Old ('cruck') house at 77 Straid Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Long, one and a half storey cruck construction vernacular house of possible 1600s origin, now with corrugated iron covering the thatch roof and roughcast façade. The property is set at the end of a lane to the S of Straid Road, roughly one mile SE of Ahoghill. A short distance to the E of the building is a large two storey house, built in the mid to later 1990s.

The long front elevation of the house faces roughly E. To the left of centre is the front entrance which has a plain timber sheeted door (which is no longer used- the house is entered via the rear door). To the left of the door are two relatively small plain sash windows, set at marginally differing levels (that to right is slightly higher). To the right of the doorway are five further roughly similar sized windows, unevenly spaced and set at marginally differing heights (the two to far right are noticeably lower). All these windows have sash frames also, but the 2nd and 3rd windows have much smaller upper sashes and the 4th window has Georgian panes (6/6). The 1st window is marginally bigger than the rest.

The S gable has a small sash window to right at upper level, with two more to the upper level on the N gable.

To the left of centre on the rear elevation is a timber sheeted (tongue & groove) door. To left of this are two windows as front (with that to far left marginally larger and set at a marginally lower level). To left are three further windows. These are unevenly spaced with a sash frame to that to left, with those to its right boarded up. Directly above the doorway is a tiny upper level window with sash frame, with another to the right directly above another window).

The whole façade is finished in unpainted roughcast with a smooth cement surround to the front entrance. The gabled roof has a steep pitch and is covered in corrugated iron (though the thatch is still in place underneath). There is a cement rendered parapet to the S gable and there are three unevenly spaced brick chimneystacks (two to gables, the other to the S of centre of the ridge). These chimneystacks are now is very poor condition. Odd remains of cast iron guttering.

There are the remains of a small garden to the E of the house, with a portal dolmen a few metres to the SW.

Historical information

The cruck method of construction is a traditional building technique which has been in use throughout Ireland (and much of the British Isles) since medieval times. Dr Philip Robinson of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum has stated that the particular type of cruck used within this house was prevalent in the 17th century, however, in the absence of dendrochronology tests, the age of the building remains uncertain. The presence of a portal dolmen next to the building could suggest that this site has in occupation since well before the 1600s.

We can be almost certain however that the property is probably pre 1830, and is undoubtedly that shown on the OS map of 1832. Unfortunately it is not noted in the near contemporary first valuation returns (it was under rateable value), but is recorded in that of c.1860 when it was leased by a William Houghan from the O’Neill estate (Shane’s Castle). It remained with the Houghan family until the 1950s, when it was acquired by the family of the present owner.

The current owner states that the corrugated metal sheeting was placed over the thatch in c.1925-30. It is probable that the present fireplaces and brick chimneystacks are of a similar date.

The large house to the west was built in the mid to later 1990s.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.2117/1 Volume of maps belonging to the O’Neill estate, Co Antrim, c.1820s-30s [This volume includes a map of the townland of Ballyminstra in 1826. Buildings are indicated on the map but it is difficult to be uncertain of the exact positions of house in relation to the modern landscape.]
2 PRONI OS/6/1/37/1 OS map, Co Antrim sh 37, 1832
3 PRONI VAL/2A/1/37b Valuation map of Ahoghill parish (OS map, Co Antrim sh 37), c. 1857-60
4 PRONI VAL/2B/1/68 Second valuation notebook, Ahoghill parish, c.1860
5 PRONI VAL/12B/3/9a-d Annual valuation revision notebooks, 1863-1929

Secondary sources
1 Alan Gailey, ‘Rural houses of the north of Ireland (Edinburgh, 1984)
2 Notes re no.77 Straid Road by Dr Philip Robinson [quoted within EHS file HB07/08/016]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

W. Northern Ireland/International Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

Fine, long, one and a half storey cruck-built vernacular house of possible 1600s origin, now with corrugated iron covering the thatch roof and roughcast façade.