10 Coshquin Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Long, low, largely two-storey gable-ended vernacular house, with integrated outbuilding, of pre-1830 construction, which appears to have been raised in height, and half-dormers added, in 1881. The building is arranged in linear fashion and set at a right angle to the road with the eastern gable facing directly on to the roadside itself. The eastern half of the structure is taken up with the outbuilding, whilst to the western end of the dwelling section there is a small single-storey section attached on the western gable of which is a now largely ruinous single-storey outbuilding. Directly behind, on the northern boundary of the plot, there is a low single-storey freestanding range of crudely constructed outbuildings (Outbuilding One). The west side the front garden is bounded by a low stone wall, into which is incorporated a small stone built shed (Outbuilding Three). To the west is a two-storey outbuilding (out building three); the southern side of this was recently destroyed by fire.

The main roof is pitched and slated with blue / black natural slate, whilst the single-storey portion is covered with corrugated-iron. On the two-storey portion there are two chimneystacks set on the ridgeline. The stack to the east is cement rendered (and possibly a mid 20th-century rebuild) and one to the west, this is formed in straw coloured clay brick. There is a further rendered chimneystack to the western gable of the single-storey portion. There is a shallow eaves course to the two-storey section and quite a deep eaves course to the single-storey portion. Rainwater goods appear to be moulded asbestos; much of this is broken and missing. Walls are mainly roughcast. The eastern gable of the two-storey section and most of the single-storey section is lime washed rubble stone. The exposed upper portion of the western gable on the two-storey section is finished with smooth render. A split in the coursing of the stonework to the rear shows that the two halves of the wall to this side are not tied in.

Many window openings are bricked up; the remainder are boarded over concealing all window frames. The frames are still in place, however, and most of these are 6 over 6 and 6 over 3 timber sash. Externally some timber lintels are exposed. The front door is timber, however, the central section is protected with metal sheeting concealing any detail. Door openings to the rear are either boarded over or bricked up.

The main entrance is set to the left of centre of the front (south-facing) façade. To the right of the entrance there is one window opening at ground floor and a much lower opening at first floor level. To the left of the entrance there is one window opening, whilst to the first floor there are two window openings, one to the left side and one directly above the door. These large openings rise above the eaves into gabled dormers.

To the far left is the partially collapsed single-storey outbuilding; this has one window opening. To the right side is the two-storey outbuilding; this has three irregularly arranged window openings, one to ground floor and two to first floor.

The east façade is gabled and street-fronted onto the Coshquin Road. The gable is blank. To the right side there is a modern-style gate. The left gatepost abuts the eastern gable of the house and is semi-circular in plan. The right side of the gate attaches to the gable of the low outbuildings.

On the left of the façade is the two-storey outbuilding, the dwelling house is to the centre-right and the single-storey outbuilding is to the far right.

The ground floor of the two-storey outbuilding has two door openings and there is a single window opening to first floor.

To the left side the house has two windows, a door to the middle and a further window to the right side. At first floor level there are three window openings; that to the left is smaller whilst those to the right are formally arranged in line with the window openings to the ground floor. On the far right is the north face of the single-storey portion, there are no openings on this side.

To the centre of the façade there are the remains of a cow-tailed pump.

West
The west gable is blind.

Setting

The site is located on the northern edge of the City of Londonderry. Originally a winding country lane, the area of Coshquin Road adjacent to the site is now much suburbanized with modern housing developments, however, the retention of hedgerows has to a great extent preserved the rural character of the vicinity. The western boundary of the site is formed with a low stonewall. A small gable-ended single-storey outhouse is integrated into this wall. The eastern boundary is also formed with a low stone wall; this is street fronted and merges with the eastern gable of the house. To the immediate west of the house is a two-storey gable-ended outbuilding. Adjoining the northern boundary is a small nursery school. On the south side there is an overgrown garden; to the rear there is a wide laneway which has the character of a farmyard.

