House in grounds of 266 Victoria Road, Bready, Strabane, Co Tyrone BT82 0ED

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay two-storey house, built c.1820, located to the west side of Victoria Road. Rectangular-on-plan with two-storey return to west; attached single-storey outbuildings to west; single-storey flat-roofed porch to east.

Roof is pitched natural slate with blue/black clay ridge tiles over corbelled brick eaves course; stone verges; rendered chimneys with corbelled coping. Walls are lime-rendered (partially fallen away) rubble with smooth platband quoins over smooth rendered plinth. Windows are square-headed timber-framed 10/15 sliding sash at ground floor; 3/6 sliding sash at first floor; all are supported by timber lintels and have painted sandstone sills.

Principal elevation faces east; left bay contains single window at ground floor and two windows at first floor; right bay contains single window to each floor; central bay contains window at ground floor right flanked at left by porch containing sheeted timber door surmounted by transom light; window to north and south; moulded cornice; two windows at first floor. Evidence at ground floor of remodelling of openings; where render has fallen away, segmental-arched-headed brick voussoirs remain to left of window to left bay.

South gable contains 1/1 sliding sash window at ground floor (iron railings over opening); two 2/2 sliding sash windows at first floor.

West elevation is abutted at right by outbuildings; abutted at centre by return; exposed section at left is blank; exposed section at right contains single window at ground floor surmounted by tripartite window consisting of 12-paned window flanked by 1/1 sliding sash sidelights, and 3/3 sliding sash window at first floor. Gable end of return contains two windows at first floor; south elevation contains two windows at ground floor and single window at first floor; north elevation contains vertically-sheeted timber door flanked at each side by single window at ground floor; single window at first floor.

North gable contains two windows at first floor.

Set within private farm to the north-west of recent single-storey dwelling; access from road at east via concrete lane bounded by hedging. Attached single-storey pitched outbuildings to north; roofs are natural slate; walls are lime-rendered rubble; openings are supported by timber lintels. Further recent farm buildings to west.

Roof Pitched natural slate
Walling Lime-rendered rubble (partially fallen away)
Windows Timber-framed 10/15 sliding sash at ground floor; 3/6 at first floor
Rainwater goods Cast-iron half-round gutters and round downpipes

Historical information

The current house can be dated stylistically to c.1820 and has a return dating from the late nineteenth century. Buildings are shown on the site from the first edition of the Ordnance Survey map in 1833. These comprise a main house and outbuilding to the north. On subsequent maps the house is extended to the rear by the addition of outbuildings and by the third edition (1905), a return.

The house is listed in the Townland Valuation (1828-40) as a dwelling and three outbuildings, for which dimensions are given. The buildings are valued at £4.18s and occupied by John McGettigan. In Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) the occupier is James McGettigan and he leases the property from the Marquis of Abercorn. It is valued at £13. The property remains in the McGettigan family throughout the period of Annual Revisions (1860-1924) but is valued at £10 throughout this period. John McGettigan becomes the owner in fee in 1908 under land purchase legislation of the early twentieth century.

In 1933 Patrick McShane is the owner and the valuation is raised to £10.10s, with £3.10s for the outbuildings (undated change). The house consists of six rooms and a kitchen. A plan is given which shows a number of buildings to the rear of the main house and an outbuilding to the north east, identified as stables, barns, byres and housing for calves, hens and pigs. The majority of these buildings are of rubble masonry and roofed with slate. One barn is roofed with corrugated iron.

Two of the attached outbuildings, the former calf and hen houses, appear to have survived to the present day

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/2/1 – First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/2/2 – Second Edition OS Map (1854)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/2/3 – Third Edition OS Map (1905)
4. PRONI OS/6/6/2/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map (1936)
5. PRONI VAL/1/A/6/2 – Townland Valuation Map
6. PRONI VAL/1/B/639A – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
7. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/2 – Griffiths’ Valuation Map
8. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/42C – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/42/18A-F – Annual Revision Records (1860-1924)
10. PRONI VAL/3/D/7/10G/1 – Valuers’ RV Binder (1933-57)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A detached three-bay two-storey house, built c.1820, located to the west side of Victoria Road. The house retains original proportions to the façade, despite some reconfiguration of openings and retains the materials of a vernacular dwelling. This early nineteenth century building is an important large vernacular house, that is unfortunately in a poor state of repair. The loss of historic fabric and detailing detracts froms its architectural and historic interest, as does the positioning of a modern dwelling within its setting.