55 Drumlegagh Church Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached three-bay two-storey lime rendered house, built c.1870 and located on the west side of Drumlegagh Church Road, Omagh. The house is rectangular on plan with central windbreak porch and attached outbuilding to north.

Roof is pitched natural slate (laid in diminishing courses) with a partially leaded ridge, cement skews and cement-rendered gable chimneystacks. Cast-iron rainwater goods are supported on an ashlar stone eaves course. Walling is lime-washed lime-render over rubble stone with squared tooled stone corner stones evident to main block and porch. Windows are 2/2 timber sash (unless otherwise stated) with exposed boxes, smooth rendered reveals and tooled stone sills.

The principal elevation faces east and is symmetrically arranged about the porch. The porch has a lean-to natural slate roof and contains a timber glazed and sheeted door with overlight.

South gable has a single window at first floor, offset to left.

Rear elevation has a single ground floor window to right bay; left bay has a timber sheeted door with narrow transom, the frame resting on cut stone plinth blocks. There is a 6/6 sash to its left and two windows with timber lintels above (that to right also being 6/6).

North gable is abutted by a single-storey outbuilding, and is otherwise blank.

The outbuilding is detailed as the house (front elevation is inaccessible). The rear elevation and gable each have a single four-light fixed window with stone slab sill.

The house is set parallel to and close to the road, separated from it by a small grassed garden planted with mature trees and bounded by a roughcast plinth wall with saddleback coping and accessed from the road via a wrought iron pedestrian gate hung on square piers. There is a concrete farmyard to south, bounded at west by a single storey rubble stone outbuilding range, and at south by a similarly detailed shed, each with corrugated metal roof; all jambs and corners are of roughly dressed stone.

Roof: Pitched natural slate
Walling: Lime-washed lime-render over rubble stone
Windows: 2/2 and 6/6 timber sashes, exposed boxes
RWG: Half-round cast-iron

Historical information

Buildings are present on the site on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1833, however, the present house dates from c.1870. An outbuilding to the west appears on the second edition (1855) and a further outbuilding to the south on the third edition (1905).

The buildings are not listed in the Townland Valuation (1828-40), most likely because they are not deemed to be of sufficient value. In Griffith’s Valuation (1858) Arthur O’Donnell leases a house, offices and land from the Marquis of Abercorn. The buildings are valued at 15s.

Post 1865 Matthew Boyd becomes the occupier (undated change) and the value is revised from 15s to £4.10s in 1869 indicating that a new house has been built. A marginal note reads, ‘good two storey house and excellent offices’.

Matthew Boyd becomes the occupier in fee in 1907 and William Boyd in 1913. Post 1934 the value of the house is revised to £5 with £1.10 for outbuildings (undated change). It comprises a kitchen, p[antry?], two rooms and four bedrooms and is of rubble masonry and slate, measuring 35x23x19. The valuer comments that water is fairly close.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/24/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/24/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1855)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/24/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1905)
4. PRONI OS/6/6/24/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1939-50)
5. PRONI VAL/1/A/6/24 – Townland Valuation Map
6. PRONI VAL/1/B/637A – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
7. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/24 – Griffiths Valuation Map
8. PRONI Printed Griffiths Valuation, Union of Strabane (1858)
9. PRONI VAL/12B/42/7A-F – Valuation Revisions (1860-1929)
10. PRONI VAL/3/D/7/10E/2 – Valuers’ RV Binder (1933-57)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Three-bay two-storey farmhouse with attached outbuilding, built c. 1870 and set parallel to the Drumlegagh Church Road, Newtownstewart. The house is well proportioned and the symmetrical arrangement illustrates the introduction of more formally planned elements into what is essentially a traditionally constructed rural dwelling, retaining lime washed-lime rendered walling. The rear elevation, typically, is more vernacular in character and has a mixed fenestration pattern. Whilst the house is relatively intact the interior has been adversly affected by the ingress of rain water which has ruined much of the detailing.