Roof natural slate/corrugated-iron
Walling roughcast/stone
Windows timber
RW goods asbestos

Historical information

A slightly longer building matching the position and orientation of the present structure is shown on the OS map of 1830. In the first valuation of c.1831 this building is noted as a slated house occupied by a Mr. Long and measuring 35ft x 22½ x 8, with a thatched office and barn of 23½ x 20 x 6¼, a thatched byre of 17½ x 23 x 7½, stable 23 x 19½ x 5¾, piggery 23 x 10 x 5, and a store of 32½ x18½ x 11¼, the last three also having thatch roofs. A joint in the stonework to the rear suggests that the structure was built in stages.

The revised OS map of 1851 shows a similar building, with the property recorded in the c.1856 valuation as the home of John Long, and a Doctor Young the immediate lessor. No dimensions are given, but the low rateable value of £2-10-0, which was over £2 less than that given in c.1831, suggests that the house was little altered, and that, if anything, some outbuildings elsewhere on the plot may even have been removed. The valuers do tell us, however, that Mr. Long was a tenant ‘at will’ whose lease had commenced in 1817. It is possible that the building dates from this year, but the grading given in the first valuation suggests it was older, possibly 18th century.

John Long appears to have died c.1880, as the property is recorded as in the hands of his ‘representatives’ in 1881. In the same year the rateable value rises to £4, indicating that the house was upgraded at this time. The late-Victorian yellow brick chimney, brick eaves and elements of the interior layout and detailing seem to suggest that work was indeed carried out sometime around this date, and that this may have involved the raising of the roof and the creation of the half dormers. The fact that the same dormers have Georgian-paned sash frames (no longer visible externally due to the boarding up of the openings) could point to the roof having been lifted at an earlier date, however, there is nothing in the valuations to show that this was the case; anyhow it was not uncommon for this style of window frame to be utilised in vernacular dwellings even in the later 19th century.

Martha Long is listed as the occupant in 1894, followed by Elizabeth and Catherine Long in 1919. The plan is shown, much as today, on the 1904 25in map with a longer outbuilding to the rear (north-west). In 1945 the house was bought by Robert Chambers, a bachelor who shared the house with his two sisters. Mr Chamber's mother is believed to have ran a 'Brethren' Sunday school in the eastern outbuilding section. Despite his humble abode, Mr. Chambers is locally believed to have been a very wealthy man.

Samuel Wylie was resident from 1950, with the valuers listing a Hugh Riddles as occupant between 1961 and 1963, and Hamilton Bell from 1965 to 1968. From the latter year until at least 1972 it is recorded as vacant.

The house is marked ‘Brae Ard’ on the OS 25in map of 1960-62.

References- Primary sources
1 OSNI OS6-5-13-1 (1830)
2 PRONI VAL1B/547B (1831)
3 OSNI OS6-5-13-2 (185
4 PRONI VAL2B/5/16B (1856)
5 PRONI VAL12B/32/8A-F (1860-1930)
6 OSNI OS10-5-14-1-1 (1904)
7 OSNI OS6-5-13-3 (1904-05)
8 OSNI OS10-5-14-1-2 (1924)
9 PRONI VAL3E/5/4E (1936-54)
10 PRONI VAL4B/5/21 (1956-72)
11 OSNI OS11-26-15-1 (1960-62)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Long, low, largely two-storey gable-ended vernacular house, with integrated outbuilding, of pre-1830 construction. This house is an example of a vernacular dwelling with attached outbuilding showing clear signs of later 19th century development. Many vernacular dwellings followed a similar course of evolution as this building, beginning as single-storey thatched structures, and then (usually in the later 1800s or early 1900s) raised a storey, and given some degree of ‘formality’. Although one of an increasingly scarce number of vernacular houses whose development halted at the late 19th century stage, the house is not among the best examples of the type and much historic fabric has been lost.

General comments

The building is oreintated NNW / SSE. For ease of description the NNW façade is referred to as North. Other facades are similarly annotated