39 Ringsend Road, Banbridge, Co Down, BT32 3QQ

A single-storey two-bay mid-19th century vernacular direct-entry farmhouse, largely modified around 1940. The building retains much historic fabric and detailing despite 20th century alterations that have affected its vernacular character. It represents a good example of how buildings of this type evolved with the changing needs of occupiers, with the original direct-entry plan form altered by the introduction of solid partition walls. The outbuildings are notable, and the original setting of an enclosed farmyard survives substantially. This is a good example of a building type that is becoming rare.

The house forms part of a small complex of farm buildings arranged around a walled concrete forecourt, located off Ringsend Road to the north, approximately five miles south-west of Dromara. The principal structure is rectangular with a linear plan form extended to the south with a one-and-a-half storey unit, with a further adjoining stable block to the north.

The principal elevation faces east and is symmetrically arranged on a slightly inclining site. It features pitched corrugated iron roofing with corrugated ridging to the single-storey bays, and pitched natural slate roofing with clay ridge tiles to the raised left bay. A cement skew smooth render chimneystack with corbelled cap and single plain clay pot rises from the roof. The walling is painted roughcast render with a smooth projected plinth. The central windbreaker porch with catslide corrugated-iron roof contains a painted timber sheeted front door with plain raised rendered reveals, flanked by single 2/2 timber sliding sash windows with vertical glazing bars, horns and replacement concrete cills with smooth raised reveals. A timber top-hung casement window serves the raised bay. The left gable comprises two attic timber sliding sash windows behind storm glazing with plain reveals. The rear elevation is asymmetrically arranged with a small single-pane timber-framed window right of centre, flanked by single windows at varying cill and head levels with plain reveals. Two blocked-up windows exist to the raised portion, and the right gable is blank with an apex chimney. The stable block abutting the main structure features a pitched corrugated-iron roof, concrete-block walling and steel-framed windows where existing, with timber sheeted doors addressing the forecourt.

The interior contains exposed rough-hewn timber collar-beam truss and purlin roof structure with some replacement sawn timbers fixed with a variety of timber pegs and metal bolts.

A parallel single-storey outbuilding opposite the principal elevation features a pitched corrugated-iron roof with cement skews, cement-rendered walling and timber sheeted doors with strap hinges. A larger outbuilding with rear lean-to abutment built around 1940 has corrugated asbestos roofing, cement-rendered walling and steel-framed windows.

The entrance gates, set back from the main road, feature dry-dash squared piers with smooth banding and moulded cornicing terminated with smooth rendered square caps, adjoining dry-dash sweeping walls with weather cement coping and mild-steel gates decorated with castings, ball-terminus and scrolls. A long lane bypasses modern dwellings to reach the farmhouse, with the site bounded by a 20th century wall enclosing the concrete forecourt and field gates carried by angular cement-rendered piers. A concrete drinking trough is fixed to the south perimeter wall.

The buildings were first shown on the second edition Ordnance Survey map of 1860 as two rectangular structures corresponding to the present-day dwelling house and outbuilding opposite. Both buildings had been extended in length by the time of the third edition Ordnance Survey map in 1901-2. Griffith's Valuation recorded the tenant as John Burns, who leased a farm of 14 acres with buildings valued at £1.5 shillings from Viscount Dungannon, later Lord A E Hill Trevor. The farm remained in the Burns family throughout the period covered by valuation records with no significant changes in valuation. At the 1901 census, the tenant was Hugh Burns, who lived with his wife, sister and five young children in a three-room house designated second class, with roofing material of corrugated iron and/or slate. By the First General Revaluation in the early 1930s, the house was vacant and had been redesignated as agricultural outbuildings. However, in 1944 it was renovated and once more came into use as a dwelling, with accommodation comprising a kitchen and three rooms. The building currently lies vacant.