917 Glenshane Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A derelict direct entry 2 room vernacular house with a 2 storey 2 room extension in line with a further derelict 2 room house also in line but at the opposite end.

The entrance has projecting walls to form a shallow porch and the door enters directly into the kitchen. To each side of the door a 4 pane sliding sash window and another similar 4 pane fixed window on the lower side. The walls are built of stone and whitewashed. The 2 storey part has 2no. 4pane sliding sash windows at ground level and the same at first floor. The walls of the 2 storey part are smooth rendered and unpainted. The single storey part has a corrugated iron roof with a separate lean-to corrugated iron roof over the projecting porch. The 2 storey part has a slated roof and gabled. Each gable has a chimney stack with an additional one at the lower end of the single storey part.

The exposed gable of the 2 storey part has no windows and is smooth rendered and unpainted. The rear of this part has a single sliding sash 2 pane window and another at first floor off centre. The wall is cement rendered, unpainted.

The rear of the single storey part of the cottage has a bed outshot and there are no windows on the rear elevation. The wall is finished in stone. The corrugated iron roof sweeps down over the outshot. There is no guttering.

Below the single storey part and in line with it is another derelict 2 room cottage without projecting porch or outshot. The entrance door would appear to be direct entry with window opening on either side. The walls are similar to the first house and this one has a corrugated iron roof with a slightly different pitch from the other. There is a chimney on each gable, though the upper one is shared with the other building.

At the rear of this house there are 2 window openings to the upper space but none to the lower. Wall finish is similar to the front.

Below the second former dwelling and still in line are the remains of outhouses in a ruinous state. The lower gable is still standing along with part of the long walls and some corrugated roofing.

This vernacular group is sited on the S side of the Glenshane Road and some 30 to 40 metres from it and at right angles to the road. The road has been realigned and widened and the present access gate is not the original. On the other side of the Glenshane Road are the remains of other vernacular buildings and replacement dwellings and together the overall group formed a clachan. The topography falls quickly to the river valley below.

Historical information

The house is now derelict and has been for 2 decades or so. A former occupier now lives in Corick Road. The house is shown on the 1832 O.S. map but the 2 storey extension would be of a later date, probably the later 19th century. Both dwellings were occupied by unrelated families called O’Kane. Later the upper house was occupied by a McCloskey, relations of the O’Kane. In a recent will, the upper house was left to Rosemary McCallion (daughter of McCloskey) now residing in Belfast.

References

Primary Sources
1. O.S. map 1st Edition 1832 Londonderry sh. 31
2. O.S. map 1st Rev. 1856-58 Londonderry sh. 31
3. O.S. map 1905 Londonderry 51-16
4. Mr Patrick McCloskey, Corick Road, Dungiven (former resident).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An interesting early 19th century vernacular dwelling with outshot and loft over kitchen. Extended with 2 storey 2 room extension in the c1920s. Another dwelling below it and in line, with outbuildings beyond also in line. Outbuildings ruinous and further outbuildings shown on early O.S. map now non-existent. This would have been part of a clachan group extending to the other side of the Glenshane Road.