116 TROMRA ROAD

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached two-storey four-bay farmhouse and shop located in the townland of Gortaghragan between Cushendall and Cushendun, built c.1830's. Rectangular on plan, principal elevation faces South-East , built on the north side of Tromra Road. Set back from the road with large piggery outbuilding to rear along with small outbuildings to the North-east side.

Pitched natural slate roof with clay ridge tiles and three rendered chimney stacks with circular black pots; half-round replacement aluminium guttering fixed to painted timber fascia terminating to circular aluminium downpipe to left side of front elevation.

Principal elevation (SE) is smooth render painted finish with two storey store to left side with flat corrugated metal roof; all window openings are square-headed on painted masonry sills with painted plaster band to reveals; bays on ground floor are aligned with window bays on floors above; windows are exposed box 2/2 timber sliding sash to ground and first floor with shopfront to left side containing bi-folding timber doors with tall victorian-style glazed panels with raised-and-fielded panel below, narrow plain fanlight above and two glazed panels to right side with remnants of shop signage above shopfront; segmental-headed door recess within wind break porch with pitched slate roof; replacement painted square-headed four panel timber door with three small glazed panels to top section, door opens onto threshold one concrete step up from the ground level. Painted sheeted timber double doors with square-headed casement timber window to store to left side.

South-west elevation of two storeys having two storey store with gable to main house above. Walls of smooth render unpainted to store, painted to house gable with small attic level square-headed window opening with window missing to left side of chimney.

North-west elevation to rear of smooth render painted finish with two storey return built at half landing level to main house having pitched slate roof and large chimney stack to apex with single black pot. Rear of main house contains single square-headed window on painted masonry sills to ground floor and first floor level, bay above not aligned with bay below; small 4/2 exposed box timber sliding sash to ground floor, replacement timber casement to first floor.

North-east elevation of smooth render painted finish with two storey return built at half landing level to main house having pitched slate roof and large chimney stack to gable. Main house gable contains single square-headed window on painted masonry sill with 2/2 timber sliding sash at first floor level to left side. Rear return contains single square-headed window on painted masonry sills to ground floor and first floor half landing levels, bay above aligned with bay below; small 1/3 modified exposed box timber sliding sash to ground floor, larger 2/2 exposed box timber sliding sash to first floor.

Collection of outbuildings to rear accessed through wrought iron gates to left. Large two storey six-bay piggery to north-west of smooth render walls, corrugated metal pitched roof containing an number of single and double timber sheeted doors at ground level (NE), square-headed window openings to both ground and first floors with mostly 1/1 timber sliding sash windows. Outbuildings to rear of smooth rendered masonry walls with pitched asbestos clad roofing, metal windows and corrugated metal sliding door (SE).

Roof Natural Slate
RWG Aluminium
Walling Render
Windows Timber sliding sash/ Timber casement

Setting:
Detached Georgian-style house, set within its own grounds and set back from the road with a number of outbuildings to the rear, principal elevation facing south-east to the north-west side of Tromra Road to the east of the former Cushendall Presbyterian Meeting House and its two-storey manse, in the townland of Gortaghragan between Cushendall and Cushendun.

Historical information

No. 116 Tromra Road, a two-storey four-bay farmhouse and shop located in the townland of Gortaghragan between Cushendall and Cushendun, was constructed prior to 1832. The building first appeared on the first edition Ordnance Survey map (1832) which depicted the farmhouse as a rectangular-shaped building. The map shows that the farmhouse did not possess its current rear return or outbuildings at that time. The building was excluded from the Townland Valuations (c. 1834) as it was not worth the £3 minimum required for inclusion.

There was little alteration to the site by the second edition Ordnance Survey map (1857) which depicted the building along its earlier layout. The farmhouse is located to the east of the former Cushendun Presbyterian Meeting House and its two-storey manse (Mansefield) which were constructed in c. 1852. Dallat records that this meeting house was utilised by the Presbyterian population of both Cushendall and Cushendun, however services were moved to Cushendall in 1859 where they were held in the school on the hill of Court McMartin. The former meeting house along the Tromra Road is now utilised as a barn by the adjoining Mansefield House. Griffith’s Valuation (1859) records that No. 116 Tromra Road was valued at 10 shillings and was leased by Edmund Cuppage, a prominent landlord of Mount Edwards, to James Magee, a local farmer.

James Magee continued to reside at No. 116 Tromra Road until c. 1865 when the house passed to James McDonnell. The Annual Revisions note that the value of the property was increased to £1 and 5 shillings in c. 1865. The third edition Ordnance Survey map for the area (1903-04) shows that a large outbuilding located to the rear of the farmhouse was constructed at some point between 1857 and the turn of the 20th century; the increase in the value of the site suggests that this outbuilding was erected in c. 1865. A Mr. Daniel McNeill occupied the farm in c. 1884, residing there until c. 1901 when the site passed to Richard McFetridge, a local merchant and farmer. The 1911 Census of Ireland notes that McFetridge resided at No. 116 Tromra Road with his wife and their nine children. The accompanying Census Building Return described the farmhouse as a 1st class dwelling that consisted of seven rooms and possessed a stable, two cow houses and a piggery amongst its outbuildings. The Annual Revisions record that McFetridge had established a shop at his property in c. 1922. The First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) increased the value of the farmhouse and shop to £19 and 15 shillings and noted that the building was also utilised as a local petrol pump station. Richard McFetridge continued to reside at No. 116 Tromra Road until his death in 1948 at which time the property passed to his son John. By the end of the Second General Revaluation (1956-72) the total rateable value of the farmhouse and shop stood at £39 and 15 shillings.

In 1972 the UAHS Guide for the Glens of Antrim described No. 116 Tromra Road as a four-bay two-storey whitewashed house with Regency glazing, set back from the road [and one of] a pleasant group of buildings’ (UAHS Guide, p. 40). No. 116 Tromra Road was listed in 1980. The NIEA HB Records note that the building continued to be utilised as a dwelling and shop by the 1990s and underwent an extensive renovation in 1993 which included the reconstruction of its chimney stacks, the reslating of its roof in second hand slate and the installation of aluminium rainwater goods (NIEA HB Records).

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/2/B/1/40B – Griffith’s Valuation (1859)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/2/7A-F – Annual Revisions (1864-1923)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/2/14E – Annual Revisions (1921-1929)
9. PRONI VAL/3/C/1/5 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
10. PRONI VAL/4/B/1/10 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
11. Ulster Town Directories (1861-1918)
12. First Survey Record – HB05/03/025 (1971)
13. NIEA HB Record – HB05/03/025

Secondary Sources
1. Baillie, W. D., ‘A history of congregations in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland: 1610-1982’ Belfast: Presbyterian Historical Society, 1982.
2. 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.
3. Dallat, C., ‘The road to the Glens’ Belfast: The Friar’s Bush Press, 1989.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
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 four-bay farmhouse and shop located in the townland of Gortaghragan between Cushendall and Cushendun, built c.1830''s. Rectangular on plan, principal elevation faces South-East , built on the north-west side of Tromra Road. Set back from the road with large piggery outbuilding to rear along with small outbuildings to the North-east side.
The exterior retains most of its original historic character and style with detailing consistent for its construction date. No. 116 is well proportioned and represents an important building type of a rural shop with house attached which served as both a commercial and social hub. It is an increasingly rare building type.