber panelled front door flanked by timber-framed plain glazed panels with a timber-spoked fanlight over.

South-West Side Elevation

The south-west gable of the frontage block runs flush with the two-storey return, which has a further rear return at its south-eastern end. The rear pitch of the frontage block is sprocketed at this junction. The modern single-storey Garden Room extension is positioned centrally on this elevation. It is timber and steel framed externally, with large floor-to-ceiling glazed panels featuring frameless corner details and a dark grey rubberised membrane roof. The plain rendered plinth diminishes towards the south-east. Windows to the gable are a mix of four-over-four, three-over-six, and eight-over-eight sliding sash types; windows to the return are two-over-two top-hung and side-hung casements, all in white-painted timber. Access openings from the extension into the main house appear to occupy existing window apertures. At the south-eastern end of the return there is an external access door matching the front entrance — a single-glazed six-panel door with a matching three-panel sidelight and three fanlights, in white-painted timber. A modern double-glazed single-panel timber access door provides external access from the Garden Room at the southern end of the extension.

Rear Elevation (South-East)

The rear elevation is in ruled and lined rendered sand and cement masonry with no plinth. A pitched gable faces onto a pressed concrete flagged patio. At first floor level there are two six-over-two putty-faced timber side-hung and top-hung casement windows, painted white. At ground floor level there is a triple two-over-two putty-faced timber side-hung casement utility window with a fixed centre light, painted white. To the north-east a single-storey utility and store building abuts the rubblestone boundary wall, with two double two-over-four putty-faced timber side-hung and top-hung casement windows, painted white. Rainwater goods comprise pressed aluminium ogee guttering to a cast iron downpipe. The roof is natural slate with a lead-flashed stainless steel flue; a second stainless steel flue emerges from the north-east wall face.

North-East Side Elevation

The north-east elevation is in ruled and lined sand and cement rendered masonry. The north-east gable of the frontage block is to the north-west, with a plain rendered plinth; the garage gable is to the south-east, with no plinth, and the double courtyard gates are centrally positioned. The gates are black-painted framed, ledged, braced, and sheeted timber with an accommodation door in the south-east leaf; the gate posts are formed integrally with the frontage block gable and the north-west elevation of the garage in matching ruled and lined render. The north-east gable of the frontage block has two six-over-six putty-faced timber sliding sash windows at ground floor level and two at first floor level, with a single four-pane ground floor window beside the courtyard gates. The rear pitch of the frontage block is sprocketed above, with a slender rendered chimneystack carrying two clay pots (likely replacements) and concrete or Victoria Stone coping. Pressed aluminium ogee guttering with a single cast iron downpipe returns to the north-west. The garage has a single black composite insulated roller shutter door to its north-west elevation and black half-round uPVC guttering with matching downpipes to its north-east gable.

Courtyard

The courtyard was not accessed at the time of survey but was visible through the gates. The south-east elevation of the frontage block, as seen from the courtyard, is in ruled and lined render with a plain rendered plinth, with cast iron soil and vent pipes and downpipes and pressed aluminium ogee guttering. Fenestration on this face includes a double putty-faced timber side-hung casement with twelve lights per leaf at first floor level to the north-east end, and four putty-faced timber side-hung casements at varying head heights at ground floor level — one to the south-west and three to the north-east — together with a glazed access door with matching sidelights. All are painted white. The north-east elevation of the return has three triple two-over-two putty-faced timber side-hung casement kitchen windows with fixed centre lights and lattice leaded lights, painted white, at ground floor level, along with a replacement access door matching the front entrance — a single-glazed six-panel door in white-painted timber — at the south-eastern end. At first floor level there are four triple two-over-two putty-faced timber side-hung casement windows with fixed centre lights, painted white. Cast iron soil and vent pipes and pressed aluminium ogee guttering are also present to the north-east elevation of the return.

Materials

The external walls of the frontage block, return, rear return, and utility buildings are all in ruled and lined sand and cement rendered masonry; the garage is in matching ruled and lined rendered blockwork. The main roofs are in dark grey natural slate. Existing cast iron downpipes have been retained throughout the frontage block, return, rear return, and utility buildings, with pressed aluminium ogee guttering in black; the garage has black half-round uPVC guttering with matching downpipes. Windows and doors are timber, single glazed (not historic glass), with concrete or Victoria Stone cills, except for the double-glazed units to the south-west extension. The perimeter boundary wall is in random rubble with flush sand and cement joints and a pitched top, with pyramid-topped gateposts matching the wall at both vehicular access points.