COMBER HOUSE

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Seven bay, detached two-storey over a semi-basement smooth rendered late-Georgian house. Built 1810. (Architect unknown) Rectangular plan form with large return to the rear situated to the South-East side of Cumber Road. Principal elevation faces South-West, accessed via a short tree-lined avenue with decorative iron gates and modern stone pillar to either side, approached from the Cumber Road, situated South of the rural village of Claudy eleven miles South-East of the city of Londonderry.

To front block, hipped natural slate roof with two smooth rendered unpainted chimney stacks with cornices, centred on ridge with octagonal shaped clay pots. To the return, hipped slate roof with two large smooth rendered unpainted chimney stacks with cornices each having eight octagonal shaped clay pots. Half-round cast-iron guttering on out-and-up iron brackets discharging to circular painted cast-iron downpipes throughout.

South-West elevation is of smooth render painted finish with a projecting two-storey break-front with low solid parapet centred on elevation containing a tripartite window on first floor level and an entrance doorway on ground level approached via a flight of stone steps over basement well with decorative iron railings to either side; there are three square-headed window bays with timber sliding sashes on each floor level to either side of the projecting break-front, basement level has 3/3; ground level has 9/6 and first floor has 6/6 sliding sashes, all on painted masonry sills; doorway contains a pair of half-leaf panelled timber doors flanked by fluted Doric pilasters with integrated 3 pane side lights to either side and an Adam-style fanlight above set within an elliptical opening; there is a wall-mounted lantern-style light fitting to either side of entrance opening. Continuous painted masonry band course spans the width of the SW & NW elevations between basement and ground floor levels, and continues for a short length to the se elevation.

North-West side elevation is partially set back behind a low stone wall with iron railings above. Tripartite 6/6 timber sliding sash window on ground and first floor level centred on elevation. Similar windows to return, 6/6 (ground) and 3/3 (first). Access to basement via a short flight of concrete steps from the SW side. 6 panel timber entrance door.

North-East elevation to the rear is abutted by rear extension with a projecting central bay on a raised and stepped painted rendered plinth containing a 6/6 timber sliding sash window on first floor level and a smaller 3/3 timber sliding sash window to attic level above; to the right side of the central bay there is a small 3/3 timber sliding sash window at first floor half-landing height; to the left side there is an external metal fire escape staircase leading from external ground to first floor level having a six-panel timber entrance door on each level. Rear yard is enclosed by a high stone rubble wall.

South-East side elevation is abutted by a high stone wall to the right side; basement level contains a six-panel timber door accessed from the SW side surrounded by a low stone wall with painted decorative iron railings above; band-course from SW elevation returns the corner onto the SE elevations spanning approx. A quarter of the way across the elevation; there are two square-headed window bays off-centre to the right hand side, ground floor bays have 6/6 timber sliding sashes, first floor windows are smaller 6/6 timber sliding sashes, all on painted masonry sills; SE elevation is also abutted by a steep grass bank rising from front of the building to the rear terminating at the high stone wall.

Setting:
Located on the North-West side of Cumber Road, built 1810. Principal elevation faces South-West accessed via a short tree-lined avenue, set within a deep rural woodland approached from the Cumber Road, associated outbuildings (HB01/02/024 A) are on the opposite side of the Cumber Road to the SE, all situated South of the rural village of Claudy, eleven miles South-East of the city of Londonderry.

Single storey L shaped range of outbuildings to SE still standing in 2009. These were harled rubble stone with corrugated hipped roof on brick corbel. These appear to have been demolished prior to date of survey (2014).

Materials:
Roof Natural Slate
RWG Cast-iron
Walling Smooth render painted
Windows Timber Sliding Sash

Historical information

The Ordnance Survey Memoir for the parish of Cumber, compiled around 1835 noted that Cumber House was the residence of John Browne Esq. It also provided the following description of the property:

‘The present house was built by James Ross Esquire in 1810 and cost about 700 pounds, planting included, and other improvements round the house. It is handsome and commodious, and has a western aspect. The plantations, which are of about 28 years’ growth, are extensive and judiciously laid out, but want thinning.’

Griffith’s Valuation (1858) records that the property was in the possession of William L. Browne. The buildings, comprising the house, gate-house, and outbuildings, were valued at £52. The Valuation Revision Books show that the property remained with this family into the twentieth century. The 1901 census shows that the household was headed by Cecil Hamilton Browne Lecky, a Justice of the peace and major in the 5th Royal Irish Fusiliers. His two younger sisters, Eveline Susan and Constance Liza, were also in residence. The House and Building Return recorded 19 windows in the front of the house and 29 rooms in occupation. The equivalent return from the 1911 census again recorded 19 windows in front, but by this time the number of rooms in occupation had fallen to 22.

Lt-Col. Cecil Hamilton Browne Lecky, who died on 19 January 1927, is said to have been the last member of the family to have occupied the house. The Annual Revisions List of the First General Revaluation, 1936-57, record that the occupier of the house in the mid 1930s was Captain C. R. McCausland. During the Second World War the house was used to billet British and American soldiers. By 1953 it was being occupied by Lieutenant Commander McPherson. The immediate lessor of the house, Ernest de Sybly Hamilton Browne, was changed to Robert G. Wilson in 1955. In 1972 Cumber House was acquired by John Mitchel’s Gaelic Athletic Club. Plans to renovate the house were prepared in 2009 and with financial assistance of around £850,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Ilex and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, a major programme of restoration was undertaken. The newly-restored house was officially opened in July 2013.

References

Primary sources
1. PRONI, Ordnance Survey 6-inch map, 1830 – OS/6/5/23/1
2. PRONI, Valuation map, 1856 – VAL/2/A/5/23A-B
3. PRONI, Griffith’s Valuation, 1858
4. PRONI, Valuation Revision Books, 1860-1929, VAL/12/B/32/5A-F
5. PRONI, Valuation map, 1895-c.1915, VAL/12/D/5/29E
6. PRONI, Annual Revisions List of the First General Revaluation, 1936-57, VAL/3/C/6/8
7. Angélique Day and Patrick McWilliams (eds), Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland, vol. 28 (Belfast, 1995)
8. NIEA, First Survey Card
9. NIEA, HB Records

Secondary sources
1. Alistair J. Rowan, The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster (Harmondsworth, 1979)
2. Derry Journal, 13 July 2013

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
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
X. Local Interest
R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance

Evaluation

Seven bay, two-storey over semi-basement, late-Georgian house. Also known as Comber House. Built 1810 (Architect unknown). Situated to the SE side of Cumber Road, accessed via a short tree-lined avenue and set within rural woodland, S of Claudy village. The estate includes, to SE of the house, a substantial range of outbuildings set around a central yard. (Record Only HB01/02/024). The house retains much of its original character and style with detailing

General comments

Record re-numbered from HB01/02/024.