2 Edenreagh Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached four-bay two-storey rendered house, built c.1840, with front entrance porch. T-shaped on plan, facing east on a triangular site formed by Scraghy and Edenreagh Roads, with a range of rubble outbuildings to the south. Disused front avenue leads north through the front lawn to the apex of the site with a rear access lane to the east.

Hipped artificial slate roof, synthetic ridge tiles, two large rendered chimneystacks and cast-iron rainwater goods to timber fascia. Painted rough-cast rendered walling. Sqaure-headed window openings, painted stone sills and uPVC windows.

Four-bay front elevation with double-height projection to the right bay and lean-to entrance porch to the inner corner. The lean-to porch is screened by a raised wall with parapet and cornice and round-headed window opening, round-headed door opening to the right cheek of porch with original cast-iron fanlight and uPVC door.

Single-bay two-storey south side elevation with catslide roof to west and gabled projecting rear entrance porch with concrete roof and uPVC door.

Four-bay two-storey rear elevation with projecting left bay. The remaining three bays are covered by the catslide rear roof pitch.
Two-bay two-storey north side elevation.

Front door opens into front lawn enclosed to the south rear access lane by rubblestone wall. Side entrance also opens onto rear access lane while the rear garden is enclosed by rubblestone wall with rendered arched opening. The gravel rear access lane is split into two by a linear range of single-storey rubblestone outbuildings (loft to west end) with corrugated iron pitched roofs, white washed walls, multi-pane timber windows (possibly re-used from house) and timber plank doors. This range forms the north range of an enclosed yard with a multi-bay two-storey range to the east having pitched corrugated iron roof and stone chimneystack, timber plank half-doors and flight of stone steps. A single-storey range of outbuildings encloses the southern part of the yard with shallow pitched natural slate roof, timber fixed-pane windows and timber plank doors. The yard is enclosed to the west by an early twentieth-century shed with corrugated iron barrel roof and cement rendered walling. Replacement steel gates on rendered piers open onto Scraghy Road with a formal entrance to the north apex of the corner site comprising a pair of decorative cast-iron gates on large stone ashlar piers with capstones and opening onto Edenreagh Road.

Roof Fibre cement slate
Walling Rough-cast render
Windows UPVC
Rainwater goods Cast-iron

Historical information

There are buildings shown on the site on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1833 and these appear to have survived to the present day, as outbuildings to the current house. The main house first appears on the second edition of 1853 and is captioned ‘Fort Town’.

The house is listed in the Townland Valuation (1828-40) and the entry appears to have been made at a later date to other entries in the fieldbook, most likely indicating that the house was newly built during the period covered by the valuation. Audley Caldwell is the occupier and the buildings are valued at £19.4s. Dimensions for a house and three additions plus five outbuildings are given. A marginal note reads, ‘nice situation’.

Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) lists the property as a house, offices, land and turbary. Audley Caldwell remains the occupier and leases the property from the Earl of Castlestuart. The buildings are valued at £12, later revised to £15. A marginal note comments that Caldwell has spent £6 of his £18 in receipts as a proprietor making roads, ‘for the benefit of his property more than from necessity for his convenience’.

Sarah Caldwell becomes the occupier in 1862 and the property value is now £17. In 1886, Eliza Caldwell leases the property from Samuel Leary M.D. The valuer comments, ‘buildings going to ruin’ and reduces the value to £10. In 1893 Samuel Johnston becomes the occupier and in 1903 requests a revaluation of the property. The accompanying valuers’ note book gives a plan and dimensions of the property and comments, ‘some offices down’. Although part of the house is ‘in good repair’, the return (?) is dilapidated. The valuation is subsequently reduced to £9. William Duncan becomes the occupier in 1912 and in 1924 Jane Duncan. She is the owner in fee in 1928.

In 1933 the house comprises a kitchen, scullery, small dairy, three receptions and six bedrooms but no bathroom. The valuation is raised to £13 but this change is undated. There is no water in the house, but the valuer reports that there is clean water ‘fairly close’. A plan and dimensions are given.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/23/1 – First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/23/2 – Second Edition OS Map (1853)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/23/3 – Third Edition OS Map (1905)
4. PRONI OS/6/6/23/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map (1951)
5. PRONI VAL/1/A/6/23 – Townland Valuation Map
6. PRONI VAL/1/B/636D – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
7. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/23 – Griffiths’ Valuation Map
8. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/38B – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
9. PRONI VAL/12/A/6/1 – Valuers’ Note Book (date)
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/35/13A-F – Annual Revision Records (1860-1924)
11. PRONI VAL/3/D/7/1K/1 – Valuers’ RV Binder (1933-57)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Detached four-bay two-storey rendered house on a triangular site between Scraghy and Edenreagh Roads. This farmhouse set within a mature triangular site conceals a relatively intact interior despite having lost its original fenestration. The house is enhanced by a range of outbuildings to the south of the house which retain much of their materials and overall character. Due to the alteratons, however, the house's architectural interest has been substantially diminished.