8 Church Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A gabled 1½ storey semi-detached house, originally the northern portion of one house. Main entrance faces south-west, within a projecting flat-roofed porch.

Front elevation is single-storey, two-bay; one window to right of projecting porch. Roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses; grey ridge tiles; one chimney, smooth cement rendered with plain cornice; one black pot. Walls of roughcast render, wet dash; smooth cement rendered plinth, painted; projecting brick eaves course, painted; metal gutter. Window rectangular timber sliding sash, vertically hung, 1 over 1, with horns; exposed sash boxes; concrete cill, painted; smooth cement rendered reveals.

Porch of rectangular plan; timber framed on low plinth walls, smooth cement rendered with concrete cill; three large fixed light windows to front face; two similar to south face; rectangular doorway and fixed sidelight to left-hand side; door modern rectangular timber, glazed 2-panel; tongued and grooved timber frieze all round porch, with timber fascia overhanging; PVC gutter to right-hand side elevation with small metal downpipe.

North-west elevation comprises a 1½ storey gable, two windows wide to ground floor with a central window in apex, with a single storey rear return extending to the left, two windows wide; all windows rectangular timber, fixed lights with top-hung vent.
Walling of roughcast as previous; slates of gable slightly overhanging plain verge.

Roof of rear return and of rear pitch of gabled block, of asbestos slates. PVC gutter to rear return, with timber eaves board; PVC downpipe.

Extending to left and set back slightly is a lower extension to rear return, of similar walling; synthetic slates; PVC gutter and downpipe; timber fascia; modern rectangular timber door, glazed and panelled; modern tiles to doorstep.

North-east gable of extension to rear return is plain; walling as previous; overhanging eaves with timber barge boards.

South-east elevation of extension to rear return has wide three-light rectangular window; central fixed light with top-hung windows each side, all segmental arched; concrete cill.

North-east gable of rear return has square window in apex, timber side-hung casement; concrete cill. One window in ground floor to left of extension, rectangular timber as previous to north-west elevation; projecting timber barge boards.

South-east elevation of rear return is a plain wall, roughcast as previous, with asbestos slates, timber fascia, PVC rainwater goods, with low projecting modern heating chamber to right, and single storey flat-roofed bathroom projecting to left; bathroom walling roughcast without plinth; timber fascia with asphalt covering to roof; rectangular timber window in north-east face, fixed light with top-hung vent; plain wall in south-east face, with PVC gutter and downpipe.

Rear elevation of front block has roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses; modern flush rooflight.

SETTING:
The house stands facing a main street, and set back from it, with a small concrete paved and gravelled area to the front; a gravelled driveway to the north, bounded by a lawn; concrete paved and gravelled areas to the rear.
Front boundary formed by a roughcast wall, with concrete coping; gateway comprising two modern wrought iron gates set between square roughcast piers; side and rear boundaries formed by hedges.
The house is adjoined on the south-east by a gabled house, no. 10 Church Road, which is of comparable scale and materials.

Historical information

The precise date of the building is not known but it appears on the first OS map of 1832-3, and has been recorded on a map of land holdings of the period c 1805-1819. Together with the adjoining house at No. 10 Church Road it originally formed part of the one cottage, now divided into two dwellings.
Rear return and flat-roofed bathroom built c 1982; extension to rear return added c 1987.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1832-3, Co Antrim 37.

Secondary Sources
1. DOE (NI), Gracehill Village Conservation Area (Revised edition, January 1984) – includes a plan showing ‘Land Holdings c 1805-19’.
2. News Letter, 10 March 1999, pp 10-11.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This is a building of no special historic interest or architectural merit