Disused forge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Relatively large single-storey vernacular blacksmith’s forge of part pre 1830 contruction, now used as a store. The building is set on the southwest side of Coleraine Road, roughly 1½ miles south of Portstewart town centre.

The building has walls of whitewashed rubble, with an undulating gabled roof which is slated and has been coasted in pitch. To the SW gable there is a relatively large ‘addition’ with a shallow-pitched corrugated-iron lean-to roof.

The front elevation faces roughly NE and is asymmetrical. To the left there is a doorway with flat-panel timber door. To right there is a similar doorway, then two relatively broad windows with metal frames. There are no other openings to the building, although there appears to have been two small windows at some point to the rear elevation (their openings have been filled with modern blocks).

There is a rendered chimneystack to the NW gable. Cast-iron rainwater goods to front.

To the immediate NW of the building there is a slightly smaller single-storey house, vernacular in overall form, but with ‘regularised’ fenestration. This building postdates the forge, first appearing on the revised OS map of 1856-58. The house is finished in whitewashed roughcast with a slated gabled roof with rendered (gable) chimneystacks and parapets. To the front (NE) elevation there is a left of centre doorway with timber-sheeted door. To left of this is a window, with two more to right, all with horned timber sash frames. To the SE gable there is a small attic-level window with [?fixed] single-pane timber frame. There is a smilar window to the NW gable. To the rear there are trwo windows, with recent timber frames.

Both the house and forge are in a relatively poor state of repair.

Historical information

A shorter building, is shown on the OS map of 1830-31. Interestingly, a small horseshoe-shaped symbol is shown next to the building, indicating that it was a forge; unfortunately, however, it is not recorded in the contemporary valuation.

On the revised OS map of 1856-58, a similar structure is shown. The entry in the 1856 valuation for this plot of land is somewhat confusing, however, in that the valuers appear to have mixed up the reference numbers or the boundaries for this and a neighbouring plot. They do record a ‘forge’ and ‘smith’s shop’, measuring 29ft x 21 x 7½, as well as a house of 30 x 21 x 8½, all of which would appear to accord the buildings as they are shown on the map, but reference these fall under (‘4A’) does not accord with the reference as marked by them on the accompanying map.

Whatever the case, the forge and house are listed as in the hands of a James McLaughlin in 1856, and remaining in his hands until 1868, when a Daniel McLaughlin is noted as the occupier. Daniel was succeeded by Robert James McLaughlin in 1893/4, with an Elizabeth McLaughlin followng him in 1908, and Hugh McLaughlin in 1928. A Thomas Scott is recorded as the occupant in 1963, staying on until at least 1972.

At what point the building was extended is difficult to stay, as the valuations make no comment on the matter, however, it appears to have assumed its presnt form sometime by 1901, as it appears as such on the OS map of that year. At what point it ceased to be used as a forge is also difficult to say. The valuations simply refer to it as an ‘office’ after 1856, ‘office’ being a general term applied to outbuildings of various descriptions.

The forge is currently used as a store and whilst the house is unoccupied.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/1A/5/3 Valuation map, County Londonderry, sheet 3 (1830-c.38)
2 PRONI VAL/2A/5/3 Valuation map, County Londonderry, sheet 3 (1856-58)
3 PRONI VAL/2B/5/15A Second valuation, Ballyraghan parish (1856-c.59)
4 PRONI VAL/12B/5/17A Annual valuation revision, Portstewart ED (1859-63)
5 PRONI VAL/12B/5/17B Annual valuation revision, Portstewart ED (1864-76)
6 PRONI VAL/12B/5/17C Annual valuation revision, Portstewart ED (1877-87)
7 PRONI VAL/12B/5/17D Annual valuation revision, Portstewart ED (1887-94)
8 PRONI VAL/12B/5/17E Annual valuation revision, Portstewart ED (1895-1905)
9 PRONI OS/6/5/3/3 OS map, County Londonderry, sheet 3 (1901)
10 PRONI VAL/12B/5/17F Annual valuation revision, Portstewart ED (1906-17)
11 PRONI VAL/12B/5/17G Annual valuation revision, Portstewart ED (1918-29)
12 PRONI VAL/12B/5/17H Annual valuation revision, Portstewart ED (1926-30)
13 PRONI VAL/3B/6/2 First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Portstewart RD (1935)
14 PRONI VAL/3C/6/18 First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Portstewart RD (1936-57)
15 PRONI VAL/4B/5/35 Second General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Portstewart RD (1957-72)
16 PRONI VAL/14B/168 Third General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Strand Ward (1972-87)
17 PRONI VAL/14B/168 Third General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Strand Ward (1987-93)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Relatively large single-storey vernacular blacksmith’s forge of part pre 1830, part post 1856 construction, now used as a store. Apart from the forge itself, there is little in visual terms to distinguish this structure from most other modest 19th century vernacular outbuildings, however its value (or lack of it) can only be judged by determining the rarity of the genre and the quality of others that may have survived.