Ardcaien

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay two-storey house with large two storey side return and out-buildings built c.1880-1899 located to the west side of Culmore Road and surrounded by the Ardcaien housing development. Rectangular-on-plan with single storey sunroom to the south-west; single-storey veranda to south-east containing entrance porch and two-storey returns to rear and side (north-east). A single storey out-building to the north-east forms a covered yard with the side return of the house. The yard is covered by a curved corrugated iron roof on curved lattice trusses.

Roof is pitched and hipped natural slate/artificial slate; blue/black clay ridge tiles (lead hip rolls to bays); corbelled yellow facing brickwork chimneystacks with yellow clay pots to main building. Overhanging eaves with timber fascia and soffit boards and cast-iron ogee gutters and rectangular rainwater pipes to main building. Walls are smooth rendered; windows are square-headed timber 1/1 sliding sashes; all with projecting masonry cills unless otherwise stated. Timber casement windows all have fake horns unless otherwise stated.

Principal (south-east) elevation has a full width canted slate roofed single storey raised veranda. The veranda is accessed centrally by five stone steps and is constructed in timber with turned posts and chamfered lintels with spindles and handrails between posts. Veranda has a central moulded scroll topped Dutch gable surmounted by a ball finial. The gable contains an ocular window with raised surround and key-stone details at the cardinal points. The house entrance is a central timber porch with half glazed timber panelled door and side lights, glazed overlight and panelled cheeks (all containing geometrically designed leaded glass). Over is a central single 1/1 timber sliding sash window. Bay to left has a semi-circular full height bay with three 1/1 timber sliding sash windows with curved glass at each floor level. Bay to right has a canted full height bay with three 1/1 timber sliding sash windows at ground floor and three replacement uPVC casement windows at first floor level.

The side (south-west) elevation is abutted along its entire length by a four bay single storey hipped slate roofed sunroom. Windows are uPVC segmental headed in square headed timber openings between turned timber posts and chamfered lintels. The sunroom has access from the veranda via glazed uPVC French doors with side and overlights. South-east elevation of sunroom is two bays wide and detailed as south-west elevation. North-west elevation of sunroom is two bays wide and detailed as south-west but with tapered glazed uPVC panels above each bay and abutted by a small lean-to store at ground level. First floor has canted bay to left containing three replacement uPVC casement windows. To right of bay are two replacement uPVC casement windows.

The rear (north-west) elevation is four windows wide. Right bay has a replacement uPVC casement window on each floor. Next window to left is a 1/1 timber sliding sash window surmounted by a replacement uPVC casement window. Far left bay is abutted at ground floor by a single storey extension with two uPVC casement windows over. Extension is timber framed on smooth rendered plinth with lean-to slate roof (partly glazed with cresting at change in pitch), abutted at north-east by a two storey return (exposed section of return has two 1/1 timber sliding sash windows at first floor); north-west elevation is five lights wide each with filleted corners and south-west elevation has central glazed French doors flanked by two lights with filleted corners.

The side (north-east) elevation is abutted at left by single storey flat roofed extension; north-east elevation blank; south-east elevation is curved and contains three uPVC casement windows. Exposed section above is blank. Remainder of elevation is abutted by a two storey hip roof return (long side running parallel to north-east elevation); south-east elevation abuts single storey extension at ground floor exposed section contains a single 1/1 timber sliding sash window to left with a satellite dish to right; north-west elevation is blank with a central projecting chimney; north-east elevation is four bays wide, that to left has a single timber casement window at each floor level, adjacent bay to right has timber French doors with exposed red brick quoins and single timber casement window over, bay to right has a single timber casement window at each floor level and right end bay is abutted by a long return with an arched entry at the junction, exposed section contains a single timber casement window .

North-west elevation of two storey roughcast return has a segmental headed entry at far right with exposed red brickwork surround and two small timber casement windows over; five number variously sized timber casement windows are spaced along the length of the ground floor with two wall head dormers at first floor level containing timber casement windows. North-east elevation has a central timber and glazed door with side lights surmounted by a small timber casement window. South-east elevation has a segmental arch headed entry at far left with exposed red brickwork surround surmounted by two small timber casement windows ; five number timber sheeted 'stable' doors with glazed opening in top leaf are spaced along the elevation; timber sheeted doors surmount the second and fourth doors from the left. A rectangular timber glazed opening is positioned between the fourth and fifth doors from the left just above head level.

A single storey slated hipped roofed outbuilding is situated to the north-east of the house and, along with a garden wall, encloses a yard which is partly covered by a curved corrugated tin roof supported on painted curved lattice trusses. The north-east elevation of the outbuilding has a central four light timber casement window; south-east elevation has four small six light timber windows spaced along the elevation; south-west elevation contains a central 1/1 timber sliding sash window; and the north-west elevation is three bays wide with the left bay containing a timber sheeted door, the central bay containing large square headed opening with timber sheeted doors and the right bay containing a timber sheeted 'stable' door with glazed opening in top door.

Setting:-

Ardcaien House is accessed off the Culmore Road through the Ardcaien housing development. Housing now occupies the once extensively landscaped grounds. The house is approached via a tarmac driveway to the south which also gives access to the enclosed yard and outbuildings to the north-east. The rest of the site is laid out in well maintained gardens.

Roof:- Natural slate / artificial slate / corrugated tin
Walling:- Smooth render
Windows:- Timber / uPVC
RWG:- Cast iron / extruded aluminium / uPVC

Historical information

No buildings appear on the site on the First and Second Edition OS maps. A building with extensive outbuildings, a gate lodge and landscaped grounds appears on the Third Edition OS map captioned 'Ardcaien.'

Currently, the house is surrounded by the Ardcaien and Griffith Park housing developments, having lost most of its former landscaped grounds. A new access off the Culmore Road was constructed at the same time as the housing development, but the position of the original access still remains and provides access to number 92 Culmore Road, which appears to be the original gate lodge refurbished and extended. The original gates and gate piers are still present at the original entrance.

In the 19th century, two major industries grew in Derry, shipbuilding and shirt manufacturing. Along with the distilling and bacon-curing industries and the arrival of the railway in 1845, these confirmed the importance of Derry as a trading port worldwide. As a result of this prosperity, Derry expanded its suburbs out into the surrounding countryside and a large number of Victorian villas were built. Ardcaien House was one of a number of such villas constructed along the Culmore Road.

References- Primary sources
1. First Edition OS Map (1830)
2. Second Edition OS Map (1856)
3. Third Edition OS Map (1904-05)

Secondary sources
1. www.wikipedia.org
2. www.localhistories.org
3. www.richmondcentre.co.uk

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A detached, three-bay two-storey, late Victorian, house with large two storey side return and out-buildings, built c.1880-1899. With its veranda and sunroom, it is a good example of the type of Victorian villa that populated the fast-growing suburbs of the city in a time of trade and prosperity. Much original detailing survives, although compromised by subsequent alterations. The covered courtyard with curved lattice roof trusses is of note. Its setting has been largely lost to modern housing development.