"The Rock"

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached two-bay two-storey whitewashed rubblestone direct-entry former thatched dwelling, built c.1830, with byres to either end. Rectangular on plan facing east. Set on an elevated site on a steep hillside to the north of Baranailt Road accessed via a long winding laneway.

Pitched corrugated metal roofs (of varying pitches) with clipped eaves, cement skews and remnants of cast iron rainwater goods (front elevation of south byre only). The left bay of the dwelling and the south byre are under one steeply pitched roof, the roofs over the right bay of the dwelling and the north byre are of a shallower pitch. The cross wall between the dwelling and the north byre is exposed and cement capped dividing the roof slopes. Two brick chimneystacks (one to each end of dwelling centred on ridge between dwelling and byres). Whitewashed rubblestone walling (unless otherwise stated). Square-headed window openings with painted concrete sills. Only one timber sliding sash window with exposed sash box remains. The remaining windows are timber or steel casements.

Front (east) elevation has a square-headed vertically-sheeted timber entrance door to far left of right bay surmounted by a six-pane overlight. To right of door is the remains of a timber window to ground floor surmounted by a 2/2 timber sliding sash window with exposed sash box. Left bay has been partially rebuilt in blockwork and has a central steel casement window. South byre has a central vertically-sheeted timber half door to ground floor surmounted by a vertically-sheeted timber door. North byre has a door opening to far left surmounted by a square opening (left reveal aligned over left reveal of door) with vertically-sheeted timber infill.

The south gable is completely abutted by the south byre. The south gable of the south byre is abutted by a single storey lean-to extension; exposed section is blank.
Lean-to extension has a corrugated metal roof with cement skews and whitewashed rubblestone walls. East face has a vertically-sheeted timber half door to far right. South face is blank. West face not viewed at time of survey.

Rear (west) elevation is constructed in rubble stone except for the right bay of the dwelling and the south byre which have been rebuilt in exposed concrete blockwork. Left bay of dwelling is blank, right bay has a single central steel casement window to ground floor. North byre not viewed at time of survey. South byre has a single central window opening.

The north gable is completely abutted by the north byre. The north gable of the north byre is partially built into the hillside and has a single large central square-headed opening.

Setting
Set on a sloping elevated site on a steep hillside to the north of Baranailt Road and accessed via a long laneway.
Two further vernacular dwelling, HB01/02/038A located approximately 200m to the east and HB01/02/038B located approximately 240m to the north-east, are accessed separately off Baranailt Road.

Roof Corrugated iron
RWG Remnants of Cast iron
Walling Whitewashed rubblestone/Concrete blockwork
Windows Timber/Steel

Historical information

This two-bay, two-storey farmhouse with attached outbuildings, located in the townland of Ballymaclanigan, was constructed prior to 1830. The building appeared on the first edition Ordnance Survey map (1830) which depicted the farmhouse as one of a large number of buildings clustered around the country lane extending north from the current Baranailt Road (all of these other buildings have been demolished). The contemporary Townland Valuations (1831) record that the site was occupied by a Mr. James Craig and was valued at £6 and 14 shillings.

The Ordnance Survey Memoirs (1832-38) note that, following the Plantation of Ulster, the majority of land in the parishes of Cumber Upper and Lower was owned by the Church of Ireland with the remainder of the land being distributed out to the Goldsmith, Skinners and Fishmongers Companies. By the early-19th century the decline in local linen weaving had resulting in increased agriculture labour and by the 1830s most of the land in Cumber parish was occupied by farmers ‘of a low rank’ (Ordnance Survey Memoirs, pp 3-18).

There was little discernible change to the site by the second edition Ordnance Survey map (1849-53). The contemporary Griffith’s Valuation (1857) records that the site was leased by the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers to James Craig and that the farmhouse had been increased in value to £9. The Craig family continued to occupy the site (which was called ‘The Rock’ in later editions of the Ordnance Survey maps) until the 1940s. The Craig family purchased the farmhouse and its land from the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers in 1886 following the passing of the Purchase of Land (Ireland) Act in the previous year. This act, which was also known as the Ashbourne Act, made it easier for tenants in Ireland to buy land, providing them with the facility to take out loans (worth 100% the value of the property) and to pay back the Government in monthly instalments (Oxford Companion to Irish History, p. 309).

The third edition Ordnance Survey map records that the majority of the buildings at The Rock had been demolished by the turn of the 20th century. The two-storey farmhouse and abutting outbuildings continued to be depicted in its current layout from 1905, suggesting that no major structural changes were made to the farmhouse after that time. The 1911 census building return described the farmhouse as a 3rd class dwelling that consisted of three rooms and possessed a thatched roof. The Rock’s remaining outbuildings consisted of a stable, cow house, a piggery and a fowl house.

The Craig family continued to reside at The Rock until 1940 when the farm passed to Robert Campbell. Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) the value of the property was increased to £16 and 10 shillings. A Mr. Thomas McLaughlin took possession of the farm in 1945 and his family continued to reside there until at least the 1970s. By the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) the total rateable value of The Rock had risen to £58.

Field inspection of the site during the Second Survey has found that the original thatched roof has been replaced with corrugated iron.

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/5/23/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1830)
2. PRONI OS/6/5/23/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1849-1853)
3. PRONI OS/6/5/23/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1905)
4. PRONI OS/6/5/23/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1925-26)
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/5/47B – Griffith’s Valuation (1857)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/31/12A-F – Annual Revisions (1860-1933)
7. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/6 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
8. PRONI VAL/4/B/5/9 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
9. Ordnance Survey Memoirs: Co. Londonderry Vol. 28 (1832-38)
10. Ulster Town Directories (1852-1918)
11. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
12. Ordnance Survey Map – 50-5 (1970)

Secondary Sources
1. Connolly, S. J., ‘Oxford companion to Irish history’ Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Detached two-bay two-storey whitewashed rubblestone direct-entry former thatched dwelling, built c.1830, with byres to either end. Set on an elevated site on a steep hillside to the north of Baranailt Road accessed via a long winding laneway. The dwelling was constructed on lands owned by the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers who obtained the land following the Plantation of Ulster.
Although it has a relatively intact front elevation and interior, a large proportion of the rear wall has been rebuilt in exposed blockwork detracting significantly from its interest. Insufficient fabric survives to merit listing and there are other, better, examples listed.