Vacant Cottage

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 3 room vernacular house with bed outshot and outhouse in line.

The entrance door is square headed with heavy frame and sheeted with outside ground on level with inside floor. To the right of the door there are two windows with modern metal inserts of three panes, one casement, the other top hung vent. Cill concrete painted. On other side of door a single similar window. Beyond the gable there is an outhouse with single wooden door. Walls built of stone and whitewashed, pvc ½ round gutter, roof red painted corrugated metal. Cement barge painted white. Gabled ends with low chimney stack on gable next to outhouse. The other chimney is between kitchen and upper room.

The upper gable has no windows, but pair of high supporting walls for cylindrical oil tank. To the rear is the bedshot with the corrugated iron swept down over it and one barge barely standing proud of the roof covering. There are 3 windows, one to each room. That to the upper room almost under the minimal eaves, the other two almost half way between ground and eaves. Timber lintols, stone walls unwhitewashed. Rear windows boarded up.

The cottage is sited at right angles to the Feeny Road and close to it. The area in front of it gravel with untended garden area behind. Facing it and parallel to it is a new house occupied by the owner. A common entrance from road serves both. The trimmed hedge between cottage and road has a drain or spring issuing from it.

Historical information

The cottage is shown on the 1830 O.S. Map. It previously was occupied by a blacksmith called Frank Farren who conducted a Smithy there.

References

Primary Sources
1. O.S. Map 1830 Londonderry sh. 30
2. Owner (2000)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An example of an early 19th cent vernacular three roomed house with outhouse all in line and with bedshot to rear. Though it is roofed with corrugated metal instead of thatch is has an intimate charm and character and is well preserved. Windows have been enlarged.