24 Lower Ballyarton Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached asymmetrical multi-bay single and two-storey whitewashed stone house located to the south side of Lower Ballyarton Road with single-storey outbuildings to the west, all accessed via a short gravel lane. Rectangular on plan facing north the single-storey portion was built pre 1830 whilst the two-storey portion was constructed c.1870.

Pitched natural slate roof with clipped and corbelled eaves to the two-storey east section and a pitched corrugated metal roof with clipped eaves to the single-storey west section. Steel rainwater goods to the front of the single-storey section only. Two-storey section has a painted rendered brick chimneystack to east gable and a painted brick chimneystack to west gable. Single-storey section has a painted rendered brick chimneystack to west gable. Whitewashed rubblestone walling with timber sliding sash windows with exposed sash boxes unless otherwise noted.

Front (north) elevation comprises a two-storey east section and a single storey west section. Two-storey section has a later addition lean-to blockwork porch right of centre with corrugated roof flanked on each side by a 2/2 pane window. First floor has two 3/6 pane windows with convex horns (that to left is directly over ground floor window).
Porch has a square-headed vertically sheeted timber door to north; west face has a single central square window opening; east face is blank.
Single-storey section has a central modern square-headed vertically sheeted timber door flanked on each side by two 2/4 pane windows with elongated horns (head height of those to right is lower).

East gable is blank.

Rear (south) elevation comprises a two-storey east section and a single-storey west section. Two-storey section has a catslide roof covering a rear projection to right of centre with a 1/1 fixed pane window to left at ground floor and a 1/1 window to far left of first floor. Single-storey section has a small bed outshot to far right and two timber casement windows with concrete cills to left. Bed outshot has a lean-to stone slab roof with cement skews and a single fixed pane timber window centred on the south face; east and west faces are blank.

West gable is blank.

Single-storey two-bay outbuilding to west has whitewashed stone walls and corrugated metal roofs with clipped eaves and no rainwater goods. West bay has a lower eaves and ridge level and is set back slightly from the east bay. North elevation has a vertically sheeted timber door to right of centre to left (east) bay with a small window opening to the left which has been infilled with horizontally sheeted whitewashed timber boarding. Right (west) bay has two door openings. West gable not viewed at time of survey. East gable has a small 1/1 timber sliding sash window at the peak centred on the ridge. Rear (south) elevation not viewed at time of survey. Rear elevation is abutted by a modern mono-pitched corrugated metal roofed outbuilding with open east face. Abutted to the south is a further outbuilding which steps up the hill. The stone outbuilding has partially collapsed walls and a collapsed natural slate roof.

Setting
Located in a rural
setting to the south side of Lower Ballyarton Road with single-storey outbuildings to the west, all accessed via a short gravel lane.

Roof Natural slate / corrugated metal
RWG Steel
Walling Rubblestone
Windows Timber

Historical information

The farmhouse located on the south side of the Lower Ballyarton Road in the townland of Lower Alla, consisting of a single-storey dwelling, appears to have been constructed prior to 1830 whilst the adjoining two-storey block was added in c. 1870. A single rectangular-shaped building (most likely the single-storey block) was first depicted on the current site on the Ordnance Survey map of 1830. The early-19th century maps show that this oblong building was much longer than the current building suggesting that it was abutted by additional ranges (now demolished). The contemporary Townland Valuations (1831) did not include the farmhouse as its rateable value was lower than the £3 minimum required for inclusion.

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 attention being placed on agriculture 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 no alteration to the layout of the site by the second edition Ordnance Survey map (1849-53). The contemporary Griffith’s Valuation (1856) notes that the single-storey block was originally divided into two dwellings valued at a total of £1 and 10 shillings. The dwelling was occupied by John Devine and his brother Thomas. The Devine family were local farmers and purchased their farm from the Church Temporalities Commission in 1881. The Annual Revisions recorded that the two-storey addition to the farm was constructed by 1870, increasing the value of the site to £3 and, from that time, the farm was recorded as a single dwelling. The construction of larger formalised structures next to an earlier vernacular dwelling was a common practice in 19th century rural Ireland as farmers expanded or adapted their simpler earlier dwellings in order to emulate the grander dwellings constructed by the wealthy during the Georgian period. The third edition Ordnance Survey map clearly depicted the building along its current layout in 1905 suggesting that no further structural changes have been made to the site since the turn of the 20th century.

In 1911 the Census of Ireland described the farmhouse as a 2nd class dwelling that consisted of four rooms, possessed a thatched roof and had a stable, cow house and barn as its out offices. Following the death of Catherine Devine in 1910, the farmhouse passed to her cousin Michael Crossan whose family continued to reside at Lower Alla until at least the 1970s. Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) the farm was valued at £5 and 10 shillings and was occupied by a Mr. James Crossan. By the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) the farm was valued at £8 and continued to be occupied by Crossan.

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/32/5A-5F – Annual Revisions (1860-1929)
7. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/8 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
8. PRONI VAL/4/B/5/20 – 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. PRONI Wills Catalogue (19 Feb 1910)
12. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)

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

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

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

Evaluation

Detached asymmetrical multi-bay single and two-storey whitewashed stone house located to the south side of Lower Ballyarton Road with single-storey outbuildings to the west, all accessed via a short gravel lane. Rectangular on plan facing north, the single-storey portion of the farmhouse was built pre 1830 and was originally two dwellings. They were constructed on lands owned by the Church of Ireland who obtained the land following the Plantation of Ulster. The two dwellings were later amalgamated into a single property c.1870 during which time the two-storey portion was constructed. This is an example of an evolved vernacular homestead which has retained much original fabric including a bed outshot to the rear and good outbuildings. It is a good example of a type that is becoming increasingly rare.

General comments

Additional listing criteria apply - R-Age, S-Authenticity, T-Historic Importance

Spelling of 'Ballyarton'/'Ballyartan' - both options appear to be in common use. For consistency 'Ballyarton' is used in this record.