The Rectory

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay two-storey Gothic Revival former rectory, built c.1875, located on the west side of Clanabogan Road. Rectangular-on-plan with projecting bay to east; single-storey porch to re-entrant angle; single-storey bowed bay to east and north; two-storey double-gabled return to west abutted by single-storey lean-to extension, c. 1980.

Roofs are half-hipped artificial slates with deep overhanging eaves on exposed rafter ends; fretted bargeboards with dropped motifs to ends; rendered chimneys with various clay pots; cast-iron balconette to porch and bowed bays at first floor. Walls are coursed rubble over projecting plinth; sandstone quoins and string courses. Windows are square-headed timber framed 1/1 sliding sash in chamfered sandstone surrounds; splayed flush sills.

Principal elevation faces east; left bay contains single window at ground floor; half-dormer containing single window at first floor; central bay abutted at ground floor by porch containing Tudor-arched entrance flanked by collonettes and surmounted by hood moulding and keyblock; double-leaf timber entrance doors (diagonally sheeted below lockrail, vertically sheeted above); Tudor-arched window to south; exposed section at first floor contains single window; projecting right bay abutted by bowed bay containing three windows at ground floor; Tudor-arched window at first floor.

South elevation contains single window at ground floor left; further window at ground floor right and first floor now blocked. Abutted at left by return; two windows to each floor.

West elevation abutted at right by return containing single window with yellow brick surround at first floor left; elevation fully abutted at ground floor by extension; exposed section at left is blank.

North elevation consists of two bays; left bay contains single window at ground floor; half-dormer containing single window at first floor; projecting right bay abutted by bowed bay containing three windows at ground floor; pair of Tudor-arched windows at first floor.

Setting

Set within mature gardens in rural site.

Single-storey outbuilding to rear is L-shaped on plan. Roof is hipped natural slate with fretted timber bargeboards to north gable. Original timber framed windows; square-headed vertically sheeted timber doors to north and west; loading door at attic level to north. Modern garage to north-west. Site bounded to all sides by hedging, accessed from road to north-east through pair of square rubble pillars supporting recent steel gates.

Roof Artificial slates
Walling Coursed rubble
Windows timber
RWG cast-iron

Historical information

The building is first shown on the third edition OS map of 1905-6, captioned ‘Rectory’.

Valuation Revisions record a previous ‘caretakers house and land’ on the site. In 1874 this building is added for the first time. The occupier is listed as the Rev. Walter Henry Scott, and it is leased from John Galbraith. The property is valued at £23.10s. A ‘cottier’s house’ is added on the site in 1879, which is occupied by lodgers. Rev [H]euson is the occupier of the rectory in 1906. Also of note is a school house added to Clanabogan townland in 1899, leased from Rev [H]euson.

Rowan dates Clanabogan Rectory to 1881 (slightly later than primary evidence suggests) and describes it as a ‘grotesquely picturesque’ building. Clanabogan is ‘...a typical gentleman’s estate in mid Victorian Ulster, created by Samuel Galbraith Esquire, with house & family church for a specially created curacy , and a modern rectory’. (1979, pg 190/189).

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/42/1 -First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/42/2 -Second Edition Map (1854)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/42/3 -Third Edition OS Map (1905-6)
4. PRONI VAL/1/B/630A+B -Townland Valuation (1820-40)
5. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/42 -Griffith’s Valuation Map (1858)
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/32B -Griffith’s Valuation (1858)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/41/10A-F –Valuation Revisions (1860-1924)
8. PRONI VAL/12/D/6/42/C -Valuation Revisions Map (1882-1909)

Secondary Sources

1. Rowan, A. Buildings of Ireland. North West Ulster. Penguin: London, 1979.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A detached three-bay two-storey Gothic Revival former rectory, built c.1875, located to the west side of Clanabogan Road. The building has an irregular plan form and, externally, interest is provided through ornate roof detailing and timber fretted bargeboards on exposed rafter ends. The main porch is nicely detailed with stylised sandstone motifs, collonettes and original brass doorbell. The building is a good example of a rural mid-Victorian rectory in a Picturesque style and original condition.