Vernacular building to rear of 60 Carrickayne Road, Claudy, Co Tyrone, BT47 4JW

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

EXTERIOR DESCRIPTION

Accessed via a long lane to the south of Carrickayne Road, a rare surviving group of vernacular farm buildings with a recent (c.1950) dwelling at the core at no 60 Carrickayne Road. To the rear of this house is a two-bay single-storey thatch-under-tin vernacular dwelling positioned to the east. This building is direct-entry on plan with 'bed outshot' to southwest; attached two-storey byre to northwest and perpendicular outbuilding set to south (originally detached but now attached by a painted concrete block infill outbuilding).

The 'bed outshot' projection, formerly accommodating a bedspace in the kitchen, beside the hearth, was traditionally the sleeping place of an elderly parent or grandparent who was involved in the everyday activities of the house. The outshot is found in north western counties between Galway and Antrim and is a traditional feature of many houses in Atlantic Europe.

The roof over the two bay dwelling is painted corrugated tin sheeting over original thatch; cement rendered chimney to south; lime-harled chimney to the gable of the conjoined byre. There are no rainwater goods. Walling is random rubble stone painted over lime-wash. Windows have been altered and replaced with salvaged margined timber sash forming fixed pane. External shutters were also affixed and have been subsequently removed. There is a single painted stone sill and lintels are timber.

The principal elevation, facing northeast, has a central replacement timber door and a window to left bay, with bay to right containing a similar single window. The gable to the south is abutted by a mono-pitched concrete block outbuilding; the exposed section is lime-harled; there are two projecting through-stones at the base of the chimney. West elevation contains a central fixed pane window with the bed outshot to right.

The north gable is completely abutted by the two-storey building comprising byre at ground level with loft over, which is built off the original gable wall. The walling construction and external finishes match the dwelling with a pitched natural slate roof over. Principal northeast elevation has a panelled timber door to ground level with similar door to loft , accessed by a set of external stone steps. The gables are blank, and rear, southwest, elevation has a large window to loft storey and a diminutive window, off centre to ground floor.

SETTING – This is a remote rural
setting on the Tyrone Londonderry border. The group is set in open countryside with extensive views. The vernacular cluster is finely grained retaining its original form and character with original outbuildings detailed as house with a tin roof. The two-storey modern house (c.1950) dominates the site with a long rubble stone outbuilding to west which was also a former dwelling with similar plan and bed outshot. This building has lost its chimneys.

EXTERNAL FINISHES

Roof Corrugated tin sheet over existing thatch
Walling Painted random rubble.
Windows Fixed sashes (modified)
RWG N/A

OUTHOUSES TO WEST (SEE BLOCK PLAN)

The outhouses to the west are single storey and are almost an exact replica of the building above in plan form on the ground floor. Roof is painted corrugated tin sheet; cement rendered hearth to south gable; lime-harled chimney has been removed to byre gable, also at south. There are no rainwater goods. Walling is random rubble stone painted over lime-wash. Windows have been altered and replaced with salvaged margined timber sash forming fixed pane. External shutters have also been affixed. Principal elevation, facing northeast, has four replacement timber doors and a window to left bay, with bay to right containing a single door. South gable is lime-harled random rubble stone. West elevation contains two fixed pane windows with the bed outshot to right.

North gable of the outhouse is completely abutted by the single-storey byre and a store, with construction similar external finishes. Principal northeast elevation has a panelled timber doors to the two outhouses. The north gable of the end outhouse has a shuttered timber window frame, with fixed window.

EXTERNAL FINISHES
Roof Corrugated tin sheet over existing thatch
Walling Painted random rubble.
Windows Fixed sashes (modified)
RWG N/A

Historical information

This vernacular dwelling, dating from between 1832 and 1854, is situated within a group of former dwellings and outbuildings which collectively illustrate a pattern of rural development originating before the First Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1832–33.
For clarity, the buildings on the site are numbered from west to east as follows:

Building 1: Former dwelling, now an outbuilding; predates the First Edition OS map (1832–33).
Building 2: The current dwelling; constructed between 1832 and 1854, with a byre extension (G03) added to the north west elevation between 1854 and 1905.
Building 3: Attached outbuilding to the south east elevation of Building 2; added between 1854 and 1905 and further extended, rebuilt or remodelled after 1952.
Building 4: Detached outbuilding; demolished between 1905 and 1952 and rebuilt slightly further south.

