Carrowmena House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 2 storey 5 bay wide house with attics long 2 storey back returns. The entrance porch is centrally placed in a symmetrical facade of pleasing proportions.

The house is rendered externally with plastered quoins and plastered window architraves. The windows have sliding sashes with each sash divided into 6 panes. Interestingly the sashes are not horned but finished square as georgian detail. A shallow projecting porch with flattened slate pitched roof decorated on 3 sides with white painted crosting obscures the original fanlighted door retained as inner door to the hallway. This door also has engaged slender circular timber tuscan columns on either side.

Like many houses in the Myroe area this would have replaced a former 1 storey cottage. It is pleasantly sited back from the roadside with gravelled forecourt. On the S side it is boundsd by the garden lawn and on the other by the gable of the farm buildings the long wall of which runs along the roadside. From the forecourt a door pierces the joining wall into a large farmyard bounded on 3 sides by outhouses. The garden lawn is bounded by 1500mm stone wall and mature trees. A feature of part of the farm buildings is the handmade brick built of 4 courses of stretchers and 1 of headers. This is typical of the Myroe brickwork but not necessarily of all brick buildings in the area.

Fireplaces are placed in the gables and finished in smooth rendering and the roof is slated in Bangor blues . The guttering, though cast iron, is half round and returned to have the downpipes placed on the gables. The back return is untidy architecturally, a recent conversion, does not help visually though it fits neatly into the angle of the main house,and does not impinge on the front facade.

Historical information

Built c 1851 as recorded on a datestone high up on the S gable inscribed J M Martin, 1851. Martin is referred to as the occupier in 1858 (Griffith Valuation) and the lessors as John Martin’s Attorney , Henry Tyler, Sir Samuel Martin and James Ogilby.

References:

Griffith's Valuation of 1858.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Mid 19th century Victorian house in Georgian style, good proportions, simple plan though some alterations have been carried out. Secluded setting and pleasantly sited relevant to out buildings with neat garden. Architectural character has been damaged by inappropriate modernisation.