House near No 156 Ballymena Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two-storey vernacular farmhouse with byre and hay loft/store, of probable pre-1832 construction but which is likely to have assumed its present enlarged two-storey form in the early 1900s. The whole structure now appears to be in use as a farm outbuilding. The house is set approximately 300 metres east of the Ballymena Road in farmland that slopes eastward towards the Irish Sea, around 3km south-west of Carnlough. The property is accessed via a lane (which serves several other houses also) and is not visible from the main road.

The front elevation faces roughly east and is asymmetrical, with the dwelling section to the right (north). The far right here is a large single-storey gabled porch. The porch has two entrance doorways, one to the south face and one to the north, both with replacement timber-sheeted doors. The rest of the front façade of the house section has an informal, vernacular arrangement of window openings, with those to the first floor considerably larger than those to the ground floor. These windows have cut stone sill and (mainly) timber lintels and sash frames with a variety of glazing arrangements, 2/2, 6/1 and 3/6.

The byre/loft front has a flight of stone steps at far left which give access to the loft doorway, whilst to the right of the steps are two ground floor doorways (all with timber-sheeted doors). In the east (gabled) face of the porch there is a small 4-light fixed timber window.

With the exception of one high level 8-light fixed timber window, the south gable is blank. Remnants of a render flashing on the gable indicate that a single-storey structure was attached at some time

The west façade has an informal arrangement of window openings, with a variety of frames similar to the front. Some of the timber lintels have been replaced in concrete and two of the openings have brick dressings.

Ivy growth completely conceals the north gable.

The walls are constructed of whitewashed random rubble. The roof is pitched and finished with natural slate. There are two centrally positioned brick chimneystacks to the ridge.

Setting

Originally various out buildings were attached to the house, enclosing a small farmyard. Some of these buildings have collapsed while others are in a state of advanced decay. To the immediate north there is a much later dwelling, now abandoned and entirely overgrown. The laneway from the road gives access to two or three other houses and to various fields.

Historical information

A house matching the size and lying on the same orientation as the present building is shown on the OS map of 1832, but not noted in the valuation of the following year. This suggests that the property was relatively modest at this date, probably single-storey and quite likely thatched. In the second valuation of 1859 the building is noted as containing two properties, one recorded as a ‘caretaker’s house’ occupied by a John Kilbraith [Galbraith] and rated at 5/-, the other a ‘house and office’ occupied by Mary Kilbraith [Galbraith] rated at 10/-. The relatively low rateable values of both properties indicate a structure unchanged from the time of the first valuation.

Tenancy of the smaller ‘caretaker’s house’ (which appears to have been located to the north end of the building), was taken up by Bernard Kelly in 1864, followed by Jane Crabbe in 1903, Robert Crabbe in c.1933, and John Crabbe in 1968, whilst the other property was occupied by a William Campbell in 1868, Alexander Galbraith in 1878, Kate Galbraith in 1937 and Alex O’Kane in 1966. The freeholds of both properties were both acquired by the then occupants in 1916, and by 1969 John Crabbe is recorded as holding the whole building.

The house has obviously been raised in height at some point. The valuations - as is the case for most vernacular buildings - give no indication of when this took place, however various elements of internal detailing (the staircase and an upper level fireplace in particular) suggest that this took place in the early 1900s, possibly in or around 1916, when the freeholds were acquired from the estate of the late Marchioness of Londonderry. The porch may have been added at this time also.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/1A/1/25 OS map, Co. Antrim, sheet 25, with valuation
references, 1832(-33)
2 PRONI VAL/2A/1/25 OS map, Co. Antrim, sheet 25, with valuation references, 1856(-59)
3 PRONI VAL/2B/1/41A Second valuation, Tickmacrevan parish, 1859
4 PRONI VAL/12B/7/10A Annual valuation revision book, Glencloy Electoral District, 1860-64
5 PRONI VAL/12B/7/10B Annual valuation revision book, Glencloy Electoral District, 1865-79
6 PRONI VAL/12B/7/10C Annual valuation revision book, Glencloy Electoral District, 1879-93
7 PRONI VAL/12B/7/10D Annual valuation revision book, Glencloy Electoral District, 1893-1907
8 PRONI OS/6/1/25/3 OS map, Co. Antrim, sheet 25, 1903
9 PRONI VAL/12B/7/10E Annual valuation revision book, Glencloy Electoral District, 1908-29
10 PRONI OS/6/1/25/4 OS map, Co. Antrim, sheet 25, 1920
11 PRONI VAL/3C/1/22 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Rural district of Larne, Glencloy electoral district, 1936-56
12 PRONI VAL/4B/5/10 Second general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Rural district of Larne, Glencloy electoral district, 1956-72

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Two-storey vernacular farmhouse with byre and hay loft/store, of probable pre-1832 construction but which is likely to have assumed its present enlarged two-storey form in the early 1900s. This house is an interesting and largely original example of two-storey ‘developed’ vernacular which retains a certain degree of individuality due to its integral byre and loft, sturdy outside stair, and unusually located porch. The interior layout remains intact and most of the detailing survives and the setting has not been compromised. Once common, larger vernacular dwellings such as this are an increasingly scarce commodity.