White House, County Down
Encyclopedia
The White House is a ruined 17th century dwelling house at Ballyspurge, near Cloghy
, County Down
, Northern Ireland
on the Ards Peninsula
. It is situated about one mile (1.2 km) south-east of Cloghy, overlooking Slanes Bay. It is a State Care Historic Monument at grid ref: J6248 5506.
with a gatehouse. The windows are large and the house appears to me more domestic than defensive. The bawn does not have flanking towers and is more like a simple walled farmyard. The ground floor had two rooms (probably hall and kitchen) with large fireplaces. The attic floor (probably bedrooms) also had fireplaces.
Cloghy
Cloghy or Cloughy is a small village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland, on the east coast of the Ards Peninsula. It had a population of 752 people in the 2001 Census. It lies within the Borough of Ards.-Places of interest:...
, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
on the Ards Peninsula
Ards Peninsula
The Ards Peninsula is a peninsula in County Down, Northern Ireland which separates Strangford Lough from the North Channel of the Irish Sea, on Ireland's northeast coast. A number of towns and villages are located on the peninsula, such as the seaside town of Donaghadee, with the surrounding area...
. It is situated about one mile (1.2 km) south-east of Cloghy, overlooking Slanes Bay. It is a State Care Historic Monument at grid ref: J6248 5506.
History
Roland Savage died in 1640 and bequeathed Ballygalget to his eldest son, Roland, Kirkistown to his second son, John, and Ballyspurge to his third son, Patrick. Soon afterwards Patrick built the White House. Other sources indicate that the house appears to have been built about 1634 by Roland Savage, a "cadet of the Ardkeen family".Features
The gabled house had a steeply pitched roof and thick walls, pierced by pistol-loops for defence, in the 17th century tradition. It is a rectangular building 1.5 stories high (ie one main floor and an attic) standing in the remains of a bawnBawn
A bawn is the defensive wall surrounding an Irish tower house. It is the anglicised version of the Irish word badhún meaning "cattle-stronghold" or "cattle-enclosure". The Irish word for "cow" is bó and its plural is ba...
with a gatehouse. The windows are large and the house appears to me more domestic than defensive. The bawn does not have flanking towers and is more like a simple walled farmyard. The ground floor had two rooms (probably hall and kitchen) with large fireplaces. The attic floor (probably bedrooms) also had fireplaces.