Cloneen, 8 Magherafelt Road, Moneymore, Magherafelt

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 3 bay wide 1½ storey stone built, gabled house, with 2 added porches and 1½ storey back return.

The basic house plan is cruciform. The elevation to Magherafelt Road, SE was symmetrical with central projecting gable with 6 pane modern window inserted in square headed sandstone surround with boldly chamfered reveals. Over in gable a 2 pane modern window inserted in similar surround and with a horizontal moulded hood turned down at ends. Walls built of coursed squared white limestone with sandstone quoins, heavy kneelers and asymmetrical weathered bold barges. On each side of central gable projecting gabled wings with lower ridge line. In the angle of the left hand wing a new timber glazed porch has been erected. Originally the entrance door was in the wing flanking wall and is retained within the new porch. It is a 3 centre arch, Tudor style, with sandstone surround and reveals with bold chamfer.

To the gable of the right hand wing has been added a flat roofed small extension with French windows on SE side and modern window on NE. Walls constructed of artificial stone.

The SW side has a projecting central gable, narrower than that on the SE, with a single small vertical opening at 1st floor with modern window insert. Chamfered sandstone surround as before and wall treated as SE gable. The wing to the right hand is partially obscured by recent timber porch while the wing to the left hand side has the original 3 centre Tudor style back door. The chamfer is concave. The door, four panel, top panels horizontal and glazed. A small triangular glazed fanlight squeezes in above the door, hardly original. From the left hand side of the gable projects a high screen wall in matching stonework with a wide gateway with tall round piers with steep pitched conical tops.

From the N W gable a 1½ storey back return, recently constructed extended 2 bays in line with door and modern window on ground floor and 2 flat roofed dormers central over. These break the gutter line. The steep roof pitch has been adhered, but walls are smooth rendered, lined and unpainted. Further modern windows have been added on the other facades of the extension.

The original building retains is steeply pitching roofs, the lower ridge penetrating the higher and at the crossing a grouping of 3 tall red brick chimneys diagonal arranged. There is a further single diagonally arranged chimney rising from the lower ridge of the NE wing.

The gated screen wall returns towards the rear to meet a 1½ store building constructed in keeping with the original house. It is gabled to the SE and NW with 2 shallow triangular headed door openings and on the gables 4 pane double hung sliding sash single windows. Walls built in coursed white limestone and gables plain.

The house is set well back from the Magherafelt Road with the SE façade parallel to it.

Historical information

The house was either designed originally by Booth and the plan followed by a later builder as the external details are very similar to the Forester’s house on the Desertmartin Road (see HB09/06/016A). It is shown on the O.S. Map 0f 1856. On the lead soakers above the roof overhang adjacent to the back door the following is scratched : ? Rolson, Mar. 1877. The present owner’s father who was a builder carried out the various extensions and alterations and occupied the house since 1954. The original name of the house was Cloneen, changed to Hilden and the present occupier reverted to the original name.

References

Primary Sources
1. O.S. Map 1832 Rev 1856 Londonderry sh. 46.
2. O.S. Map 1906 Londonderry sh. 109.
3. Present Owner (2000).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship

Evaluation

A pleasing Victorian period house in Tudor “Gothic” style and apparently built long after W.J. Booth’s retirement and death (d. 1871) but adheres very much to his style and detailing. Unfortunately the house has been much altered internally and extended in parts, it still retains the robust form and details of the original and also in the outbuildings and screen wall, piers and gates.