110 Cumber Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached single-storey three-bay lime rendered stone former caretaker's cottage lodge, built c.1825-30, currently vacant and situated to the south of Claudy village. Rectangular plan form with principal elevation facing north-west with a small pitched slate roof to an open-porch. Located on the south side of Cumber Road it is currently vacant and appears to be utilised as the gate lodge to 'The Lodge', a farm house and enclosed farmyard to the south-east. The building is set behind a modern sandstone gate screen with modern metal railings and gates.

Half-hipped natural slate roof has concrete ridge tiles and a central rendered chimney stack with three terracotta clay pots; timber fascia to north-east and south-west sides; uPVC rainwater goods throughout. Rubble stone walling has lime rendered finish with a projecting small open-porch to the north-west side and a small lean-to outshot to the south-west side having a metal corrugated roof. Square headed openings contain timber sliding sashes or timber multi-pane windows.

Front (north-west) elevation has a small projecting open-porch to far left sheltering a replacement four-panelled timber entrance door. To right of entrance porch are two openings having 6/6 timber sliding sashes (with horns).

The north-east side elevation has a small four-pane fixed timber light to right of centre.

Rear (south-east elevation) has a single 1/1 timber sliding sash to the left side and two windows to the right side, one small 2/2 timber sliding side and one multi-pane window with metal glazing bars on a stone sill. The south-west side elevation is abutted by a single-storey outshot having a metal corrugated roof finish.

The south-west side elevation is abutted by a small lean-to outbuilding having a metal corrugated roof; exposed section blank.
Outbuilding comprises door to right of north-west elevation; remaining elevations blank.

Setting:
Located on the south side of Cumber Road within a mature landscaped
setting. Set behind a modern sandstone gate screen with modern metal railings and gates accessing 'The Lodge', a two-storey double-pile farm house and enclosed farmyard to the south-east, all situated to the south of Claudy village.

Materials:
Roof Natural slate
RWG UPVC
Walling Stone rubble, lime render
Windows Timber sliding sash / steel

Historical information

An oblong building on the site of 110 Cumber Road appears on the 1830 Ordnance Survey map. At this time it stood on a property that was in the direct possession of the Church of Ireland rector of Cumber Upper parish. Griffith’s Valuation (1858) identifies this property as number 11 in Lower Alla. The building in question was not listed separately in Griffith’s.

The Valuation Revision Books show that there was a reorganisation of property 11 in the early 1870s when it was split into two sections. Property 11B was retained by the rector (this property included the house now known as Glenalla (HB01/02/030), a listed building). Property 11A, which included the site of 110 Cumber Road, initially comprised a caretaker’s house and land.

By 1879 property 11A was in the possession of William C. Donnell and a new house had been built – the dwelling known as The Lodge. The valuation placed on the buildings on 11A was £6. 10s. In 1892 a new dwelling was identified in property 11A. This house was valued at £1 and was given the reference 11Ab (11Aa being The Lodge). Valuation maps confirm that the house stood on the same site as the building shown on the 1830 Ordnance Survey map. In 1892 the house was occupied by John McAloon who leased it from the Donnells. Subsequent valuation books show that the house passed through a succession of different occupiers.

The question that naturally arises is whether the present building listed as 110 Cumber Road is the same as the structure marked on the 1830 Ordnance Survey map. The 1892 entry in the Valuation Revision Books could be interpreted as meaning that it had only been built shortly before that. On the other hand, it is possible that it had been in existence for some time, but, for whatever reason, had not merited separate identification. From the evidence of the Valuation Revision Books from the 1870s it is possible that the building we see today was used for a time as a caretaker’s house.

Given that the present house could have in existence prior to building of The Lodge, Dean (p. 118) comments that this structure may have ‘inherited the duties of a gate lodge’, rather than being built specifically for that purpose. He notes that this is one of only two surviving cottage lodges, the other being at Dresternan Castle, County Fermanagh (HB12/08/036).

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

Secondary sources
1. J. A. K. Dean, The Gate Lodges of Ulster: a Gazetteer (Belfast, 1994)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Detached single-storey three-bay lime rendered former caretaker's cottage lodge, built c.1825-30 on the estate of the incumbent Church of Ireland rector of Cumber Upper parish. The estate which included Glenalla House (HB01/02/030) and 110 Cumber Road was split in two in the early 1870s with the incumbent of Cumber Upper parish retaining Glenalla House. Upon the construction of a two-storey double-pile farm house, 'The Lodge,' to the south-east of the caretaker's cottage lodge in the 1870s, it is likely that the building was converted into its gate lodge. Rectangular in plan form with principal elevation facing north-west, the building is set behind a modern sandstone gate screen within a fine mature setting. It has group value with Glenalla House being its former caretaker's cottage lodge. It remains largely intact, retaining its vernacular detailing, despite some disrepair. It is a rare example of the type and may be one of only two surviving cottage lodges left in N Ireland, the other being at Dresternan Castle, County Fermanagh (HB12/08/036).