North & West Outbuildings at

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two lime-rendered rubble stone outbuildings located to the rear of 126 Foreglen Road (HB01.02.011A), to form a farmyard enclosure within an elevated rural site, set well back from the main road. A single-storey and two-storey gabled range set northwest and perpendicular to the main house, hereafter described as West outbuilding, built pre-1830; and a two-storey stand-alone building set parallel to the main house and directly above it, hereafter described as North outbuilding, probably built between 1853 and 1858. All walls are white-washed with grey painted base plinth.

The West outbuildings step to align with the site gradient, fenestrated towards the farmyard and comprise, from bottom to top: a single-storey, single bay gabled structure with sheeted metal double doors set asymmetrically and corrugated sheet metal roof, with projecting timber eaves board and uPVC guttering and downpipe, all painted (included in HB01/02/011A) ; a two-storey, three-bay domestic-scaled building with natural slate roof, clipped eaves and cast iron downpipe, symmetrically arranged with central timber door (mix of flush and vertical hit-n-miss boards) flanked by metal casement windows to ground and first floor; and a further three-bay single storey gabled building with large opening to the left and two vertically sheeted timber doors to the right, natural slate roof with black clay ridge tiles, clipped eaves and uPVC gutter and down-pipe; the latter also has small vent slots between the narrower door openings (at head height) and the remains of a curved corrugated metal canopy that projects to the right of the wider opening.

Both gable ends to the West outbuildings are blank; however, the lower one (included in HB01/02/011A) retains a small opening centred just below the apex, with timber lintel, now in-filled with stone and painted to match the wall. The ground is graded up towards the north and is banked against the gable at this end.

The rear face of the West outbuildings is largely blank, with the exception of two openings near to eaves on the two-storey block, that both have metal casement windows with a series of vents running in a straight line below; and three fixed lights to the uppermost single-storey building.

The North outbuilding comprises a two-storey three-bay gabled structure, with natural slates, black clay ridge tiles and concrete copings to raised skews at front roof slope; clipped verge to rear. Rise and fall brackets remain below a projecting eaves course to the front elevation; otherwise all rainwater goods are missing. The fenestration pattern is irregular with the main elevation facing the farmyard and comprising a simple door opening to both left and right side at ground floor, each flanked by small fixed lights with head- heights aligned to door; and a sheeted timber door centred at first floor, flanked by two top-hung steel framed casement windows. The ground banks up at the rear, so that the building appears single storey in the middle; it has one small single opening to right of centre, with no window. The gable end to left of the farmyard is blank and to right there is a sheeted timber door, centrally placed with a small vent below it towards the rear.

At the north end of the West outbuildings is a whitewashed rubblestone square pillar with a metal farmyard gate.

Materials:
Roof Natural slate (except lowest outhouse to western range, which has corrugated sheet metal (included in HB01/02/011A)
RWG Cast-iron / uPVC
Walling Lime-washed rubble-stone
Windows Steel & Timber casements

Setting:
Located on an elevated site as part of a farm and accessed via long straight gravel lane enclosed by hedgerows. Sloping rear yard enclosed to the south by the main house (HB01/02/011A). A single-bay smaller outhouse connected to the house by a wall that abuts the east gable, is reputed to have been a former scullery by the current owner; its roof is removed. (Since the Second Survey the former scullery has been re-roofed with corrugated metal sheeting).

At the opposite end of the farmyard, two further whitewashed rubble-stone outhouses remain. The larger of the two, set perpendicular and east of the main house abuts the former scullery and adjoining wall; a cut-timber roof structure supported on steel cross-beam and post remains, now covered with felt and battens. The elevation facing into the farmyard is open and there are no internal partitions. Beyond the farmyard, the other outhouse is a single bay gabled structure, with corrugated sheet metal roof, timber eaves board, clipped eaves and two vertically sheeted timber doors within its south face. These first appear on the 1925 Ordnance Survey map.

Historical information

The Ordnance Survey map of 1830 shows a small, square structure on the site of the present house, an elongated rectilinear structure which matches the footprint of the West outbuilding (albeit with a shorter protrusion centred on the left-hand-side) and a further rectilinear structure above the house, with footprint set at 90 degrees to the current North outbuilding. By the time of the Ordnance Survey map of 1853 a larger house on the same footprint as the present dwelling is marked. It is represented as an oblong structure with a centrally-placed rear return. The Valuation Revisions give no clear indication of when the present North outbuilding was constructed, but its current appearance suggests that it was possibly between the date of the Ordnance Survey map 1853 and the later valuation of 1858. By the 1903 Ordnance Survey, the footprint matched the current layout, without the smaller accretion to the East. The two-storey portion of the present West outbuilding resembles a house and map evidence suggests that this may have been the original dwelling, perhaps altered and demoted to an outbuilding following the erection of the current house.

At the time of Griffith’s Valuation (1858) the property was in the possession of Stewart Christie who was leasing it from the Fishmongers’ Company of London. He also owned the neighbouring property. Ownership changed from Stewart to Joseph Christie around 1872 and in 1886, Joseph Christie bought the freehold outright. The 1901 census House and Building Return noted that Joseph Christie lived with his niece, a domestic servant, housemaid, coach-man and farm servant. The house was a first class dwelling that possessed fourteen out-offices and farm-steadings; these included: two stables, two cow-houses, two calf-houses, a dairy, a fowl house, a boiling house, a barn, a potato house, two sheds and a store.

Joseph Christie died in 1901 and the property was inherited by his niece, Caroline W. Scott. The 1911 census noted that she lived in the property with a coachman and a domestic servant; the House and Building Return noted that number of outbuildings reduced to thirteen. The stable, cow-house, calf-house and shed were reduced to one of each and a coach house, harness room, piggery and turf house were added; it is likely that these were the buildings at the south-east end of the farmyard, near to the house, as they first appear on the 1925 OS Map. Caroline W. Scott died in 1915. The property was then acquired by Michael McLaughlin (or McLaughlin). He died in 1941 and the property passed to Mrs Rose Ann McLaughlin.

References

Primary sources
1. PRONI, Griffith’s Valuation
2. PRONI, Ordnance Survey 6-inch map, 1830 – OS/6/5/23/1
3. PRONI, Ordnance Survey 6-inch map, 1853 – OS/6/5/23/2
4. PRONI, Ordnance Survey map, 1905, OS/6/5/23/3
5. PRONI, Ordnance Survey map, 1925, OS/6/5/23/4
6. PRONI, Valuation Revision Books, 1860-1930, VAL/12/B/31/12A-F

Online sources
1. 1901 and 1911 census returns: www.census.nationalarchives.ie
2. PRONI, Will Calendars: www.proni.gov.uk

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance
X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity
R. Age

Evaluation

Two detached lime-rendered rubble stone outbuildings and a stone pillar and metal farm gate, located to the rear of 126 Foreglen Road, to form a farmyard enclosure within an elevated rural site, set well back on the north side of the main road. To West, a range of single and two storey structures, which predate the current house and appear on the 1830 Ordnance Survey; to North, a two storey three bay gabled structure, probably built between 1853 and 1858. The informal character of both buildings forms a relatively unusual grouping and when juxtaposed with the main house (HB01/02/011A) which is more formal in style and with which they have group value, their importance as an intact example of vernacular farm buildings is accentuated.

General comments

This record was originally listed as HB01/02/011, but has now been split as an A & B record.