Woodburn House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay two-storey over basement stone house, built c.1840, located to the north of Willmount Road. Square-on-plan facing north on an elevated site, accessed by a long drive to south and a range of outbuildings to the north.

Roof is hipped (almost pyramidal) natural slate with black clay ridge tiles and a pair of replacement yellow brick chimneystacks with terracotta pots and lead flashing. Projecting sandstone ashlar eaves with bull-nose moulding, functioning as the gutter with cast-iron downpipes to west and east corners.

Walls are of tooled ashlar sandstone, coursed and laid with lime mortar to a projecting chamfered plinth course. Rubble sandstone to basement level with tooled quoins and several carved stone vents. Concrete retaining wall encircles the east, south and west basement areas with a concrete path, stone steps to the east and concrete path to the west basement entrance.

Window openings are square-headed with raised and chamfered ashlar surrounds, sandstone sills and timber sliding sashes, 3/6 to first floor and basement, 6/6 to ground floor, all having convex horns and some cylinder glass.

Principal entrance elevation faces north with the basement concealed; a single, slightly off-centre round-headed door opening and a corresponding window opening to the first floor, with the remainder of the elevation in bare sandstone. Door opening has smooth ashlar sandstone surround with a bull-nose moulding and chamfered reveals; large replacement timber panelled door (incorporating some of the panels to the original door) and spoked timber fanlight. Door opens onto sandstone platform and single step.

East side elevation a pair of window openings to all three floors (placed symmetrically).

South elevation is of bare stone with a single off-centre window opening to the basement, containing a 2/2 timber sash window with surround and sill in coloured cement.

West elevation has three windows to the first floor (the window to the centre is off-centre), two windows to the ground floor and three windows and a door opening to the basement. Door opening also has a chamfered sandstone ashlar surround with a replacement hardwood panelled door.

Setting

Set within a farm having a lawn to the north elevation enclosed by a concrete balustrade c.1970 to the northwest rising from basement area to the west elevation. The lawn is enclosed to the east and north by a pair of single-storey rendered outbuildings, that to the north has an early date stone embedded in its north wall stating “1776”. Roofs to the outbuildings are pitched natural slate, walls are cement rendered, and windows are square-headed with steel casements. Further modern outbuildings are located to the northwest along a concrete lane continuing to the north with further corrugated iron structures to the northeast. A long drive forms a large curve to the west of the farmyard before taking a southern direction to Willmount Road.

Roof Natural slate
Wall Sandstone ashlar
Windows Timber
Rainwater goods Sandstone ashlar/cast-iron

Historical information

The site is captioned ‘Ruin’ on the first edition OS Map of 1833. The current building first appears on the second edition OS Map, uncaptioned. On the third edition OS Map it is captioned ‘Woodburn’. In Griffith's Valuation the buildings are valued at £10 10s 0d and then £12 0s 0d. In the Annual Revision Records beginning in 1860 the value rises again to £15 0s 0d but in 1898 it is reduced to £8 0s 0d and the house described as ‘dilapidated’. It is successively occupied by Echlin, Orr and Sproule families and the Echlins are also lessors for much of the period covered by the Annual Revision Records until John Sproule holds the house in fee in 1923.

A lintel to the centre of the rear elevation suggests the opening was moved to its current position during the 20th century. A datestone bearing the date '1776' may have come from the ruin formerly on the site.

Rowan comments on a property called 'Kirlish House'. However, this is the name of a house slightly further to the north of Woodburn House. His description of this property seems, in fact, to apply to Woodburn House; " S of the castle. Early 19th century. A perfect cube of ashlar stonework with a stone eaves cornice, a slate pyramid roof, and central chimneystacks. The front a door with a window above it. Built into a hill and three-storey at the sides. Decidedly odd." (p.254)

According to the current owner the sandstone ashlar stonework is reputedly from the same quarry as that of Omagh Courthouse.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/33/1-3 – Ordnance Survey Maps (1833, 1854, 1906)
2. PRONI VAL/1/A/6/33 – Townland Valuation Map
3. PRONI VAL/1/B/635B – Townland Valuation Record (1828-40)
4. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/33/A – Griffith’s Valuation Map
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/37B – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/35/4A-F – Annual Revision Records (1860-1923)

Secondary Sources:

1. Rowan, A 'The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster', Ulster Historical Foundation, 2006
2. Current owner

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Detached three-bay two-storey over basement stone house, built c.1840. This unusual house has a particularly austere cubic appearance with the front and rear elevations almost windowless. The severity of its blank facades is emphasised by the high quality sandstone ashlar stonework. Although there have been alterations, recent and historic, they are appropriate in style and material and its overall character survives. This is a fine small country house of good quality, unusual in form and detailing and well sited.