35 KNOCKNACARRY ROAD

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two-storey three-bay white painted Georgian style house, rectangular plan-form with a pitched natural slate roof. Built in c.1810 and renovated c.1991. Principal elevation faces north, situated on the south side of Knocknacarry Road to the south-west of Cushendun. Accessed via a tree lined laneway with two storey outbuildings to the rear.

White painted rendered walling having rendered quoins at each corner; replacement timber sliding sash windows throughout with 2/2 timber sliding sash to ground floor; 6/3 to upper floor; pitched natural slate roof with clay ridge tiles and concrete skews; two tall painted rendered chimney-stacks at each end having black painted clay pots and stepped cornices; half-round cast-iron guttering discharging to circular section downpipes.

Principal elevation faces north onto Knocknacarry Road with central doorcase having engaged doric columns supporting an entablature with decorative cornice and a decorative semi-circular fanlight set within sqaure headed opening; replacement 4 panel timber door. Symmetrical fenestration pattern with replacement timber sliding sashes.

East elevation of smooth render painted finish with windows to right hand side at ground and first floor level. Small replacement timber georgian-style casement window to attic level to right side of central chimney stack.

South elevation of smooth render painted finish with central gabled projecting two storey bay containing large round-headed window with staircase behind and single storey lean-to extension to left side with natural slate roof and concrete skews. Symmetrical fenestration to main elevation with two modern rooflights just below the ridge.

West elevation clad in slate above smooth render painted finish plinth with no fenestration.

Large two-storey outbuilding to rear with lime washed lime render walling and slated pitched roof, containing two small sheds to left side and large shed to right side with sliding barn door to north elevation. Circular window to left side with replacement glass. First floor windows are original 2/2 timber sliding sash with the left side window having replacement single top pane. East elevation abutted to garden at ground floor level with replacement timber door at first floor level. South elevation to rear of lime washed stonework with door and two windows at first floor level. Small original cast iron rooflight to left of centre with thin concrete band to left side of roof slates. West elevation containing single 1/1 timber sliding sash window at first floor level to left side.

Setting:
Situated within its own grounds with outbuildings to the rear, accessed via a short laneway facing north to the south side of the Knocknacarry Road to the south west of Cushendun.

Materials:
Roof: Natural Slate
RWGs: Cast-iron
Walling: White rendered
Windows: Replacement timber sliding sash

Historical information

No. 35 Knocknacarry Road, a two-storey three-bay late-Georgian farmhouse located in the townland of Agolagh, was constructed prior to 1832. The building is situated to the south-west of Cushendun and predates the development of the village into a popular seaside resort following the laying out of the Coastal Road in 1832-42. The farmhouse was first recorded on the first edition Ordnance Survey map (1832) which depicted it as a rectangular-shaped structure that possessed a similar sized outbuilding to rear (possibly the current outbuilding) and an additional outbuilding which ran along the Knocknacarry Road (which was demolished by the 1850s). The Townland Valuations (1834) set the total rateable value of No. 35 Knocknacarry Road at £8 and 9 shillings and described the farmhouse as a 1A class dwelling (that is a new or nearly new slated building) that measured 35.6ft by 26ft and stood 17ft in height.

The second edition Ordnance Survey map (1857) noted that No. 35 Knocknacarry Road was known as ‘Agolagh Ho[use].’ The map depicted the farmhouse along the same layout as the previous map, however it also showed that the outbuilding located along the Knocknacarry Road had been demolished and that a second farmhouse, known as ‘Agolagh Cottage,’ had been erected to the east of the site since the 1830s. The contemporary Griffith’s Valuation (1859) notes that Agolagh House and Agolagh Cottage were both occupied by Donald O’Hara, a farmer who leased the site from Edmund F. Cuppage (a prominent local landowner of Mount Edwards in Cushendall). The valuation sources increased the value of Agolagh House to £11 but noted that the building remained unoccupied between 1859 and c. 1870 (O’Hara predominantly resided at Agolagh Cottage).

The Annual Revisions note that No. 35 Knocknacarry Road and the adjoining Agolagh Cottage continued to be held by the O’Hara family until c. 1870. In that year Agolagh Cottage was occupied by Francis McCaughan whilst Agolagh House was converted into a Constabulary Barracks for the Royal Irish Constabulary. The 1901 Census of Ireland records that the building was utilised as a station and lodgings for Cushendun’s local police Sergeant and his four constables. The Royal Irish Constabulary continued to utilise No. 35 Knocknacarry Road as a barracks until c. 1906 when the building reverted to its original use as a private dwelling. The house lay unoccupied during the 1911 Census, however the Annual Revisions noted that the site had been occupied in c. 1913 by a Ms. Mary Weston. The occupants of the building continued to change and by at least 1922 the farmhouse at No. 35 Knocknacarry Road had been acquired by the trustees of St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church (HB05/03/028) who converted the house into a parochial house for the priests of the parish. The parochial house was increased in value to £16 under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57). The building continued to be utilised as a parochial house until c. 1960 when the house was occupied by the McKay family who purchased the building outright in 1967. The total rateable value of the farmhouse stood at £32 by the end of the Second General Revaluation (1956-72) when a Mr. Denis McKay resided at the site.

In 1972 the UAHS Guide for the Glens of Antrim described No. 35 Knocknacarry Road in the following terms: ‘c. 1810; a plain white three-bay two-storey house, with quoins and Georgian glazing upstairs; the end wall slate hung; doorcase with engaged Doric columns and a pretty fanlight’ (UAHS Guide, p. 44). No. 35 Knocknacarry Road was listed in 1980. The NIEA HB Records note that the farmhouse underwent a general renovation in c. 1991 although no details were recorded (NIEA HB Records). During the Second Survey No. 35 Knocknacarry Road continued to be utilised as a farmhouse and retains its original Georgian-style glazing and fanlight.

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/1/15/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1832)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/15/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1857)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/15/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1903-04)
4. PRONI OS/6/1/15/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1922)
5. PRONI VAL/1/A/1/15 – Townland Valuations Map (c. 1830)
6. PRONI VAL/1/B/148B – Townland Valuations (1834)
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/40B – Griffith’s Valuation (1859)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/2/7A-F – Annual Revisions (1864-1923)
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/2/14E – Annual Revisions (1921-29)
10. PRONI VAL/3/C/1/5 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
11. PRONI VAL/4/B/1/10 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
12. Ulster Town Directories (1861-1918)
13. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
14. First Survey Record – HB05/03/004 (1971)
15. NIEA HB Record – HB05/03/004

Secondary Sources

1. Brett, C. E. B., ‘List of historic buildings, groups of buildings and areas of architectural importance in the Glens of Antrim’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1972.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

Detached two-storey three-bay rendered farm house of c.1810 with slate clad west elevation renovated c.1991. Rectangular plan form; principal elevation faces North onto Knocknacarry Road. No.35 is set within its own grounds accessed via a short laneway. A moderately scaled and proportioned farm house with good quality original doorcase with engaged doric columns and fine original outhouses to rear still intact. It has an interesting history as it was constructed as a dwelling before a change of use to a Royal Irish Constabulary barracks, then a parochial house before finally reverting back to being a dwelling. Its interest is enhanced by the fine outbuildings.