Rosebrook

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 2½ storey 3 bay wide house with centred doorway, gabled with chimney stacks, slated, 2 storey back return with further single storey additions.

The 3 bay entrance façade consists of segmental arched central doorway with smooth rendered surround, lugged with keystone. The hardwood panel door has sidelights and plain fanlight all of recent vintage. Shallow single storey canted bays on either side with flat roofs and contemporary wooden windows. At first floor 3 vertical sliding sash windows with plaster surrounds similar to doorway. The central window is round headed with 5 panes, 3 of which are in the upper sash, each round headed. The other windows are segmental headed with 4 panes each. The wall is dashed with pebbles with bold quoins painted. The pebble dashing is returned on each gable.

The gables are windowless except for a pair of small square headed windows high up under the barges. The roof has been reslated in asbestos slates, chimneys rebuilt in redbrick. There is no overhang to long sides and a meagre soffit to the barges. Gutters and downpipes in PVC. There are 2 velux type windows on the centre of the rear slope.

To the rear of the main block and the back return windows have all been altered, though natural slates have been retained on 2 storey part and on a lean to small roof which appears to be part of the earlier structure. The walls to the rear are smooth and painted white.

The NW end of the house appears as if it has been extended outwards. The house enjoys a good
setting with mature trees. There is a double avenue approach. One avenue has a pair of decorative metal gates. There are farmyard buildings forming a courtyard to the rear.

Historical information

The house is shown on the O.S.S. No. 24 1832 edition and appears as a rectangular block with back returns. It is described in the O.S. Memoirs thus "the residence of Mr James Douglas in Ardinarive consists of a long thatched cottage of 1-storey. It is much ornamented by belts of planting and a large and extremely fine orchard. The office houses belonging to the house are very ample and well suited to the extensive farming pursuits in which this gentleman is engaged”.

A James Douglas was the lessor in 1858 when the valuation was £14 and the occupant was Robert Taylor. At the time of the valuation there was a miller’s house, corn mill and kilns adjacent.

The Douglas retained possession of the property until the early 1920s when the Ross family acquired it. The present owner's wife (1999) was of the opinion that the outbuildings behind the house was the location of the single storey thatched house referred to in the memoirs. It is likely the present house was built c1850.

References

Primary Sources
1. Owner 19-07-1999
2. O.S. maps 1st Edition Co Londonderry sheet no 24
3. Griffiths Valuation 1858 Ardinarive TD. Barony of Keenaght, Co Londonderry Parish of Bovevagh

Secondary Sources
1. O.S. Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of Londonderry VII 1834-5 Vol. 25 p4

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

The overall proportions of the entrance façade is good but the character of the secondary elements such as doors and windows are not sympathetic to the buildings period and neither are materials used such as asbestos, slates, pebble dashing and rustic brick chimney. The rear of the house has been much altered. The house enjoys a good setting with mature trees. There is a double avenue approach. One avenue has a pair of decorative metal gates.
The house is not of a quality that would merit listing.