2009:053 - THE WHITEHOUSE, 28–34 WHITEHOUSE PARK, WHITEHOUSE, NEWTOWNABBEY, Antrim

The Whitehouse bawn lies on the shore of Belfast Lough. Its exact origins are slightly obscure; a building depicted as a central rectangular block flanked by two round towers may have been marked at the location on a map dating to the 1560s. Documentary sources revealed that a ^Gentleman Adventurer’, Mr Brunker, occupied the site in 1574. O’Laverty (1884) stated that Brunker served under Essex and Perrott and occupied the ^old castle of Whitehouse’ which lay four miles from Carrickfergus.
The Whitehouse is an unusual site in that it is a 17th-century Plantation bawn completely surrounded by modern development. A large masonry structure, it has two circular flankers attached to each angle at the front and one located centrally to the rear of the building. During the late 20th century the area has seen a lot of development and houses have been built in close proximity to the Whitehouse. The development of the area has meant that the walls of the Whitehouse are effectively boundary walls. The site also incorporates the surrounding garden areas around the perimeter of the building where excavation was necessary during the restoration works.
During the late 19th century the building was used as a stables or a barn. In the 1920s a modern building was constructed within the shell of the 17thcentury bawn and was used as a Gospel Hall. Currently the building is managed by the Whitehouse Preservation Trust. Most of the modern fabric associated with the Gospel Hall has now been removed and the Trust plans to build a new metal and glass structure within the extant old masonry walls.
Archaeological investigations were carried out on site between May 2008 and June 2009. The archaeological evaluation in conjunction with an educational programme took place in May and June 2008, followed by the main phase of excavations within the internal areas of the building between December 2008 and March 2009. Monitoring and excavation within the areas surrounding the building to the back and sides of the building took place in March, April and June 2009 whilst monitoring of the groundworks associated with the installation of the French drain to the front of the building took place during August 2009. A summary of the archaeological investigations conducted during 2008 can be found in Excavations 2008 (No. 43, AE/08/81). This summary deals with work carried out during 2009.
The site was divided into several different excavation areas. The internal areas were divided into three excavation areas: A, B and C. Area A comprises the right (north) room and flanker, Area B the central hall and back flanker and Area C consists of the left (south) room and flanker.
The investigations within the external areas were limited to excavating an c. 1m-wide strip around the perimeter adjacent to the walls at the back of the Whitehouse. The garden areas were divided into different excavation areas according to the current property boundaries. Area D comprises the back garden of No. 24 Whitehouse Park adjacent to the Whitehouse on the left, Areas E and F comprise the back gardens of Nos 5 and 7 Whitehouse Garden to the rear, whereas Area G on the left side of the Whitehouse comprises the front garden of No. 36 Whitehouse Park. The area of pavement in front of the Whitehouse was labelled Area H.
The character of the natural deposits varied greatly throughout the site. Natural deposits encountered in the internal areas range from compact light-orange/green to dark-green sandy marl in the southern parts of Area C and the northern parts of Area A to soft, plastic mid-orange silty clay with pinkish hues and occasional whitish-grey patches in the central areas, Area B, as well as the northern half of the right-hand flanker. Outcrops of shale bedrock are also observed in the northern end of the building. Similar patterns of variations were also observed within the external back-garden areas. The area may once have had a large palaeochannel running northwest/south-east across the site towards the lough. The silts and clays in the central areas appear to be water-lain and the presence of a palaeochannel would account for the variations in the natural.
The earliest archaeological activity encountered on site is likely to be prehistoric in date. A large number of flint tools were recovered from raised beach deposits, consisting of gravels and beach cobbles which survived largely intact in the areas immediately behind the Whitehouse. In addition, further struck flints as well as a Neolithic polished stone axe were recovered from the deposits sealing the raised beach gravels and cobbles. Residual struck flints were also present in the majority of the post-medieval and later contexts excavated within the interior of the building.
The earliest post-medieval activity is marked by the presence of numerous beam slots and post-holes pre-dating the current masonry building. The presence and location of the beam slots and postholes would indicate that they are likely to be associated with a timber-framed structure located on the site some time before the current masonry structure was erected. Subsequent post-medieval activity relates to the construction of the stone-built Whitehouse and associated features during the 17th century. Rows of stake-holes aligned parallel to the walls within the northern room and flanker are likely to represent the location of scaffolding structures used by the stonemason during its construction.
Several of the early post-medieval features are likely to be contemporary and associated with the construction of the bawn. One of these features was a drainage network constructed below and sealed by the earliest floor level. Archaeological evidence for the level and nature of the earliest floors survived in Areas A and C, whereas the floor levels in Area B had been completely removed by the later conversion of the building into a Gospel Hall.
The construction of two substantial fireplaces in both ends of the building also appears to be contemporary with the earliest phase of the masonry building. The fireplace on the right also incorporates two bread ovens, one to the left and one to right. The presence of bread ovens suggests that the right-hand room may have functioned as a kitchen.
The early floor levels had been sealed by a series of levelling deposits. The fireplace within the left-hand room also appears to have fallen out of use and had been levelled. A later cobbled floor and associated make-up layers beneath had been laid over the levelling material.
Although the cobbled floor only partially survived in Area C and had been totally truncated by the Gospel Hall conversion within Area B, it survived almost in its entirety in Area A and it is likely that the cobbled floor would have extended across the building. Remains of the cobbled floor were also found to the front and sides of the building. The cobbled floor has preliminarily been dated to the 19th century, although the specialist assessment of the dating evidence is yet to confirm this.
During the 19th century the building had fallen into disrepair and was converted into a barn or a stable and it is likely that the cobble floor relates to this phase of the building’s history. Several double openings, now blocked, wide enough to bring in horses and carts, were also inserted to the building at this time.
The latest activity on site relates to the use of the Whitehouse as a Gospel Hall and associated land use.
The Gospel Hall conversion comprises a new brick structure built within the old bawn walls in the 1920s. At first the Gospel Hall appears to have occupied the central hall and back flanker and the left-hand room was used as a garden. Later the Gospel Hall was extended to occupy also the left-hand room, blocking the access to the left flanker. The right-hand room and flanker appear to have been left largely untouched.
The archaeological evaluation and subsequent excavations on the site of the Whitehouse identified evidence of prehistoric activity and several phases of post-medieval land use and occupation on site. The field data recovered from the excavation has helped to interpret and assess the key stratigraphic sequence. Finds recovered from the site will be invaluable in refining the dating of the sequence.
Reference
O’Laverty, J., 1878 An Historical Account of the Diocese of Down and Conor Ancient and Modern, Dublin, James Duffy and Sons.