Dwelling house on unnamed access lane to No 28

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An asymmetrical one-and-a-half storey three-bay vernacular dwelling, built c.1850, located on the south side of an unnamed road running east from Ballinlea Road, Ballycastle. Rectangular plan, with gable to the road and complex of outbuildings to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with angled ridge tiles and rendered brick chimneystacks to gables and party wall between bays. Gutters are missing but some drive-in brackets remain over corbelled eaves; cast-iron downpipe and hopper to south gable. Walling is lime rendered over rubble stone throughout, limewashed to all elevations except south gable. Windows are generally exposed box 6/6 timber sliding sashes with horns, set in plain reveals on sandstone cills (except where otherwise stated).

Principal elevation faces east and has five equally spaced openings; second opening from left is the principal entrance, comprising a painted timber door of five raised panels (lower panels covered with metal sheeting); door furniture replaced; stone threshhold.

South gable is abutted by a rubble stone garden wall at extreme right, and a later lean-to outbuilding. Replacement casement windows throughout.

Rear elevation has irregularly spaced and sized openings; two windows to ground floor and one to first floor (all fixed pane replacements). The rear entrance is located to right of centre, comprising a timber sheeted door recessed within a small porch; footings of a former projecting porch addition remain on the ground surface.

North gable has two windows to upper storey; the former ground floor window has been partially infilled and limewashed with a metal-framed casement added to the upper part.

Setting: Rural
setting, set with north gable to the road, and a complex of outbuildings to rear, in informal courtyard plan. The north outbuilding also bounds the road. There is a small garden to the front of the house, enclosed by a limewashed rubble stone wall; accessed by a wrought-iron gate on circular piers, both wall and piers are finished with soldier coping. Outbuildings are limewashed (except south elevations) and are single storey with the exception of that to south-east corner, which is lofted. Variety of roof coverings, including fibre cement tiles, natural slate and tin. From sout-east, in a clockwise direction is: pig house, byre, cart house, stables and piggeries, barn. Doors and loft openings are painted timber sheeted, and there are also metal casement windows. Yard has remains of cobbles and a partially canted corner to the northern outbuilding at the yard entrance.

Roof: Slate
Walling: Limewashed
Windows: Timber
RWG: Cast-iron (partial)

Historical information

Built in the mid 19th century, the house is first shown on the second edition OS map (1859), along with the two detached outbuildings to the west and south-west. The house possibly was originally thatched, although no physical evidence remains that might confirm this - census records provide some evidence, but no certainty (see below). By 1904 a small abutment to the rear of the house had been removed and an additional western range had been added to the southern-most outbuilding, providing a western boundary to the yard at the rear of the house (third edition OS map 1904). Modern maps show that the footprint of the buildings has remained largely unchanged since at least the early 20th century, except for the addition of a curved tin canopy which abuts between the house and the northernmost outbuilding.

Griffith’s Valuation (1859) states that the house and outbuildings were occupied by Patrick Black and were given a rateable value of £6, which remained unchanged until c.1930. In 1875 occupancy passed to Rev. Peter McGorrian, who was the priest of the RC Church of SS Joseph and Mary in Ballintoy, which was rebuilt c.1878 to the designs of O’Neill and Byrne. This marked the start of a period during the late 19th century when the house functioned as the parochial farm, passing to Rev. Mulcahy in 1883. Occupancy transferred to James Darragh in 1893, which appears to mark the end of its parochial function, and subsequently passed to Robert Baird in the early 20th century.

The date of Robert Baird’s occupancy remains unclear; census information and departmental files suggest a date of c.1900 whilst the valuation records state 1925. The census records (1901 & 1911) support a date of c.1900 as no-one with the surname Darragh is listed within the townland of Maghernahar (nor in the electoral division of Ballintoy), whilst Robert Baird is recorded. The 1901 records show that Baird resided in a thatched house comprising 8no. Rooms and had 8no. Outbuildings, and it seems possible that this complex was the former parochial house and farm.

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/1/8/1 First Edition OS map (1832)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/8/2 Second Edition OS map (1857)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/8/3 Third Edition OS map (1904)
4. PRONI OS/6/1/8/4 Fourth Edition OS map (1922-31)
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/24B Griffiths Valuation (1859)
6. PRONI VAL/12/D/1/8A-F Annual Revision Maps (1859-c.1935)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/2/2A-E Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
8. PRONI VAL/3/B/1/4A First General Revaluation Annual Revisions (1935-54)
9. HB File (HB05/10/015)
10. 1901 & 1911 Census

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

An asymmetrical one-and-a-half storey three-bay vernacular dwelling, built c.1850, located on the south side of an unnamed lane running east from Ballinlea Road, Ballycastle, which accesses the farmland associated with no 28 Ballinlea Rd. The house has been exceptionally well maintained, retaining traditional finishes and fittings including exposed box timber sashes and limewashed walls. Internally, the plan form is of interest as a variation of direct entry typology, having a lateral hall accessing all ground floor rooms in a move towards a more gentrified layout, and having an unusual partitioned upper floor on a variety of levels. It is much enhanced by the retention of setting features including boundary walls and gate piers, and an informal courtyard complex of outbuildings which line the road. Unusually, the cobbled yard and perimeter drainage system is nearly intact. Occupying an elevated site, the group has a strong presence in the landscape, and is representative of the type of rural smallholding, once common in the Ulster landscape, which is now increasingly rare.

General comments

Second Survey Scoping ref N05/10/003