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Diana Constance Faure Walker 1921-2024
3 hours ago
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
Lord Belmont's Official Birthday
I am two years old today! Gosh, that is nifty stuff for a two year-old, I hear you say. Here is my very first entry on the 2nd December, 2007. If I may crave your indulgence with a few salient facts and figures:-
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13 comments :
Congratulations!
I have a question for you, which maybe your unique local knowledge might be able to answer (and this is something that has been bugging me for a while). Whilst I was in the 6th form at Campbell, I recall occassionly mucking around in a large derelict house near the school grounds (maybe it was near Cairnburn Rd?). I know for sure that the house is long gone, but do you know anything about such a house? I have a (very) vague recollection of it being called "Ms Foresters house" but at 30 years distance, this could be a false memory. Hoping you can help,
Cheers,
J
Good to hear from you, J; and many thanks for the kind words.
I'm trying to think of old houses in that area: of course there was the Old Holywood Road gate-lodge - long since demolished - which was really on the Belmont Road.
Further along the Old Holywood Road, near its junction with Cairnburn Road, there was indeed a derelict mansion. I'm unclear. It may have been Glenmachan House, home of the Ewart baronets. It was in its own grounds on a slope above Old Holywood Road and must have been demolished 20 years ago - whenever the new development of houses sprang up. Could this have been the house you're thinking of possibly? There were several big houses at one time in the vicinity.
Tim
I meant to add that there were two big houses called "Glenmachan": Glenmachan House and Glenmachan Tower (which may still be standing much further along Glenmachan Road).
Glenmachan House sounds like the one you may recall. i was fascinated in it during the 80s and curiousity got the better of me when I wandered all over it with my father at that time.
Tim
Hi Tim,
I think you are right - it must have been Glenmachan House. I found a picture of it here:
http://www.belfastforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=4042.110
though to be honest I don't have a clear memory of what it was like - we usually went there after dark and after "drink had been taken"! I guess this would have been 1980/81. The place was still standing but stripped of fixtures and fittings. I remember sitting in what might have been a conservatory or verandah. I also (vaguely, hazily) recall crawling around under the house (no doubt it seemed like a good idea at the time). But I would be really interested in knowing some of the history of this house, so if you have time it would be great to read a post about your recollections of the place from the 1980s. Do you have any photos from that period? I will ask my sister too as I am pretty sure she had a boyfriend who squatted in this house in the 80s (!)
Thanks again, and sorry if this all appears as rather self-indulgent.
J
Ha! This Glenmachan House has very little on the Web, J, as you'll have gathered.
I'm afraid I have no photographs. I do have an amateur painting, which I have borrowed and cannot transfer to the blog.
The big house clearly had a large conservatory at the back.
It was built about 1862 by the architect, Jackson, for himself initially; though he later sold it to Sir William Ewart, Bt, whose family lived there till the 80s. The demolition caused great uproar and disturbance at the time, with a measure of opposition.
C S Lewis was a 2nd cousin of the Ewarts; and would have visited Glenmachan frequently.
Capt Bill Henderson's wife, Primrose, is a Ewart and her mother was Gundreda Ewart.
So if you know the Hendersons they could doubtless provide more information!
Tim
Presumably the house passed to Bill Henderson through his wife, one would have thought it would have stayed with the title. Ivan Ewart lived in a big nice townhouse in Hillsborough.
Yes, Hill House was its name, wasn't it.
Indeed, still there and still owned by Michael Ewart. It's almost directly opposite the Plough inn, the terrace to the right of the courthouse.
Plum site, apart from having to watch Woodward wafting in and out. :-)
Handy for the Plough, too!
Is the picture really Glenmachan House and if so what is the house that is still standing but derelict whose entrance is off glenmachan park. I believe it used to be owned by the Youth Hostelling Association but could not be certain
I haven't seen the picture but the house you refer to is probably Glenmachan Tower, further along the road.
.hello, has any information been dug up yet on the house in Glenmachon Park. In recent times its been called Hampton, it states in an ad for the rental of the building that it was erected in 1840, although having looked at Griffith (published 1847-1864) i noticed the building wasnt there, the only buildings that seem to be around then is where the Glenmachan Church is today and Garnerville House (which i believe still stands but is being hidden by todays police college) I would hate for yet another historic building in this area to fall into the hands of developers, as it seems to be following the usual abandon, left to rot and then demolish trend. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated
Thankyou.
I'm afraid I don't know any more about Glenmachan other than what I've posted, Ron. Sorry.
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