Ultimo House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Exterior description on 30.07.2008.
Description is as below except that a fairly large solar water heating device has been fixed to the rear return.

Exterior description on 11.02.2008.
A detached two-storey, with attic, three-bay Italianate Victorian former farmhouse, built c.1873, with associated farmyard and outbuildings. The house faces west towards the road. The laneway is to the south of the house and terminates in the yard to the rear (west) of the property. There are two outbuildings in the yard, a two-storey stone and brick building to the north side and a modern single-storey garage to the south. Between this and the main building is a carport. A mixture of stone and concrete block walls encloses the remainder of the yard. The main house is rectangular in plan with a pitched slate roof and dashed rendered walls with extensive controlled plant cover. There is a small lean-to projection to the rear and a two-storey return to the left of the rear (west) elevation.

The front west elevation is unpainted render with painted quoins and plinth and a central segmental headed door opening flanked by canted bay windows. The doorway is relatively wide with a square-headed door opening and sidelights. A heavy moulded timber cornice is over the head of the door and the fanlight is timber, not glazed. Moulded timber pilasters flank door and sidelights, with ornate timber consoles supporting the cornice. The door is timber panelled with unusual brass ironmongery featuring a decorative Egyptian motif. A moulded hood projects over the door opening. The bay windows are cut-stone with parapet roof detail and two-over-two timber sash windows, with horizontal proportions. The three windows to the upper floor each have the segmental-headed two-over-two windows with cut-stone sills and an ornate painted hood. The central window also has sidelights. The eaves are moulded timber with paired moulded timber console brackets. A dense creeping plant, has grown over most of the front.

The south gable elevation is rendered with two windows to each floor similar two those at the front. There are two small one-over-two timber sash windows to the attic. A brick chimney can be seen at the apex of this gable. The two- storey return is in line with this elevation. It is rendered on this elevation with a single square-headed casement window to the upper floor and a flat-roofed conservatory extension projecting to the south. The quoins to the front of the building turn the corner to the left side.

The west rear elevation is dashed render with rendered plinth. There are a variety of window openings, some sash and some replacement. There is a semi-circular headed stained glass window. The gable of the two-storey return can be seen on this elevation and is blank dashed render.

The north side elevation is identical to the south gable. The north elevation of the two-storey return is dashed render and has replacement door and window openings.

External walls are a mixture of dashed and smooth render. The roof is natural slate and double pitched to the main house with a two-storey return. The deep overehanging timber eaves are moulded and supported on ornate paired console brackets. There are two brick chimneystacks, one to the apex of each gable. Each has four clay pots. Rainwater goods are a mixture of cast-iron and uPVC.

Outbuildings:

The garage to the south of the yard is a single-storey modern concrete block structure with pitched profiled metal roof. To the north side is an interesting two-storey workshop building with coursed rubble walls and brick gables. It is on an east-west axis and has a pitched natural slate roof. The south elevation has an external flight of cut-stone steps leading to a square-headed door opening to the right on the upper level. To the left of the elevation is a segmental-headed door opening with timber tongue and grooved garage door. Next to this is a square-headed door opening. The openings to this elevation all have red brick surrounds. The windows are to the east and south are square-headed uPVC. Windows to the north elevation are square-headed timber casement with brick surrounds to the upper windows only.

Setting
The house sits in the well back from the road and faces it, with an extensive lawn in front containing a tennis court is set. The boundaries of the site are planted with mature trees. The gates have cast-iron gateposts with a six-bar iron gate. The posts are cylindrical with a ball on top and some moulding to the top of the pillar. The boundary to the road is a wooden fence. To one side is a pedestrian gate with holding pen. A high chain-link fence has been erected around the lawn. The yard to the rear, is enclosed by outbuildings and a mixture of stone and concrete block walls. To the north of the yard is a cast-iron gate set into the wall. To the front and side of the house are gardens with lawns and mature trees. There are a variety of ornaments and two gazebos in the gardens

Historical information

This house was built in 1873 for James Duff, a member of a local mill-owning family, whose spinning mill was situated a short distance away, on the opposite side of what is now Urbal Road. The identity of the architect is not known. The property remains with Mr. Duff’s descendant. The name ‘Ultimo House’ is shared with another dwelling within Ballymoyle townland, (located to the north within Co Londonderry); however, it not known what, if any, link there is between both buildings.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/12B/37/4B Annual valuation revision book, Coagh ED, 1864-79
2 PRONI VAL/12B/37/4C Annual valuation revision book, Coagh ED, 1880-81
3 PRONI VAL/12B/37/4D Annual valuation revision book, Coagh ED, 1882-91
4 PRONI VAL/12B/37/4E Annual valuation revision book, Coagh ED, 1892-98
5 PRONI VAL/12B/37/4F Annual valuation revision book, Coagh ED, 1899-1912
6 PRONI VAL/12E/169/1 Valuation plan of the town of Coagh, 1904(-08)
7 PRONI OS/8/79/1 OS town plan of Coagh, 1908
8 PRONI VAL/12B/37/4B Annual valuation revision book, Coagh ED, 1913-29
9 PRONI VAL/3B/7/4 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Coagh ED, 1935
10 PRONI VAL/3C/7/5 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Coagh ED, 1936-57
11 PRONI VAL/4B/6/6 Second general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Coagh ED, 1957-72

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H+. Alterations enhancing the building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
V. Authorship

Evaluation

This house is very well proportioned with many interesting decorative features such as the paired eaves brackets, the wide doorway and sash windows. Internally much of the original character survives. Although the rear of the building has been partially altered and modernised the front and side elevations are largely original and well maintained. Together with its entrance gates and well proportioned outbuilding it is an unusual and interesting example of a late Victorian house in an Italianate style.

The setting is also well preserved and contributes to the buildings importance.