Gatescreen

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An early nineteenth century grey stone boundary wall constructed and later Victorian cast-iron gate screen, situated to the north side of Agherton Road at the entrance of what was once Little Agherton (now demolished). Wall constructed in uncoursed squared grey stone with mortar and topped with dressed stones. Square piers support cast-iron gate screen with gates to centre. Gates and screen have stylised fleur-de-lis on husks to heads of railings; supported on round cast-iron supporting piers. Railings are painted black; fleur-de-lis heads are painted gold.

Setting:

Set back from the main road with lawned verge to front, cattle grid to gravel entrance; directly west of 22 Agherton Road (HB03/07/012). A modern two-storey rendered house has been built on the site of the Victorian dwelling.

Materials:

Uncoursed squared grey stone and cast-iron.

Historical information

Little Agherton, a two-storey dwelling erected in the townland of Ballyleese North in 1871, was demolished in the late-20th century and replaced with the current modern dwelling; the only trace of the original dwelling is the gate screen and walling that fronts the Agherton Road. It is not known with certainty when the gate screen and associated rubble walling was added to the site, however it is likely that the cast-iron gate screen dates from the mid-Victorian period; the rubble wall may date from earlier in the site’s history.

The Ordnance Survey Memoirs note that the first building erected on the site was ‘a good schoolhouse, two-stories in height, built from the Erasmus Smiths Fund. It was erected in 1813 and cost £300’ (Ordnance Survey Memoirs, p.16). The schoolhouse was valued at £3 14s. in the contemporary Townland Valuations of the area. It is possible that the rubble stone walling may originate from this period; however there is no documentary evidence to support any date for the walling aside from the depiction of a square boundary around the Erasmus School on the first edition of the Ordnance Survey map (1830).

By Griffith’s Valuation (1857) the value of the school had increased to £4 10s. at which level it remained until he schoolhouse was demolished in 1871. It was at this time that the Victorian dwelling (a two-storey dwelling on the First Survey Image) was constructed and it is likely that the current Victorian cast-iron gate screen was erected at the same time. The Victorian dwelling was valued at £18 15s. and stood until the late-20th century when it was demolished to make way for the current modern house; the Victorian house was demolished sometime after the First Survey of the site in 1973.

The gate screen and rubble stone walling were listed, along with the Victorian dwelling in 1977. The house was delisted in 1990 due to structural concerns and following consultation with HBC and Coleraine Council - and the gate screen was retained on the list.

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/5/3/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1830
2. PRONI OS/6/5/3/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map c. 1860
3. PRONI OS/6/5/3/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1904
4. PRONI OS/6/5/3/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1922-32
5. PRONI VAL/1/A/5/3 – Townland Valuation Map c. 1830
6. PRONI VAL/1/B/ 539A-B Townland Valuation c. 1830
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/5/10 – Griffith’s Valuation 1857
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/17A – Annual Revisions 1859-1863
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/17B – Annual Revisions 1874-1876
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/17C – Annual Revisions 1877-1887
11. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/17D – Annual Revisions 1888-1894
12. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/17E – Annual Revisions 1895-1905
13. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/17F – Annual Revisions 1906-1917
14. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/17G – Annual Revisions 1918-1929
15. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/17H – Annual Revisions 1926-1930
16. Ordnance Survey Memoirs, Co. Londonderry, Vol. 33 No. XII (1835)
17. Census of Ireland (1901 / 1911)
18. Ordnance Survey Map – 12-4 (1966)
19. First Survey Record – HB03/07/004 (1973)
20. First Survey Image – HB03/07/004 (1973)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Nineteenth century sandstone boundary wall and cast-iron gate screen situated to the north side of Agherton Road at the entrance of what was once a nineteenth century house called Little Agherton - demolished c1990 . The gate screen and walling, although of good quality, are not considered to be significant enough in their own right to warrant listing.