Raveagh

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay two-storey house, rebuilt c.1870, located to the west side of Corkill Road. Rectangular-on-plan with single-storey flat-roofed porch to east and two-storey stairwell to west; single-storey sunroom (built c.1920 ) to south, further abutted by recent conservatory (built c.1990); lower three-bay two-storey return to south-west (built c.1830 ).

Roofs are hipped natural slate (some roof slopes replaced with asbestos tiles) with blue/black clay ridge tiles; overhanging eaves to east elevation supported on paired console brackets; corbelled sandstone chimneys with clay pots. Walls are ruled-and-lined render with smooth quoins over smooth plinth. Windows are square-headed timber-framed 1/1 sliding sashes with painted masonry sills.

Principal elevation faces east and is abutted at centre by entrance porch; exposed section contains two windows at ground floor left and right and five windows at first floor. Entrance porch contains large square-headed opening containing replacement six-panelled timber door flanked by pilaster surround and sidelights surmounted by transom light with segmental-headed fanlight; cornice and parapet with stone lions to corners.

South elevation is abutted at ground floor by sunroom; exposed section is blank. Sunroom has three uPVC casement windows; east elevation contains group of three round-arched-headed uPVC windows with moulded architraves surmounted by parapet wall; abutted at left by canted uPVC conservatory on rendered plinth; west elevation contains square-headed door at left flanked by two uPVC casement windows at right.

West elevation is abutted at centre by stairwell and at right by return; exposed section at left contains single window at first floor right. Stairwell contains single round-arched-headed stained glass window at first floor; abutted at ground floor by return. Return contains timber casement and sliding sash window at ground floor; north elevation is one-and-a-half-storey at left; abutted by gabled uPVC entrance porch flanked at left by 3/3 sliding sash window and at right by casement window; three 2/2 sliding sash windows at first floor; two-storey at right containing small casement window and replacement timber door at ground floor surmounted by casement window at first floor. South elevation of return contains, at ground floor, replacement double-leaf uPVC glazed doors at centre and right and uPVC casement window at left; three 1/1 sliding sash windows at first floor.

North elevation is blank; abutted at right by attached outbuilding.

Setting

Set within mature gardens; access from Corkill Road at east through pair of square roughcast piers in alcoved entrance. Enclosed yard to rear accessed through pair of wrought-iron gates supported on square sandstone piers with sandstone coping in smooth rendered walling.

Two-storey rendered outbuilding has hipped roof to east and gabled to west surmounted by bell-shaped arched bellcote with chamfered round-arched-headed aperture; windows are timber casements; sandstone steps provide access to first floor; abutted at north by lean-to store. Abutted at south-east by single-storey store attached to house; segmental-headed carriage-arch containing vertically-sheeted double-leaf doors to west elevation. L-shaped stable block to west, built c. 1880; roof is hipped natural slate; walls are exposed rubble with sandstone dressings; windows are timber casements; single segmental-headed carriage-arch to centre with carved keyblock; doors have carved lintels. Internally, stable block has cobbled stone floor and lime-plastered walling; vertically-sheeted doors to stables have iron name-plates above inscribed ‘R GORE ESQr RAVEAGH No 3’ etc to indicate horses.

Former walled garden to south is bounded by rubble walling, now used as farmyard.

Roof Natural slate
Walling Ruled-and-lined render
Windows Timber
Rainwater goods Cast-iron

Historical information

A building of similar footprint is shown on the first edition OS map of 1833. On the second edition (1852) it is captioned ‘Raveagh’. Valuation evidence (see below), suggests a rebuild c. 1870. An additional building to the west of the house appears on the third edition OS map of 1906.

The Townland Valuation (1828-40) records a ‘house and offices’, valued at £15. The property is occupied by Hugh G. Edwards Esq, with dimensions given for a dwelling, old dwelling, stable &c, potato house and projection. Deductions are made for ‘want of finish, inconvenience of office and other want of neatness’.

The building of the original house is recorded in OS Memoirs thus, “Raveagh Lodge, the seat of Hugh Gore Edwards Esquire, is situated in [Corkhill Demesne]. The house is unfinished but it is pleasantly situated on a gentle eminence, and will be a great improvement to this part of the country when completed. A long but narrow skirting plantation surrounds the house…The whole of the demesne is in the hands of the proprietor” (p.44) However a later surveyor takes a different view, “Hugh Gore Edwards erected the present house [in Corkhill] in 1832-3. It has little either in situation or appearance to recommend it.” (p.33) Hugh Gore Edwards is identified elsewhere in the Memoirs as a local magistrate and proprietor (p.30, 73).

Griffith’s Valuation values the buildings at £10. Col. Edwards is listed as the occupier in fee. It is noted as being ‘in bad repair’. Valuation Revisions values the property at £14, the valuation increasing dramatically to £44.5s in 1875, indicating a rebuild or remodelling. Field evidence based on the style and interior suggests that the house is indeed likely to have been rebuilt. However the three-bay two-storey rear return, although largely remodelled internally, is more plainly detailed and may be a remnant of the earlier structure. It seems likely that the servants’ quarters to the west were also built at the later phase.

Post 1933 the occupier is Major C E W Carleton who leases it from Hugh E Gore and it is described as a house and separate servants’ quarters. In 1954 Samuel Lyons is the owner in fee. The valuer remarks, ‘This large mansion type house has been well maintained.”

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/51/1-4 - Ordnance Survey Maps (1833, 1852, 1906, 1938)
2. PRONI VAL/1/A/6/51 - Townland Valuation Map
3. PRONI VAL/1/B/62D - Townland Valuation (1828-1840)
4. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/51 – Griffith’s Valuation Map (1858)
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/2B - Griffith’s Valuation (1858)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/36/16A-G - Valuation Revisions (1860-1929)
7. PRONI VAL/3/D/7/2Q/1 – Valuers RV Binder (1933-57)

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 house, rebuilt c.1870, located to the west side of Corkill Road. This house is plainly detailed externally, with interest added by ornate porch, eaves and parapet to principal elevation. The internal detailing indicates that the return predates the main house. There is additional interest in the substantial stable-block, which displays fine stonework and some original detailing, and the remains of a walled garden to the south. This 1870s house with earlier adjuncts and good original detailing demonstrates its history well and it is a good example of a substantial minor country residence of a type becoming increasingly rare in an original state.