Forge at Holy Hill House,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An attached single-storey single-bay lean-to former forge dating from c.1810 situated at the southern end of the extensive farm complex of Holy Hill House (HB10/11/001A), a country house with demesne situated north-east of Strabane town. Square on plan.

Monpitched natural slate roof with brick bellcote rising from the north-west corner which is thickened to form a pier; topped with a masonry mantle; complete with bell. Rendered chimney behind bellcote. Limewashed rubble stone walling with contrasting base course.

Entrance elevation at north comprises a painted t&g sheeted door with metal-framed lattice glazed window to its left; masonry sill.

Remaining elevations are blank; east elevation has exposed concrete breeze block where neighbouring building has been removed.

Setting
Set at southern end of farmyard at Holy Hill house and abutting Laundry building(HB10/11/001E); lawned area to south of building enclosed by rubble walling. This building and associated outbuildings occupy an established demesne with lawns, mature parkland and farmland, situated on undulating land to the north-east of Strabane town

Roof: Pitched with diminishing natural slate
Walling: Whitewashed rubble
Windows: Metal framed lattice.
Rainwater goods: None

Historical information

The forge is not mentioned in any primary records but is likely to have been an early addition to the facilities of the estate. The building is present on all three editions of the OS Map (1833, 1854, 1905). Griffith’s Valuation (1833, 1854, 1905) lists the following outbuildings with measurements: two dairies, a granary house, a coach house, a fowl house, a boiler shed, two stables, a shed, a cow house and two offices.

John Sinclair commissioned William Starrat in 1736 to draw up a map of the estate, which unfortunately omitted all buildings. An estate map in the Abercorn papers, dated 1804, captions “Holly Hill George Sinclair Esq.” but again omits any buildings.

The Holy Hill estate is likely to have been cultivated and improved and the house enlarged in the 1730s and 1760s, by John Sinclair, owner from 1718 until 1770. During the ownership (1770-1804) of his son, George, who had been apprenticed as a linen merchant, the estate was cultivated and a mill was likely established after 1779. Under the ownership of his nephew James , J.P., from 1804-1865, the estate was greatly cultivated and many estate buildings were erected, including the walled garden. While James’ son William, a former High Sheriff in Co. Donegal in 1854 who became Deputy Lieutenant of Tyrone in 1876, also probably improved the estate until his death in 1896, it is highly likely that subsequent owners did not embark on any significant improvments.

OS Memoirs are lavish in their praise of “Mr. [James] Sinclair,…the only resident proprietor [in the parish of Leckpatrick] and his “skill in every department of agriculture [which] enabled him to suggest the most effectual means of improvement, whilst his liberality induced him to supply in a great measure the means. The woods of Holyhill yielded timber for [his tenants’] houses and farming implements and its nurseries provided quicks and trees for their gardens and fences, to ask for which was as great a source of satisfaction to the donor as to receive it would have been to others. It would afford a good practical lesson to many of our proprietors to visit these newly formed farms.” (p.119)

From inspection, it seems likely that the farmyard was largely constructed in a single phase of improvement, with some later additions. While their vernacular characteristics make them hard to date with certainty, their appearance suggests an early nineteenth century date. This is supported by the OS Memoirs record of the agricultural efficiencies put in place by James Sinclair, who resided from the period beginning 1804.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI T.1652 – Sir Josias Bodley’s plantation maps of all baronies in Co Tyrone
2. PRONI T/371/H – Civil Survey Barony of Strabane (1655-67)
3. PRONI D597/4/1 Petty’s Down Survey maps (c1655-75)
4. PRONI D1854/1/23 – Book of Survey and Distribution (c.1680)
5. PRONI D623/D/1/6 – Abercorn papers – map of Gortcrone c1720-1750
6. PRONI D623/A/15/441 – Abercorn Papers – Letter from Abercorn to Nisbitt (13 Jan 1756)
7. PRONI T2541/1A/1/4/89 – Letter from Sinclair to Abercorn (1757)
8. PRONI D623/A/43/147 – Abercorn papers – letter from Mrs Elizabeth Sinclair to Abercorn (1779)
9. PRONI D623/D/1/22 – Abercorn papers – map of manor of Cloghogle (Jan 1804)
10. PRONI OS/6/6/5/1-3 – Ordnance Survey Maps (1833, 1854, 1905)
12. PRONI VAL/1/A/6/5 – Townland Valuation Map(1828-40)
13. PRONI VAL/1/B/640 – Townland Valuation Records (1828-40)
14. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/5 – Griffith’s Valuation Map (1856-64)
15. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/43B – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
16. PRONI VAL/12/B/42/22A-F – Annual Revision Records (1860-1925)

