54 Ballyversal Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Originally a single-storey direct entry vernacular dwelling, built before 1830, 3 bay rectangular plan with byre, set with farm buildings in open farmland at the end of a lane off the west side of Ballyversal Road.

House
Prior to works- corrugated asbestos roof laid over thatch with original timbers; cement verges; three rendered brick chimneys; gutters are round metal. Walls are brown pebble-dashed render with plain render corners, plinth, door architrave and window reveals; concrete cills. The openings are square-headed. The windows which were various replacement timber framed and the replacement sheeted door were removed during consideration of the listing process.

The front south elevation is 4 windows wide asymmetrically placed, two each side of the entrance door but with the western two set closely together. A new opening, where an existing timber lintel has been revealed internally, has been formed to the right of the front door.

The gable west elevation is abutted by a lower byre.

The rear north elevation had a lean-to extension with a small window; the windows on the main wall having been widened; there were 2 windows to the east of the lean-to and one to the west. This lean-to has now been removed.

The gable east elevation has a central high level window.

Outbuildings
A single storey building abuts the west gable of the house, a round cone topped gatepost sits against its west gable (outbuilding no.1); detached to the rear (north) of this is a two storey barn (no.2) with an open shed attached to the northeast. Opposite, and parallel, to the barn to the west is a single storey outbuilding (no.3) with its southern gable in line with the house front. Further to the west, also in line with the house, is a single storey building (no.4). Outbuilding no.1: corrugated metal roof, random rubble lime washed wall, wide corrugated shed door. No.2: natural slate roof, random rubble partially lime washed wall with brick dressed openings, plank doors. No.3: corrugated metal roof, random rubble lime washed wall with some blockwork infill, plank and replacement doors. No.4: natural slate roof, rubble stone walling with cut stone quoins and brick eaves and door lintel, plank door.

Before the listing process was fully completed, HED received a photograph from the owner indicating that the thatched roof, historic roof structure and two chimneys had been further removed.

Setting:
The house lies at the end of a lane off the west of Ballyversal Road. Located in open farmland it sits in a concrete paved farmyard with a collection of random-rubble single-storey and two-storey farm buildings to the west and northwest, to the north is a patch of lawn; a modern detached bungalow sits to the east; modern farm buildings are located to the southwest.

Schedule:
Roof: corrugated asbestos sheeting over thatch (now removed)
Walls: pebble dashed render (now partially removed)
Windows: have been removed
RWGs: metal.(now removed)

Historical information

No. 54 Ballyversall Road, a single-storey vernacular farmhouse located in the townland of Ballyversall, was constructed prior to the Ordnance Survey map of 1831 which first depicted the rectangular-shaped property. None of the dwelling’s surviving outbuildings were constructed by the 1830s; however by the second edition of the Ordnance survey map (1849-53) the two-storey outbuilding (outbuilding 02) had been erected to the north-west of the dwelling as well as the single-storey extension (outbuilding 01) to the farmhouse’s west gable. The first occupant was a Mr. Martin Curry, a local famer, who leased the site from the Rev. John Lyle of Knocktarna; Curry’s property was originally valued at £1 10s. in Griffith’s Valuation (1858).

Martin Curry continued to reside at Ballyversall until 1862 when his relative, a Mr. Hugh Curry, took over the property, however the Annual revisions recorded that Curry’s son John became occupant of the farm at some point between 1864 and 1880; John Curry resided at Ballyversall until 1901 when a Mr. Joseph Dunlop took over possession of the farm. During this period the two single-storey outbuildings located to the south-west of the dwelling (outbuildings 03 and 04) were constructed; the outbuildings were built between 1853 and the third edition of the Ordnance Survey maps for 1904 (on which they were first depicted).

The 1901 Census records that Joseph Dunlop (80, Presbyterian) resided at Ballyversall with his wife Isabella (70) and their three children, John Reid (35), Lizzie (32) and Robert (29) who all worked the farm with the assistance of three farm servants; the census building return described No. 54 Ballyversall Road as a 2nd class thatched dwelling that consisted of 7 rooms and possessed a stable, a cow house, two piggeries and a barn amongst its out offices. Joseph’s eldest son John Reid took over the farm after his father’s death in 1906, purchasing the farm outright in 1912.

Reid continued to reside at the site until the mid-20th century; the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1935) recorded that his farm had been increased in value to £8. There was no further revaluation carried out for over two decades due to the outbreak of the Second World War, however in 1956 the Second Revaluation noted that John Reid Dunlop had vacated the farm in the intervening period when a Ms. Elizabeth Dunlop was recorded as owner. In 1960 a Mr. Robert Dunlop took possession of the farm residing there until 1971 when the revaluation notes that a Mr. Robert W. Kearney lived at the site (immediately prior to the cancellation of the revaluation survey in 1972).

The current edition of the Ordnance Survey map records that the modern dwelling to the east of the c. 1830 farmhouse was constructed prior to 1979; the two large modern barns, located to the south and south-west of the original buildings were also constructed before this date. Field Inspection finds that the original outbuildings have survived in varying states of repair whilst the original thatched roof structure and material has been retained under a corrugated asbestos roof.

Before the listing process was fully completed, HED received a photograph from the owner indicating that the thatched roof, historic roof structure and two chimneys had been removed.

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/5/4/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey map 1831
2. PRONI OS/6/5/4/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey map 1849-53
3. PRONI OS/6/5/4/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey map 1904
4. PRONI OS/6/5/4/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey map 1922-23
5. PRONI OS/6/5/4/5 – Fifth Edition Ordnance Survey map 1939-50
6. PRONI VAL/1/A/5/4 – Townland Valuations map c. 1830
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/5/12 – Griffith’s Valuation 1858
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/14A-F – Annual Revisions 1860-1929
9. PRONI VAL/3/B/6/1 – First General Revaluation of property in Northern Ireland 1935
10. PRONI VAL/4/B/5/4 – Second General Revaluation of property in Northern Ireland 1956-1972
11. Ulster Town Directories (1852-1918)
12. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
13. Ordnance Survey Map – 13-7 (1979)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

54 Ballyversal Road is a single storey house, having until recently had a thatch under corrugated asbestos sheeted roof with pebble dashed render to the exterior, built before 1830. Located down a lane off the west of Ballyversal Road with associated farm buildings. Until recently, the house retained its historic proportions and character, including its interior: floors, joinery, chimneypieces, sheeted ceiling and plaster. Of particular importance as a rare survivor, of national importance, were the then intact roof trusses, purlins and thatch.

The group as a whole was an increasingly rare example of a vernacular farmstead set in unspoiled countryside, slightly compromised by the adjacent modern bungalow and the concrete farmyard.

Due to the loss of the thatch, historic roof structure, chimneys and interior before the listing process was complete, the building no longer meets the criteria for listing.