128 Ardboe Road, Cookstown, BT80 0HU

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached two-storey three-bay symmetrical house with two-storey return, built c.1910. The house faces south towards the road and has a two storey return to the rear.

The front south elevation is pebbledash with cut-stone quoins and a central wide elliptical-headed doorway. The door is panelled timber with fanlight and sidelights. There is a moulded surround to the door including fluted pilasters and a keystone motif. The doorway is flanked by a pair of canted bay windows, each with a parapet roof having cut-stone cornice detailing. Windows to the bays are one-over-one timber sash with masonry sills and smooth render surrounds. The central is segmental-headed, the side windows semi-circular headed. Above the doorway is a pair of semi-circular headed windows as before. Above the bays are two segmental-headed windows, as before. There is a string course at sill level to the upper floor.

The west gable elevation is pebbledash with no openings and a rendered chimney to the apex. The side of the return can be seen on this elevation. This is rendered as before with a variety of square-headed openings; a timber tongue and groove door, two one-over-one timber sash windows and a small timber casement window.

The rear north elevation has the return projecting from it, and various segmental headed one-over-one timber sash windows. The gable of the return, which is visible on this elevation, has a single replacement timber window. The east side elevation comprises the gable of the main house, and the side of the return. There are two segmental-headed windows as before to the gable and four square-headed to the gable, all with cut-stone surrounds. There is a rendered chimney to the apex of the gable. There are cut-stone quoins to the gable and to the corner of the return. Those on the return do not turn the corner to the rear.

External walls are pebbledash throughout. The roof is pitched with artificial slate. There is a rendered chimney to each end of the main ridge and one to the centre of the return, each with four clay pots. Rainwater goods are aluminium.

Outbuildings

To the rear north of the house is a yard with a single-storey former house, that may date from the early twentieth century; it is in poor very condition. It is built of rubble and brick with a rendered finish and pitched roof, partially slate and partially corrugated asbestos. The openings are square-headed and are mainly boarded up; some openings have been enlarged and metal framed windows added. Nearby is a later two-storey stone farm building with coursed rubble walls, red brick detailing and a pitched slate roof. It is in poor condition but still has doors and windows in place, if not entirely intact.

Setting

The house is set back from the road, with a large garden to the front and the outbuildings and a yard to the rear. The lane winds towards the house and has elaborate gates, with square piers, curving side walls and decorative cast-iron gates. The piers are rendered with decorative floral patterns, and the side walls are dashed. There are mature trees to the boundaries and the paths around the house have hedges to the edges.

Historical information

According to the valuations, this house was built in 1912-13 by a John Devlin. It was still in the hands of the Devlin family up until at least 1957.

Primary sources

1 PRONI VAL/12B/37/13E Annual valuation revision book, Munterelvin ED, 1897-1912
2 PRONI VAL/12B/37/13F Annual valuation revision book, Munterelvin ED, 1912-29
3 PRONI VAL/12B/37/12A Annual valuation revision book, Mullanahoe ED, 1923-29
3 PRONI VAL/3C/7/6 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Mullanahoe ED, 1936-57

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A detached two-storey three-bay symmetrical house with two-storey return, built c.1910. This is a fair example of an early twentieth century house. This house is well proportioned with interesting detail, particularly the wide decorative doorway and the eclectic combination of round, elliptical and segmental-headed openings. The outbuilding and the former house trace the economic development of the owners and add something to the interest of the site as a whole. However, it is of a late date and not significant or of special interest.