Outbuildings at Rademon House, Ballynahinch Road, Rademan, Crossgar, BT30 9HS

Outbuildings at Rademon House

This is a complex group of part single and part two storey outbuildings and dwellings situated on sloping ground to the south-east of Rademon House, roughly one mile west of Crossgar. The complex is of mixed construction, age and appearance, bringing together structures spanning from before 1834 through to the early 20th century.

The oldest sections are mainly constructed in rubble stone and probably predate 1834. These are interspersed with late 19th and early 20th century portions, predominantly in coursed rubble stone with brick dressings. A separate block to the east, largely comprising two substantial brick houses possibly dating from around 1910 to 1920, forms part of the overall composition.

The Long West Wing

To the west side of the main section stands a very long wing, part two storey and part single storey, with a slated roof that is gabled with a bellcote to the north and hipped to the south. The wing runs predominantly north to south, but splays off in a north-east direction at its northern end. Much of this long wing is rubble-built, whitewashed and probably predates 1834, though it has been altered in recent years.

The outer (western) façade of the north-south section is rough cast rendered and whitewashed. To the left of centre is a segmental coach arch with sandstone dressings and a gable above; within this gable sits a small roundel. To the right of this arch, where the ground falls away, the façade becomes two storey. To the left it is mainly single storey. To the right of the first coach arch is a similar large coach opening with timber sheeted doors. The windows are randomly arranged, giving a vernacular appearance, though many have been altered with tell-tale patches of render around them and modern frames inserted. Those to the left retain Georgian-paned sash frames. (Between the 2000 and 2004 surveys, the buildings' render was removed and stonework restored.)

The inner (eastern) façade of the long north-south section is similarly finished and retains a random selection of original openings, with timber sheeted doors and Georgian-paned sash windows. A stone external staircase rises to an upper floor doorway. To the far right the façade is finished in rubble and brick. To the far left it is abutted by a two storey gabled projection with matching finishes. To the south, a long single storey flat-roofed extension with modern windows and doors in rough cast render has been added, probably in the early 1900s, covering the whole of this façade.

At the south end of the long north-south section is an attached gabled outbuilding in dark stone rubble with brick dressings and large elliptical arched vehicle doorways to both the east and west façades. Immediately to its east stands a stand-alone barn with corrugated iron clad walls and a curved roof.

The north-east section of the west wing is single storey to its south-west end and two storey to its north-east end. The north-east end comprises a large hipped roof house, appearing to date from around 1900, with roof overhang, decorative barges and yellow brick chimneys. The south-east elevation features a large full-height off-centre gabled bay. Throughout this 'house' section the windows are of uniform size, regularly arranged and filled with predominantly Georgian-paned sash windows. The whole façade is finished in rough cast. The single storey section attached to the south-east side of the 'house' has a rough cast outer north-west façade (which is blank) and rubble and brick to the inner south-east façade, which retains sash windows matching the 'house'.

The East Wing

The shorter east wing is wholly post-1858 and probably dates from the early 1900s. At its north end it consists of a single storey, rubble and brick hipped roof stable or shed section with timber sheeted doors to the inner (western) façade. The outer eastern façade is almost entirely in brick and blank.

To the south of this section the wing kinks in a south-west direction and beyond this consists largely of a two storey section containing two relatively plain brick dwellings with gabled roofs and gabled porches to the south-east façade. These houses have predominantly Georgian-paned sash windows, with some casement windows also in evidence. Together with the long wing, this shorter wing encloses a courtyard.

To the south end of the north-south wing there is a lower section, roughly one and a half storey, probably dating from around 1890 to 1900, positioned to the east of the long wing.