The Holme

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay two-storey house, built c.1820, located to the south side of Holme Road, Dromore. Rectangular-on-plan aligned east-west.

Roof is pitched natural slate, blue/black clay ridge tiles; lime rendered corbelled gable chimneystacks (east has partially fallen); stone corbelled eaves supporting half-round cast-iron rainwater goods. Walls are lime rendered roughly coursed rubble; windows are 6/6 timber sliding sashes with exposed boxes contained within brick surrounds and stone cills, (most windows now removed; few frames with no glazing remain). One vertically-sheeted timber door remains; doors also contained within brick surrounds.
Principal elevation faces south and contains central round-arched-headed opening (no door remaining); original window opening at each side now enlarged to produce door opening; three window openings at first floor.

Left (west) gable contains two attic windows, both diminished in size.

Rear (north) elevation has evidence of an earlier return, now removed; roof line and exposed rubble walling remains visible. There are four openings at ground floor, at left an original window has been altered to produce door opening; window opening at centre; followed by lower timber sheeted door which would have been inside the return; window at right; three windows at first floor.

Right (east) gable is detailed as left (west).

Setting

There are various traditionally constructed outbuildings north of the house, few of which are largely ruined; accessed by lane at north which connects to Holme Road.

Roof Natural slate
Walling Lime rendered
Windows timber
RWG cast-iron

Historical information

The building is shown on the Townland Valuation map (1820-1840). Unfortunately the first edition OS map of 1833 was not available for viewing at the time of research. The farm is captioned ‘The Holme’ on the 1853 map, the main building being shown with a small porch or projection to the centre of the main elevation. An L-shaped outbuilding is also shown opposite. By the 1905 map there are buildings to three sides of this, forming a semi courtyard space.

The Townland Valuation records the occupier of a ‘dwelling house and offices’ as James Sproule, the building valuation is £12. A marginal note reads ‘new office, new house’.

Griffith’s Valuation of 1858 captions the property as ‘The Holme’, and it is leased from John Irvine. Valuation Revisions record a change of occupier to Henry Hamilton in 1865. Also in 1865 a ‘herds house’ on the site is deleted, and a ‘Cottier’s house’ increases its valuation from £0.5s to £0.10s. Charles Hamilton is the occupier in 1878, and in 1892 the valuation decreases to £10 as it is ‘...in bad repair’. In the same year two small houses are added under the same plot number (perhaps the outbuildings opposite the main house).

References:

Primary Sources

1.PRONI VAL/1/B/629 –Townland Valuation (1820-1840)
2.PRONI VAL/1/A/6/41 –Townland Valuation Map (1820-1840)
3.PRONI VAL/2/A/6/41 –Griffith’s Valuation Map (1858)
4.PRONI VAL/2/B/6/31A –Griffith’s Valuation (1858)
5.PRONI VAL/12/B/41/25A –Valuation Revisions (1860-1929)
6.PRONI VAL/12/D/6/41F –Valuation Revisions Map (1883-1907)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Detached three-bay two-storey house, built c.1820, located to the south side of Holme Road, Dromore. This would have been a grand house of its time, demonstrated by the largely intact plan form and what original features survive. The house with adjacent outbuildings at north forms part of a rural group which recollects a little of historic farming industry in the area. However, it has deteriorated and insufficient survives to merit listing as a building of special architectural or historic interest.