Corkill House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached symmetrical three-bay two-storey-over-basement house, built c.1820, to designs by T.T. Houston, and restored c.1960; located to the south side of Old Junction Road, Kilskeery. Rectangular-on-plan with two-storey extension and central two-storey return to rear. Series of perpendicular single-storey and two-storey outbuildings to south.

Roof is pitched natural slate; red terracotta ridge tiles; ashlar gable chimneystacks with decorative clay pots. Timber eaves board; replacement uPVC rainwater goods throughout. Walls are roughcast rendered; windows are square-headed timber-framed 1/1 sliding sashes with smooth rendered surrounds (principal elevation only) and projecting masonry cills unless otherwise stated.

Principal elevation faces east; central entrance door; tripartite sliding sash window with exposed boxes to each side; three windows at first floor. Basement contains paired windows (diminished) to each side of entrance. Entrance comprises double-leaf timber door, (single fixed panel with glazed panels over), surmounted by round headed timber Y-tracery fanlight; accessed by five stone steps. (Entrance framed by non-intrusive timber frame pergola).

South gable is blank. Abutted to right by roughly coursed random rubble wall with opening giving access to rear.

Rear elevation has fully exposed basement level and is abutted at right by later two-storey extension with flat roof; to centre by two-storey return with cat-slide roof. Exposed section at left contains single 6/6 timber sliding sash to each floor.

North elevation contains one single-pane timber casement to right at first floor.

Return west elevation contains two 8/8 timber sliding sash windows, to right, (one at each half landing); single diminished single pane casement to left at ground and first floor. North elevation is blank; south elevation is abutted by two-storey extension with flat roof.

Extension is detailed as main block with flat roof and uPVC fascia; west elevation is abutted by single-storey porch extension with flat roof to right; exposed section contains; at basement level, timber sheeted door to left, single window (diminished) to right; at ground floor single timber dipartite window; at first floor, two 3/3 timber sliding sashes. South elevation is abutted at left by projecting single-storey entrance porch extension; exposed section contains single window at ground floor; 3/3 timber sliding sash at first floor.

Single-storey entrance porch extension is detailed as main block with flat roof and uPVC fascia; west elevation contains dipartite 2/2 sliding sashes; north elevation contains single timber sheeted door at basement level; south (entrance) elevation contains glazed timber sheeted door to left, (three horizontally divided glazed panes from mid-rail); accessed by four masonry steps with replacement metal handrail. East elevation contains one single-pane timber casement window.

Set within mature gardens, walled garden to north and traditional farmyard to south, within a secluded rural site. Series of single-storey and two-storey outbuildings to south. Roofs are pitched natural slate; walls are uncoursed exposed random rubble. Original timber fenestration largely intact including lattice windows and square-headed vertically sheeted timber doors. Site bounded to all sides by hedging, accessed from road to north-east through pair of square coursed rubble pillars supporting cast-iron gates.

Roof Natural Slate
Walling Roughcast render
Windows Square-headed timber framed 1/1 sliding sashes with smooth rendered surrounds (principal elevation only) and
projecting masonry cills unless otherwise stated
RWG Replacement uPVC throughout

Historical information

Complete information from OS maps was not available for this property as the relevant OS map for 1833 was missing from PRONI at the time of survey. However the house does appear captioned on the second and third edtion OS Maps ('Corkhill Lodge' and 'Corkil' respectively). In the Townland Valuation Records of 1828-40, James Lendrum Esq is listed as the occupier of the house which is valued at £14 0s .0d. The Lendrums continue to occupy or lease the property throughout subsequent valuations. The value of the property remains similar.

Rowan describes the property as situated “by the river, in a secluded little valley. Three-bay, two-storey Georgian on a semi-basement. Steps to the front door. Tripartite windows either side.” (p.502) The house has plain Georgian proportions, and the ancillary structures also appear to be of early nineteenth-century construction. The rear elevation has an earlier aspect as the front windows appear to have been enlarged in the latter part of the nineteenth century.

Local historian Michael McCaughey comments that “The entire ground, with a deer park and many gardens, were originally enclosed by a high wall and the place was noted for deer hunting in the early years of this century.” (1992)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/56/2-3 - Ordnance Survey Maps (1854, 1906)
1. PRONI VAL/1/B/631/A-B – Townland Valuation Records (1828-40)
2. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/56 – Griffith's Valuation Map
3. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/33A – Griffith's Valuation (1856-64)
4. PRONI VAL/12/B/40/4/A-F – Annual Revision Records (1860-1929)

Secondary Sources

1. McCaughey, M ‘Come Listen A While’, 1992
2. Rowan, A ‘The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster’, Penguin Books, 1979

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Detached symmetrical three-bay two-storey-over-semi-basement house, built c.1820, to designs by T.T. Houston, and restored c.1960; located to the south side of Old Junction Road. Externally, traditional proportions remain intact; timber sliding sashes and timber double-leaf entrance door with round-arched-head fanlight. The building along with associated outbuildings and gardens contributes significantly to the rural architectural heritage of the local area.