House at 53 Deerpark Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey vernacular farm house of c.1840s-50s, with projecting gabled single storey porch and a long (attached) lean-to outbuilding. The house, which is now largely abandoned, forms part of a group of farm buildings at the end of a long (170m) farm lane, to the W side of the Deerpark Road, roughly 5 miles S of Glenarm.

The front elevation faces approximately N and is roughly symmetrical. To the centre of the elevation is a relatively large gabled porch, which, though single storey, cuts across much of the first floor level. To the front face (i.e. gable) of the porch is a timber sheeted door with three pane fanlight. To the E and W sides of the porch is a Georgian-paned sash window (both 6/3). To the left of the porch is a tripartite window each to the ground and first floors (1/1, 1/1, 1/1) (the side margins are not sash but fixed). To the right of the porch is a Georgian-paned sash to the ground floor and to the first floor (6/6 and 6/3 respectively). To the far right is an outbuilding which leans-to the W gable. The N face of this outbuilding is flush with the front elevation of the main house and has timber sheeted door to the far right.

The W face of the lean-to has three timber sheeted doors of differing sizes. The gable of the two storey section rises above the lean-to and is blank. The E gable is blank.

To the centre of the S elevation of the two storey section is a single storey gabled return, the gable of which is blank. The W face of the return is also blank while the E face has a door opening to the right. To the left of the return there is a plain sash window to the ground floor and a modern top hung window to the first floor. To the right of the return there is a tripartite window, as front, to the ground floor and a plain sash to the first floor.

The upper portion of the S gable is finished in plain render while the remaining external walls are mainly white washed random rubble Natural slate covering to the roof with cast iron rw goods; plain rendered chimneystacks to each gable (3 in total).

Historical information

This house dates from some time between 1832 and 1858, as it is shown on the OS map of the latter year but not on that of the former. Locals have suggested it was built by a family called Robinson.

Photographs in possession of the present owner (which are believed to have been taken in 1903) show that the left hand first floor window to front was originally positioned further to the right.

The property was abandoned some time after 1970.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/1/34/1 OS map, Co Antrim sh 34, 1832-33
2 PRONI VAL/1B/149 First valuation, Tickmacrevan parish, 1833
3 PRONI OS/6/1/34/2 OS map, Co Antrim sh 34, 1857-58
4 PRONI Second valuation, Tickmacrevan parish, 1859 [In print in PRONI search room- unfortunately no dimensions appear to be supplied for this property by the valuers.]
5 PRONI OS/6/1/34/3 OS map, Co Antrim sh 34, 1903

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Z. Rarity
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Two storey vernacular farm house of c.1840s-50s, with projecting gabled single storey porch and a long (attached) lean-to outbuilding. Whilst the house is getting into disrepair it has suffered little in the way of alteration and at present is an excellent and rare surviving example of its type.