35 Knockbrack Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An asymmetrical three-bay two-storey early-nineteenth-century house, located on the east side of Knockbrack Road, Spamount, Castlederg. The house is rectangular on plan with two storey lean-to extension and lean-to porch to rear.

Roof is steeply pitched natural slate with roll moulded clay ridge tiles and three slate-hung and lime-rendered chimneystacks with stone caps. Rainwater goods are half-round cast-iron on drive-in brackets. Walling is lime-washed lime-rendered with the exception of the south gable which is plain lime roughcast; there is a cornerstone at south-east. Windows are generally 6/6 timber sliding sashes to ground floor, 3/6 to first floor, all with horns, lime rendered reveals, contrasting painted masonry sills, and some with original crown glazing.

Principal elevation faces west and is asymmetrically arranged: left and right bays have a window to each floor, central bay has two closely spaced openings to each floor, including an original timber door consisting of six flush panels with kickboard, brass lock and knocker, and replacement stainless steel knob; the frame is supported on plinth blocks. To its left is a 1/1 sash window.

North gable has a window to ground floor right and two diminutive 2/4 windows at first floor.

Rear elevation is abutted by the lean-to extension, which is offset to right and the porch, which is offset to left. First floor has a window to each bay. Ground floor has a narrow 1/1 sash at left, an 8/8 sash to centre, and a 1/1 obscurely glazed sash to right. The extension has a timber casement to ground floor. The porch has splayed walls and contains a sheeted timber half-door; right cheek has a 1/1 fixed pane window.

South gable has two diminutive windows at first floor; a later 3-light fixed pane to left and a 4/2 sash to right.

The house is set parallel to the road and is set back behind a grassed garden bounded by a lime-washed rubble stone boundary wall with rubble coping; a path on axis with principal entrance is accessed by a wrought-iron pedestrian gate hung on octagonal stone piers with contrasting pointed caps. To rear is a small farmyard flanked on either side by outbuildings; north stable range is two-storey, south byre range is single-storey. Both have pitched natural slate roofs, partially corrugated metal to byre and walls are limewashed rubble stone with squared rubble quoins. Doors are painted timber sheeted; windows are fixed pane with timber frames; the north range loft is accessed by a set of external stone steps at west end. To west end of byre range is a square-headed timber sheeted vehicular door. To south side of farmyard is a large barn and single storey outhouse, detailed as others.

Roof: Pitched natural slate
Walling: Lime-washed lime-rendered rubble stone
Windows: 6/6 and 3/6 painted timber sashes with crown glass and painted masonry sills
RWG: Half-round cast-iron

Historical information

There are buildings on the site on the first edition ordnance survey map of 1833 and several of these appear to have survived including the main dwelling house.

The house is not listed in the Townland Valuation (1828-40), most likely because it was not deemed to be of sufficiently high value. In Griffith’s Valuation (1859) it is occupied by the Reverend John Armstrong and leased from Henry C Lighton. The buildings are valued at £3. In 1870 the lessors are James Greer, William Scott and H Fleming. In 1880 the Representatives of the Reverend John Armstrong become the owners in fee. It passes to George McHugh in 1884 and to Mary Ann McHugh in 1921.

In 1933 the valuation of the house is £2 and £1 for outbuildings. The value is subsequently raised to £7 and then £9.5s (undated changes), indicating that some remodelling or rebuilding is likely to have occurred in the preceding years. Field evidence would suggest that the house was at one time a one-storey dwelling that has subsequently been raised. Crown glass in the ground floor windows possibly indicates an eighteenth century origin to some or all of the building. An additional bay to the north also appears to have been added. However, these changes have not been noted in valuation records.

It comprises a kitchen, p[antry?], four rooms, five attic bedrooms and an attic store room. The valuer assesses the house to be in ‘fair condition’ with clean water a quarter of a mile away. The two-storey house is of rubble masonry and slate, measuring 50x22x20 and there is a single-storey extension also of rubble masonry and slate measuring 9x5x11.

The current owner has advised that the rear extension was on the property when his father purchased it from the McHugh family.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/16/1 – First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/16/2 – Second Edition OS Map (1855)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/16/3 – Third Edition OS Map (1905)
4. PRONI OS/6/6/16/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map (1939)
5. PRONI VAL/1/A/6/16 – Townland Valuation Map
6. PRONI VAL/1/B/633 – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
7. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/16 – Griffiths’ Valuation Map
8. PRONI Printed Griffith’s Valuation, Union of Castlederg (1859)
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/35/5A-F – Annual Revision Records (1860-1924)
10. PRONI VAL/3/D/7/1C/1 – Valuers’ RV Binder (1933-57)

Secondary Sources

1. Information from the current owner.

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

W. Northern Ireland/International Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

An exceptionally interesting three-bay two-storey asymmetrical farmhouse located on Knockbrack Road, Spamount, Castlederg. The house is a rare and relatively unaltered example of an early-nineteenth-century medium-sized farmhouse, characterised by thick rubble stone walls, steeply pitched roof and lime-washed lime rendered walling. It is likely that the house started as a single storey vernacular farmhouse that was later raised a storey while maintaining the original ground floor wall openings and floor plan with the addition of a straight staircase. The house has been well maintained and presents an early appearance with original timber sash windows largely intact and retaining some original crown glazing. The interior shows signs of later nineteenth and twentieth-century alterations, but retains the original layout and some detailing, including corner fireplaces and hearth. A group of traditional outbuildings to rear add to the integrity of the site, and the boundary wall to the front containing stone pillars and a wrought iron gate adds to the interest.