53 Drumagarner Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An asymmetrical, detached, two-storey farmhouse, with origins predating 1830, and extensively modified during the 19th and early 20th century. Rectangular on plan, five-openings wide with a single-storey, mono-pitched return to centre of rear elevation. Located to the south-west of Kilrea town, a number of associated farm buildings are situated to the south-west. Although there is a long history of farm buildings on this site, those remaining appear to date from the 20th century (the earliest possibly from the beginning of the century).

Pitched slate roof with angled terracotta ridge-tiles; four irregularly-spaced brick chimneys having an array of clay pots; uPVC rainwater goods to overhanging eaves, mounted on uPVC fascia and boxed-eaves. Walling is pebble-dashed over a projecting rendered and painted base; similar strip quoins to corners; south-east and north-east corners project extensively at base. Windows generally have projecting painted sills with profiled brackets, similar moulded and raised architraves having projecting keystones to ground floor; plain rendered architraves to rear (north elevation). Windows are 2/2 timber sashes to upper level and early 20th century transomed and mullioned timber casements to ground floor (unless stated otherwise) having leaded stained-glass inserts to upper proportions and scrolled cast-iron handles. Doorways contained within similar surrounds to window openings; entrance door to south elevation is replacement timber panelled with glazing inserts and narrow, coloured glass transom over (also replacement).

Principal elevation is asymmetrical, five openings, vertically aligned but irregularly spaced with entrance door to right-of-centre.

West elevation is blank.

North elevation is asymmetrical with five windows across upper floor, having a diminutive six-pane original casement to centre over the mono-pitched return, which is executed in a similar style to main building with uPVC to north elevation and plain timber door to left-cheek. Return has uPVC windows on each side with an additional diminutive window to the immediate left.

East elevation has two windows to upper floor and single to left of ground floor.

Setting

Situated in a mature rural farmland
setting to the south of Kilrea, the south and east elevations are clearly visible from the main Drumagarner Road. Accessed via curved walls and two pairs of squared piers with heavy coping, projecting bases and pyramidal caps. These are pebbledashed and painted in a similar but more decorative manner than the house and support metal gates which have a semi-circular headed upper section over rhymthmic arrows. Bitumen path leads to house which sits in an elevated position overlooking fields to the south and Drumagarner House (HB03/01/013). A small path with an original cast-iron gate leads north to the farm yard area containing a number of small and substantial outbuildings which are generally roughcast and have slate or corrugated roofs; some timber sheeted half-doors remain but majority are modern metal replacements. Some barrelled roof elements line the wall which abuts to south-west corner of main house. Outbuildings appear to date from no earlier than the turn of the 20th century. Farm still in operation with main access via a separate entrance to the south, on Drumagarner Road.

Roof: Slate
Walling: Pebble-dashed
Windows: Timber-framed sash & casement/ uPVC
RWG: Replacement uPVC

Historical information

The current dwelling house is of a formalised vernacular type, beginning life as a single-storey dwelling that was later raised to two storeys, finally being extended by a bay to the west, around the turn into the twentieth century. The original house on the site pre-dates the first ordnance survey of 1830.

A building is shown on the site of the present dwelling house on the first edition OS map of 1830 together with additional rectangular outbuildings to the south. The house is surrounded by a small plantation of trees and an orchard and garden are shown beside the road. The house is listed in the Townland Valuation of 1828-40 and valuer’s notes show that it was originally thatched and single-storey with two thatched single-storey outbuildings. Buildings were valued at £2.15s.7d.

By the second edition OS map of 1853 a further structure had been added to the site and tree planting now extended to field boundaries in the vicinity. Outbuildings had been slightly extended by the third edition of 1905 but tree growth was now restricted to a field to the west of the house.

The dwelling is listed in Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) as the home of Creighton Hutchinson who leases the ‘herd’s house, office and land’ from Rev John T Paul. The buildings are valued at £2.10s and the house is situated on a farm of over 63 acres. In 1879 Thomas Hutchinson became the occupier and the farm stayed in the Hutchinson family. A bog was added in 1908 increasing the acreage to over 70 acres and the Hutchinsons became owners in fee in 1916 under land purchase legislation. The 1901 census records bachelor Thomas Hutchinson, farmer, living with his widowed sister, Bessie Hunter. The six-room slated house was designated first class and had seven windows to the front elevation at this time. By 1911 Thomas Hutchinson lived with his two nieces, and the house had been extended by a bay to the west, giving two extra windows in front and three further rooms. The building continues in use as a domestic dwelling.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/5/27/1 First Edition OS Map 1830
2. PRONI OS/6/5/27/2 Second Edition OS map 1853
3. PRONI OS/6/5/27/3 Third Edition OS Map 1905
4. PRONI OS/6/5/27/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1925-33
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/537 Townland Valuation (1828-40)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/2A-D Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
7. Griffith’s Valuation online
8. 1901/1911 census online

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An asymmetrical, detached, two-storey pebble-dashed farmhouse, built as a single storey vernacular dwelling prior to 1830 and extensively modified and expanded to the west around the early 20th century. These alterations are of interest, providing an example of this type of enlargement of an existing vernacular house. The irregular façade attests to the evolution of the building form and fabric, from the vernacular towards a larger-scale building characterised by a more proportional and formailsed appearance. There has been a number of incremental alterations to the exterior, which have diluted the building's architectural interest. Although the house makes a contribution to the architectural heritage of the wider Kilrea area it is not of sufficient interest to warant listing.