Old Inn,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached three-bay two-storey house, formerly in use as a post inn, built c.1850, located at the east side of Baronscourt Road, Newtownstewart. L-shaped on plan.

Roof is pitched artificial slate; there is a tall redbrick chimney (partially rebuilt) to principal elevation, rendered chimneystack to party wall with return. Eaves are boxed, bargeboards to gables. Rainwater goods are painted cast-iron. Walling is random rubble stone with cement pointing. Windows are timber mullioned and transomed multi-light casements (generally bi-partite, unless otherwise stated); reveals to front and side elevations are cast cement with precast labels and cills; those to rear are stepped rebated brick.

Principal elevation faces west and has a slightly projecting gabled right bay and single storey gabled projecting porch. Left bay is blank and is abutted by a projecting chimneybreast of rubble stone construction, instepped to brick stack just below eaves. Central bay is abutted by porch to ground floor and has a gabled wall-head dormer to first floor (window is a bi-partite casement with brick reveals). Right bay has a window to each floor; that to ground floor is a tripartite casement with brick relieving arch over. Porch is of brick construction and has an open Tudor-arched entrance with cement label mould and a three-light fixed window to each cheek having internal timber sills; there is a blank shield to apex. Floor is stone flagged. The Tudor-arched entrance door is timber sheeted with original ironmongery and stone threshold.

North gable has a first floor window and a brick canted bay to ground floor (ogee gutters), with a window to each cheek.

Rear elevation is abutted by return at left. Central bay projects and is gabled; there is a timber sheeted entrance door in brick reveal and a window to first floor. Right bay is blank and has a large square-headed brick infill panel (possibly an infilled carriage arch). Return has a window to each floor at gable; cheeks are blank.

South gable has a window to each floor (tripartite to ground floor, with relieving arch over).

Setting:
The Old Inn is set at a road junction and has a small garden to front and north bounded by hedging and accessed from Ballyrenan Road by a small cast-iron gate. There is a vehicular access gate at north leading to rear gravel yard set with stone flags leading up to rear entrance. To east is a two storey outbuilding with pitched asbestos sheet roof, limewashed rubble stone walls and openings formed in brick. Doors are timber sheeted and windows are timber with wide timber frames.

Roof: Pitched artificial slate
Walling: Random rubble stone, cement pointing
Windows: Timber mullioned and transomed casements, cast concrete and brick reveals
RWG: Painted cast-iron

Historical information

The Post inn first appears in the 1854 OS map as part of a group of three small uncaptioned buildings.

The Griffith’s Valuation (c. 1859) records that the property is leased from the Marquis of Abercorn by William Kane with the house, offices and land valued at £4.10s. Kane continues to be recorded at this property throughout the revisions, though leasing from the ‘Duke of Abercorn’ from 1868, until 1914 when the property is rented by Reginald L Plowman. The value remained unchanged.

No information was found to support the building's use as a post-inn, however there is to rear what appears to be a large opening, infilled with brick. Further research would be required in order to support or refute the claim.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI D/623/D/1/16/72 – Map of Baronscourt Park (1777)
2. PRONI D/623/D/5/43 – Late 19th Century map of Baronscourt
3. PRONI OS/6/6/17/1 -First Edition OS Map (1833)
4. PRONI OS/6/6/17/2 -Second Edition OS Map (1854)
5. PRONI OS/6/6/17/3 -Third Edition OS Map (1907)
6. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/17A – Griffith’s Valuation Map (1856-64)
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/17 – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-1925)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/42/7A-F – Annual Revision Records (1860-1925)

Secondary Sources

1. Bence-Jones, M. “A Guide to Irish Country Houses.” Second Revised Edition. London: Constable and Robinson, 1990.
2. Day, A. and P. McWilliams, eds. “OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of County Tyrone I, 1821, 1823, 1833-36, Vol. 5.” Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1990.
3. Dean, J. A. K. “The Gate Lodges of Ulster.” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1994.
4. Lewis, S. “A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Vol. I.” London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837.
5. O’Brien, J. and D. Guinness. “Great Irish Houses and Castles.” London: George Weidenfield & Nicolson Ltd., 1992.
6. Rowan, A. “North West Ulster: Londonderry, Donegal, Fermanagh, and Tyrone.” Dublin: Penguin Books, 1979.
7. The Irish Architectural Archive Dublin. [Internet Source].
Available from: (Accessed 22/04/09)
8. Young, R.M. “Belfast and the Province of Ulster in the Twentieth Century.” Brighton” W. T. Pike, 1909

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

A two-storey three-bay house built c.1850 in the Tudorbethan style, and distinguished by understated ornamentation such as label mouldings and rebated dressings to mullioned and transomed windows. There is some suggestion that the house was at one time a coaching inn, and an infill panel at rear suggests the possibility of an integral coach house, however no primary evidence has been found to support this. The building is carefully detailed and proportioned and remains an attractive roadside feature is an unspoiled rural setting and makes an important contribution to the Baronscourt estate grouping (HB10/04/001A-R).

General comments

Renumbered as part of a group-previously HB10/04/046