44 Learmore Road,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay two-storey house, built c.1850, located to the east side of Learmore Road. Rectangular-on-plan with single-storey gabled porch to north; one-and-a-half-storey return and single-storey lean-to extension to south.

Roof is pitched natural slate with blue/black clay ridge tiles and leaded verges; roughcast chimneys with concrete coping. Walls are roughcast with smooth chamfered quoins. Windows are timber-framed 6/6 sliding sash at ground floor and 3/6 sliding sash at first floor; all have exposed sash boxes, smooth architraves and painted masonry sills.

Principal elevation faces north and consists of opening to each bay at each floor around central entrance porch. Porch contains single window to north and east elevations; replacement four-panelled timber door to west elevation.

East gable is blank.

South elevation is abutted by return and lean-to extension; exposed section contains 6/6 sliding sash and timber casement window at first floor. Return contains 2/2 sliding sash window at each floor (that to first floor divided horizontally); west elevation contains single casement window at ground floor; east elevation is abutted by lean-to containing single vertically-sheeted timber half-door.

West gable contains single casement window at each floor.

Set to north of farmyard enclosed to east by single-storey outbuilding with hipped natural slate roof and rendered walling; to south and west, single-storey byre and stables; roofs are pitched corrugated metal and walls are lime-rendered rubble; vertically-sheeted timber doors; timber framed windows are supported by timber lintels.

Roof Natural slate
Walling Roughcast
Windows Timber-framed 6/6 sliding sash; 3/6 at first floor
Rainwater goods Cast-iron half-round gutters and round downpipes

Historical information

A buildings occupying the same footprint as the current house is first shown on the second edition Ordnance Survey map of 1855. An outbuilding to the south west is also shown and the third edition (1905) shows further outbuildings to the south and east. A building is present on the first edition (1833) but does not appear to form the basis of subsequent structures.

In Griffith’s Valuation of 1859, the ‘house, offices and land’ are occupied by Alexander Hamilton and leased from Sir James M Stronge Bt. The buildings are valued at £4.10s.

In 1913 William Hamilton becomes the owner in fee under land purchase legislation of the early twentieth century. It would appear from field inspection that the house was refurbished around this date but this is not reflected in valuation records until 1934.

After 1934 the value of the house is raised to £6.15s and £1.10s for outbuildings (undated change). It comprises a kitchen, three rooms, a scullery, four bedrooms and two attic stores (unceiled). The house is two storey and measures 35x24x19. There is a porch measuring 5x8x8 and a single storey scullery measuring 15x9x12. The house is of rubble masonry and all parts of it are slated.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/24/1 – First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/24/2 – Second Edition OS Map (1855)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/24/3 – Third Edition OS Map (1905)
4. PRONI OS/6/6/24/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map (1939-50)
5. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/24 – Griffiths’ Valuation Map
6. PRONI Printed Griffith’s Valuation, Union of Castlederg (1859)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/35/13A-F – Annual Revision Records (1860-1929)
8. PRONI VAL/3/D/7/1E/3 – Valuers’ RV Binder (1933-57)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A detached three-bay two-storey house, built c.1850, located to the east side of Learmore Road. This simple house retains many of its original features externally, including timber sash windows, and proportions are typical of a rural building of this type. The detailing was substantially changed in the eary twentieth century. The plan form consists of two principal rooms at each floor with supporting accommodation to the rear. The site is completed by a range of rubble outbuildings to the rear. The remaining historic fabric and detailing have been compromised by the buildings poor condition.