Stable for Coach Horses

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey, two-bay former coach house dating from c.1810 forming part of the southern boundary of the farmyard of Holy Hill House (HB10/11/001A), located to the north-east of Strabane town. Rectangular on plan, facing south, with a single-storey lean-to boiler house to east.

Pitched natural slate roof, slate eaves; metal weather vane on apex added c.2000. Limewashed rubble stone walling with painted contrasting base course. Cast iron rainwater goods to north, painted aluminium rainwater goods on south elevation; timber framed window
settings (unless otherwise stated).

North (entrance) elevation has a painted t&g sheeted door with replacement 8/8 window to its right. There is a timber louvred window at first floor (head at eaves level). A further range of single-storey outbuildings (HB10/11/001H) abut extreme right end.

East elevation has a small camber-headed multi-pane window on ground floor (voussoirs evident beneath limewash) and central ventilation loop at loft level. Lower single storey outbuilding (boiler house) abuts left side.

South elevation has five horizontal openings at mid level; four are equally spaced with an additional one set further to the left.

West gable has a timber louvred window and a multi-paned timber framed window, both at ground floor. Painted t&g sheeted door on first floor to hay loft.

The boiler house has natural slate roof and limewashed rubble walls. North elevation has a large boarded window opening.

Setting
The building is at the southern end of the farmyard at Holy Hill; small lawn to the south enclosed in rubble walling(HB10/11/001F).
Holy Hill house and its associated outbuildings occupy an established demesne with lawns, mature parkland and farmland, situated on undulating land to the north-east of Strabane town

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Whitewashed rubble
Windows: Multi-pane timber, some louvred.
Rainwater goods: Cast iron U-profile and aluminium U-profile

Historical information

The building is present on all three editions of the OS map (1833, 1854, 1905). Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) lists the following outbuildings with measurements: two dairies, a granary house, a coach house &c, 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 new projects.

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.” (p119)

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
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

A vernacular outbuilding with limewashed rubblestone walls and pitched natural slate roofs, part of an extensive farm complex located within the demsene of Holy Hill, which has Plantation origins (HB10/11/001A-L). The stable buidling retains its vernacular style and proportions and has its original marked cast metal stalls inside. The complex retains its early aspect and has been well-maintained (although with isolated sympathetic replacements). Set next to the house, it makes a positive impact to the demesne and the outbuildings as a group reflect the improvements necessary for the efficient running of a large estate. It has group value with the other listed buildings in the Holy Hill estate.

General comments

This record has been renumbered - previously HB10/11/001H. Record now separated into it's component parts ie
HB10/11/001G Stables for Coach Horses and HB10/11/001H Byres.

This record also includes HB10/11/001I Boiler house.