Ringdufferin House, 35 Ringdufferin Road, Ringdufferin, Killyleagh, Co. Down, BT30 9PH

Ringdufferin House

Ringdufferin House is a large and complex gentleman's residence, built either on or near to the site of a tower house of probable late 16th century origin. The building is ostensibly Georgian and was undoubtedly built in phases spanning the later 17th to the 20th centuries. It has been suggested that the house may have been built around the fabric of the original tower house, but this is uncertain.

The property is set at the end of a very long, winding, picturesque drive to the west of the Ringdufferin Road, approximately 2.5 miles north-northeast of Killyleagh, amidst well-wooded grounds overlooking the east coast of Strangford Lough. To the east of the house is a substantial collection of outbuildings, probably mainly dating from the later 18th or early 19th centuries.

The southwest front section is a two-storey rendered block with a semi-basement and a hipped roof, dating from circa 1790. The large rear return is three-storey, with a rubble façade dating from the same period. To the northwest is a wing much altered in succeeding years which, as evidence suggests, could date from the mid-18th century.

The southwest front section is two-storey with a semi-basement and high parapet, finished in plain render with granite quoins. Its front (southwest) façade is symmetrical and has an odd, slightly mean appearance, somehow not grand enough for a house of this size. In the centre of the ground floor is the main entrance, consisting of a semicircular arched recess wherein is a panelled and glazed sliding door (which looks like a normal hinged door) with flanking three-quarter column jambs with pedestal bases and slightly Adamesque floral motif to capitals. The jambs support a lintel frieze with floral motifs and fluting. Above this is large segmental (almost semicircular) fanlight with spider's web-like tracery. A short flight of stone steps leads to the entrance. To the left of the entrance are two sash windows with Georgian panes (six over six) and granite cills. To the right are two identical windows. To the first floor are five much smaller windows (three panes over three). This façade is topped with a parapet with a small classical statue (possibly of a Roman or Greek god) perched on top to the centre and a bird at each end. These figures are apparently in lead.

The northwest façade of the front section has a small window to the first floor as the first floor front. This façade has a semi-basement level with a fairly large tripartite sash window, with iron bars over. To the left of this façade (and flush with it) is the northwest façade of a gabled side portion (the northwest section) of the house, which structurally speaking belongs to another stage of building and not, as it were, the front section. This façade is three-storey (though without seeing the interior it is difficult to decide whether the lowest level is semi-basement or ground floor) with two sash windows to each floor. Those to the lowest level (ground floor) are flat arch, those to the middle floor are semicircular headed, and the two to the top floor (which are slightly smaller) are semicircular headed (to the left) and flat arch. To the northeast-facing gable there are two sash windows to the uppermost level, but the façade below this is obscured by greenery. This northwest section is finished in plain render to the northwest and roughcast to the gable.

The southeast façade of the front section has a first floor window as front, but the lower half of the façade is largely obscured by greenery, so that only the very top of a ground floor window can be seen. This window has Georgian panes and may be similar to those on the ground floor front, but without recourse to the interior of the house it is difficult to tell. Abutting the right-hand side of this façade is a lower hipped roof projection (the southeast section) with a plain render façade. This section is two-storey, but is set at a lower level than the front section, with the result that its upper level is actually at the ground floor level of the latter section. Its southwest façade is largely obscured by greenery, but it does have a sash window (as main front but with segmental head) to the ground floor and one to the upper floor, with a flat arch head. The much shorter southeast façade has a similar window to the ground floor. To the northeast façade (which faces into the rear yard of the property) there is a glazed and panelled door to the centre left on the ground floor and a small double sash window to the centre right on the first floor. There is a dentilled eaves course to this façade.

To the right of the northeast façade of the southeast section (and projecting beyond it) is a two-storey portion (the rear section) with a flat roof and plain render façade. This portion projects, as it were, from the rear of the front section. To the ground floor of its northeast façade is a doorway to the far left, with glazing and louvered panels, which does not appear to be used any more. To the right of this is a sash window with Georgian panes (six over three), then a glazed and panelled door and then (at far right) a window as previous. To the far left on the first floor is a segmental headed opening (reached from the yard via a relatively modern metal staircase) which was undoubtedly once a doorway but is now louvered to its lowest third with the rest with fairly recent looking multi-pane glazing. To the right of this are three sash windows with segmental heads and Georgian panes (six over six).

To the right (northwest) of the rear section and sitting at a right angle to it, is a large three-storey return (the return) with a hipped roof and random greywacke rubble façade with rough-faced brick dressings to openings. This return, with its plain rubble façade looks as though it could represent the oldest section of the house, but available evidence suggests otherwise and there appears to be no obvious indication in the coursing of the rubble to suggest that it has undergone major alteration or extension. The southeast façade has a timber-sheeted doorway to the left. To the right of this is a smallish window with fixed light frame with nine Georgian panes and to the right of this is a modern glazed door. To the immediate right of this is a short single-storey brick-built shed with three stable doors to its southeast façade. Its natural slated roof appears to be mono-pitched and on the ridge are two lead figures of cats with their backs arched as though they were squaring up for a fight (probably designed to scare off real cats). This structure looks as though it was once used for keeping fowl. To the first floor of the southeast façade of the return are three larger, unevenly spaced, sash windows with Georgian panes (six over six). Above these (and in corresponding positions) are three smaller similar but smaller windows (six over three). To the far left side of this façade at an intermediate landing level is another sash window, as first floor. Due to the differing ground level, the short northeast façade of the return appears as two-storey, with a large tripartite sash window (with Georgian panes: two over two at sides, six over six at centre), set at a high ground floor level. To the upper floor is a similar, but slightly smaller, window.

Against much of the northwest elevation of the return is the gabled northwest section. A short portion to left-hand side of this elevation of the return is exposed, however, the writers were unable to see this portion, due to the fact that tree and shrub growth inhibit a direct view of it.

All gabled and hipped sections of the roof are covered in natural slate. The rear section appears to have a flat roof. The roof of the return has a slight overhang. To the southwest gable of the northwest section there is a chimney stack which may once have been free standing but is now built into the façade (to give the elevation an overall gabled appearance). This section has a tall chimney stack in greyish blue (possibly engineering) brick to the northwest side of its roof. The southeast section has a similar tall stack to the northeast side of its roof and there is a similar stack to the ridge of the return roof. The rainwater goods appear to be entirely cast iron.

To the drive to the south of the house there are set of octagonal plan gate posts in sandstone, whose gates appear to have been removed some considerable time ago. Strangely, there is no evidence of walling or fencing on either side of these posts. At the entrance to the drive (on the Ringdufferin Road) there is a gate with much plainer hexagonal gate posts in granite, with simple wrought iron gates. To the immediate north of the house is a large walled garden (no access to this). To the east of the house is a large collection of outbuildings, including stables, a blacksmith's forge, a piggery, boat house and ruins of what appears to be a watch tower.