Elagh House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 2½ storey, five windows wide on east entrance facade with gabled projecting porch, gabled end with chimney stacks, natural slated roof, pebble dashed walls with smooth rendered clasping quoin and smooth rendered plinth, a back return with single storey additions and a two storey rear porch.

The east entrance facade has a centrally placed porch with entrance door in side. A pair of double hung sliding sash 12 pane windows in its gable and a single double hung, sliding sash, window opposite entrance door. This porch is not original and has been altered on more than one occasion. In the 1930s it had a flat roof.

On either side of the porch two double hung, sliding sash nine pane windows with reveals similarly treated Sandstone cills painted. The centre window is symmetrically placed over the porch. Over these windows there is unbroken walling to eaves line with slight projecting corbel or string band under gutter, returning to gable downpipes. The spacing of the windows on this facade, the relationship of solid to void is pleasing but marred by unsubtle porch. The dark grey pebble dashing gives the house a sombre character but in summer perhaps the creeper on the walls adds a charm.

The south gable has a narrow double hung, sliding sash 12 pane window on the ground floor tucked to south west side with smooth rendered reveals as before. On the first floor a wider double hung, sliding sash nine pane window immediately over the last and in the gable below the chimney stack a centrally placed round headed double hung sliding sash 14 pane window. All have similar painted cills. There is no barge board. The chimney stack is smooth rendered with simple plain projecting cap and five tall clay moulded chimney pots.

The two storey back return is in line with the south gable and has on ground floor a double hung sliding sash 16 pane window lighting kitchen and above but off centre a modern narrow window with single top hung night vent. At right angles to the back return there is a single storey addition with hipped slated roof. This abuts at the gable of the back return a further lean-to single storey addition with skylight. A tall wide chimney stack rises from the gable of the back return, likewise smooth rendered and obviously raised in height at some time. This has only two clay moulded pots.

The rear or west side of the house has a collection of double hung, sliding sash 9 and 12 pane windows, two of which light the 1st and 2nd floor landings. The projecting rear two storey porch has a flat roof.

The north gable has two small windows lighting the attic rooms, the chimney is similar to the south gable but has no pots. Windows have smooth rendered reveals returned on face. The pebble dashing is carried round all walls of the house. Windows painted white.

The roofs are finished in natural slates with metal gullies and downpipes.

The house sits on rising ground with mature garden on three sides and the entrance avenue sweeps down the slope to square ashlar piers with channel joined plain rustication, unfortunately painted. There are pebble dashed wing walls with curved outer sections. Copings and plinths are smooth rendered and painted. The gates have been removed. The avenue is bounded by a timber rail fence. Within the garden are mature beech trees of not very elegant appearance.

Historical information

The OSS of 1830 does not show Elagh House but there is a building adjacent to the site possibly single or one and a half storeys and in the valuation of 1831 has a value of £7-14s-0d, occupier John Porter. The OSS of 1850 shows Elaghmore with a layout similar to that at present but without the adjacent small outbuildings. The Griffiths Valuation of 1858 gives it a valuation of £30, lessor, Marquis of Donegal and the lessee William Porter. It is likely the house dates from the mid or late 1840s.

The house was occupied by a Mr Campbell prior to World War I when it had a flat roofed porch, later changed to a gabled pitched roof in the 1930s. In 1962 the Brown family ;occupied the house and remained in it until the early 1990s. The present owner is in occupation some five years. Apart from the porch and the utility rooms beyond the kitchen the house is unchanged from mid 19th century. The external pebble dashing was robably carried out when the porch was altered in 1930s.

References:

Primary Sources
1. O.S. map 1830 Co Londonderry 13
2. O.S. map 1853 1st Revision. Co Londonderry 13
3. 1831 Val. Parish of Templemore, Co Londonderry
4. 1858 Griffiths Val. Parish of Templemore, Co Londonderry

Secondary Sources
1. Present owner - May 1999
2. Records EHS Hill Street, letter from Lesley Brown 19 May 1988.

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
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A pleasing neo Georgian style medium sized house of good proportions, good window detailing, handsome fanlighted doorway contained within later porch, interior returns, good staircase, plaster cornices, pleasing hall, well proportioned sitting room good panelled doors, architraves and window linings. House enjoys a prominent setting with mature garden dotted with substantial trees.