The earliest dwelling on the site, Building 1, is shown on the First Edition OS map of 1832–33, occupying the same footprint as today. Later editions suggest some alteration or rebuilding of associated outbuildings, but the plan form of the dwelling itself appears essentially unchanged. The building is not listed in the Townland Valuation, as it did not meet the £3 annual value threshold.
The current dwelling, Building 2, first appears on the Second Edition OS map of 1854, occupying the footprint of the two room house on the site today. Griffith’s Valuation of c.1860 records Buildings 1 and 2 as separate dwellings occupied by members of the Donehy (Donaghy) family. Building 1 was occupied by Michael Donehy and valued at 5s, while Building 2 was occupied by James Donehy and valued at 10s. Both dwellings were leased from the landlord Alexander C. D. L. Edie of Thornhill, Tyrone, and Pembroke Road, Dublin.

Annual Revision Records show that in 1879 Building 1 became occupied by two separate householders, John Donehy and James Smith. In 1891 it was formally divided for valuation purposes, with each room of the two room dwelling assessed as a separate residence valued at 5s.

In 1896 Bernard Donehy became the occupier of Building 2. The 1901 census records him as head of the household, a farmer, living in the house with seven other family members, including his brother, sister, brother in law, nieces and nephews. In the same census, Building 2 is described as a thatched dwelling comprising two rooms with a single window to the front, although the number of windows may be inaccurately stated. Building 1 is more difficult to identify in the census but was almost certainly also thatched at this time.

By the Third Edition OS map of 1905, a two storey byre had been added to the north west elevation of Building 2. An attached outbuilding of approximately 20 feet in length had also been constructed on the south east elevation (Building 3), along with a further outbuilding (Building 4) set at right angles to the house. These latter two structures were remodelled, rebuilt or extended after 1905 to give their present day form.

Bernard Donehy acquired Building 2 in fee in 1909 under early twentieth century Land Act legislation. By 1911, his brother in law Patrick Devine was recorded as head of the household. The census of that year lists a range of associated outbuildings, including a stable, cow house, piggery, fowl house, barn and shed.

Following the First Northern Ireland General Revaluation in 1933, Building 2 was valued at 5s, with a further £1.10s assigned to outbuildings. At this time the dwelling comprised a kitchen, room and bedroom and was recorded as being of rubble masonry construction. It was no longer listed as thatched, the roof having been covered with corrugated iron. The building measured 49 × 17 × 9 feet, with an outshot measuring 9 × 2 × 6 feet. These dimensions appear to include the byre, the upper storey of which may have been used for sleeping accommodation. By this date, Building 1 had fallen out of use as a dwelling and was being used as an outbuilding, its roof also replaced or covered with corrugated iron.

A new dwelling house was constructed on the site between 1905 and 1952, after which both earlier dwelling houses went out of residential use. Today, Building 1 functions as a store, while Building 2 is unoccupied, albeit with its internal features largely retained. In recent years, Building 2 has been partially reroofed over G02; however, the original roof structure and thatch under tin survive over G01.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/6/1 First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1832-3)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/6/2 Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1854)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/6/3 Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1905)
4. PRONI OS/6/6/6/4 Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1952)
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/639A-B – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/42D – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
7. PRONI VAL/12B/39/12A-E – Annual Revision Records (1860-1923)
8. www.census.nationalarchives.ie – 1901 and 1911 Census online
9. PRONI VAL/3/D/7/10N/1 – 1ST NI General Revaluation (1933-57)
10. Belfast Morning News, 7th December 1875

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Z. Rarity
S. Authenticity
R. Age
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This single-storey direct entry vernacular dwelling with attached two storey byre with loft over is notable by the presence of the 'bed outshot'. This projection, formerly accommodating a bedspace in the kitchen, beside the hearth, was traditionally the sleeping place of an elderly parent or grandparent who was involved in the everyday activities of the house. The outshot is found in north western counties between Galway and Antrim and is a traditional feature of many houses in Atlantic Europe and is colloquially known as the 'cailleach' or 'cuil theach' (back of the house). The core of the vernacular dwelling dates from the mid-nineteenth century, evolving from a single bay cottier's dwelling, and was extended in two phases, the latter phase to include the addition of a two-storey byre. The dwelling retains original features, including a portion of the original thatched roof construction now concealed beneath corrugated tin. The house also retains its original wide hearth opening with stepped canopy, lime plastered walling and remnants of stone flagged floor. The fireplace remains open and is furnished with original crane.
The dwelling and attendant outbuildings including the earliest former dwelling, retain the fine grain of the historic layout of vernacular buildings of varying height and comfortable scale;- a reminder of subsistence farming and community endeavour. The building adds to the local distinctiveness and is an attractive feature in the rural landscape, representing a remarkable survival of construction techniques, in the vernacular style and idiom, which are becoming increasingly rare. Aside from the traditional scale of development and the presence of surviving historic buildings, the built continuity helps retain the significance of this subsistence level farm set in a remote and attractive landscape telling the story of a way of life that has all but disappeared. The survival of this plain, simple unadorned building in the style of the vernacular is special and is of significance to the built continuum of this site.