MOUNT PROSPECT HOUSE

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A part 2 storey, part single storey house, 3 bays wide, gabled with gable chimneys, slated, harled with 2 storey set back side extension which joins onto outbuildings.

The 3 bay entrance façade has central 4 panelled door with 3 pane sidelights on either side and 3 centre fanlight over with radial astragals. On either side 16 pane sliding sash windows with exposed sash boxes and low painted stone cills with square heads. At first floor level there are 3 no. 9 pane sliding sash windows with exposed sash boxes directly over the openings below. The façade is of pleasing proportions with solid wall dominant over void and the doorway is slightly off centre.

A continuous corbel course forms the eaves and occurs about 250mm above window head. ½ round metal gutter is supported on simple metal gutter brackets with 1 downpipe. The wall is harled and painted white with a smooth rendered plinth painted black. Harled chimneys at each gable, with an additional matching one, not quite centred but axial on ridge. Bangor blue slated roof with matching red coloured ridge tile. A creeper partly covers the front wall.

The east gable has 2no, 12 pane sliding sash windows, closely spaced and not centred on gable and above 2no, 12 pane sliding sash of slightly unequal height and not quite centred over the windows below. To the S, with a slight setback, a lean-to extension without windows on gable. Barges formed by overhang of slates, most of the gable covered with creeper. Walls harled with bell bottom, over a smooth rendered plinth. In addition to the central gable chimney, another chimney rises in line with the slight set back.

The south or rear elevation is one storey high with 3 no. 4 pane sliding sash windows irregularly spaced. Walls harled with smooth rendered plinth and almost covered with creeper. The Bangor blue slated roof sweeps in continuous plane to cover the lean-to extension. 2 no. Velux windows provide additional daylight to kitchen, while further up the roof 4 no. Velux windows light rear first floor rooms. The window to kitchen is a pair of sliding sashes.

The 2 storey side extension to the W gable has a single door with 4 light casement windows on either side while at first floor 4 pane sliding sash windows with exposed sash boxes. The front wall of this extension is in line with the centre of the main house gable and makes an obtuse angle with it. Wall harled, partially covered with creeper, gutter and supports as main house. Rooffinished in natural blue slates with no chimney and its ridge not in line with main house so that its E gable is partly exposed. To the rear the back wall is not in line with the wall of the lean-to but set back a metre and half.

1no. window at ground floor, wall entirely covered with creeper and 2no. Velux windows on roof, which has Bangor blue slates.

From the W gable of the side extension another 2 storey part of barn is being adapted to living accommodation and from it the barn continues. The ridge line steps up. The whole makes a pleasing composition.

The house is at the end of a short curving tree lined laneway approach and in front of house a small front garden walled in random rubble with pretty iron railing on top with 2no. square harled gate piers and pedestrian wrought iron. gate. A further harled garden wall fronts the side extension, again with wrought iron pedestrian gate with single circular gate pier. Beyond the house a 3 sided enclosed yard, 2 sides of which are now chalets from converted barn (see HB02/05/001B).

Historical information

On the 1830 O.S. map a house is shown in the approximate position of the present house. The townland of Magheramore was held by Stewart Bruce in the early 19th cent. The Buchanans were in the townland in the 18th cent. Two brothers migrated from Scotland and the name appears in the O.S. Memoirs for the parish. The house probably dates from the c 1870 replacing a former dwelling. The entrance door and sidelights are remarkably similar to some doorways in Dungiven town (see HB02/06/006D).

Improvement works have been carried out to the house in the recent past. The lean-to rear extension carried out in 1980s with aid of NIHE grant, windows replaced, but entrance door retained, roof timbers and slates renewed, wall replastered. Smyth and McMurty of Limavady were architects. (see notes of 1st Survey).

References

Primary Sources
1. O.S. Map 1830 Londonderry sh. 30
2. O.S. Map 1830 Rev. 1856 Londonderry sh. 30
3. O.S. Map 1830 Rev. 1905 Londonderry sh. 30
4. O.S. Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of Co Londonderry X 1833-35, 1838. pp. 72, 80, 81, 105
Ed. by Angélique Day and Patrick McWilliams, Q.U.B.
5. Present Owner
6. Notes, 1st Survey, Built Heritage, 5-33 Hill Street, Belfast

Secondary Sources
1. Benbradagh No. 28 p.4, 13

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A pleasing reconstruction of a former farmhouse originally built in the late 19th. C. It has a well proportioned entrance façade in provincial Georgian style. Though the windows have been replaced this has been done with sensitivity to retain former character. The juxapositioning of extensions adds to the charm of the dwelling and the surrounding garden walls with small enclosed garden is much in sympathy with the farm complex.