Secondary Sources

1. Bence-Jones, Mark. “A Guide to Irish Country Houses.” Second Revised Edition. London: Constable and Robinson, 1990.
2. Bradley, J, etc. “The Fair River Valley – Strabane Through the Ages.” Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation, 2000
3. 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.
4. Day, A. and P. McWilliams, eds. “OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of County Tyrone II, 1825, 1833-5, 1840, Vol. 20.” Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1990.
5. Diocesan Histories
6. Dooher, J. “Commit They Work to God: The History and Times of the Sinclairs of Hollyhill.” In Concordia (1995). Cited in “The Sinclairs of Holy Hill.” Chap. In “Bready Ancestry: Bready and District Ulster-Scots Development Association. Http://www/breadyancestry.com/index.ph?id=35. Accessed 17 March 2009.
7. Hutchinson, W. R. “Tyrone Precinct: A History of the Plantation Settlement of Dungannon and Mountjoy to Modern Times. Belfast: W. Erskine Mayne, Ltd., 1951.”
8. Lewis, Samuel. “A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Comprising the Several Counties, Cities, Boroughs, Corporate, Market, and Post Towns, Parishes, and Villages, With Historical and Statistical Descriptions; Embellished with Engravings of the Arms of the Cities, Bishopricks, Corporate Towns, and Boroughs; Of the Seals of the Several Municipal Corporations.” London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837
9. Reid, Thomas. Travels in Ireland in the Year 1822, Exhibiting Brief Sketches of Moral, Physical, and Political State of the Country: With Reflections of the Best Means of Improving Its Condition. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1823.
10. Roulston, William J. “The Parishes of Leckpatrick and Dunnalong: Their Place in History.” Strabane, Co. Tyrone: Self-published, 2000.
11. Rowan, Alistair. “North West Ulster: Londonderry, Donegal, Fermanagh, and Tyrone.” Buildings of Ireland Series. Dublin: Penguin Books, 1979.
12. Sinclair Monument, photo in Dillon, Charles and Henry A. Jefferies, ed. “Tyrone: History and Society.” Templeogue, Dublin: Geography Publications, 2000.
13. “The Sinclairs of Holy Hill.” Chap. In “Bready Ancestry: Bready and District Ulster-Scots Development Association. Http://www/breadyancestry.com/index.ph?id=35. Accessed 17 March 2009.
14. “Our Love Families.” Http://www.love-genealogy.com/love-genealogy-generation-07.htm. Accessed 2 March 2009.
15. Young, Robert Magill. “Belfast and the Province of Ulster in the Twentieth Century.” Pike's New Century Series, ed. W. T. Pike. Brighton: W. T. Pike, 1909.
16. “The Parish of Leckpatrick: A Brief History.” Undated packet.
17. “The Church,” “Monuments,” “The Parish,” In “The Area.” “Church of Ireland Church of St. Patrick, Parish of Leckpatrick.”

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
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

A vernacular outbuilding with limewashed rubblestone walls, bellcote and monopitched natural slate roof, part of an extensive farm complex located within the demsene of Holy Hill, which has Plantation origins(HB10/11/001A-L). Historical evidence seems to suggest an early nineteenth century date for the farm buildings. The building retains its vernacular style and proportions and has been well-maintained (although with some alteration). Set adjacent to the laundry building (HB10/11/001E) and next to the house, it makes a positive impact to the demesne and the outbuildings, as a group, reflect the requirements of running of a large estate. Along with the adjoining walling It has group value with the other listed buildings in the Holy Hill estate.

General comments

This record has been renumbered - previously HB/10/11/001J