Grove House,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached two-bay two-storey house, dated 1897, located to the north side of Crevenagh Road, Omagh. L-plan facing south with central two-storey entrance porch to south; abutted at east by single-storey outbuilding; single-storey lean-to entrance porch to north re-entrant angle.

Roof is hipped natural slate, blue/black clay ridge tiles; two red brick corbelled party-wall chimneystacks; paired concrete corbelled brackets on projecting eaves course supporting original ogee-profile cast-iron rainwater goods. Walls are ruled-and-lined-rendered with stepped plastered quoins; windows are square-headed 2/2 vertically divided timber sliding sashes (segmental-arched-headed at first floor) with precast concrete moulded architraves and projecting masonry cills.

Principal elevation faces south; abutted at centre by two-storey return with hipped natural slate roof; exposed section contains window at each floor at left and right. Principal entrance is contained within left cheek of central return; south elevation contains window to each floor; east elevation is blank. Entrance comprises four-panelled entrance door with transom light over, contained within precast concrete surround and accessed by three concrete steps.

Left (west) elevation contains two windows at each floor.

Rear (north) elevation has projecting bay at right and abutted by single-storey lean-to entrance porch at left; exposed section contains two windows at each floor (window at right at first floor is contains stained glass with margin lights). Projecting bay north elevation contains single window at ground floor; left cheek contains single window at first floor.

Right (east) elevation is abutted by single-storey outbuilding at right; exposed section contains replacement timber casement window at first floor; date stone which reads, ‘GROVE HOUSE/ BUILT/ 1897’.

North lean-to entrance porch contains single replacement timber casement window at north and replacement timber entrance door at west.

Attached outbuilding at east has pitched natural slate roof, exposed lime rendered random rubble walling (ruled-and-lined) to north. North elevation has timber panelled door at left; timber casement at right. East gable has single timber casement window at ground floor and attic. South elevation is detailed as north. West gable re-entrant angle is abutted by lean-to entrance porch.

Setting

The house is accessed by lane from the south; farmyard accessed at west through square-plan piers and plinth wall. West gable of house enclosed by timber fence and accessed at south by pedestrian wrought-iron gate. Two-storey random rubble outbuilding at east appears earlier than the main house built c.1830 with pitched metal corrugated roof; outbuildings at north are of no interest.

Roof Natural Slate
Walling d render
Windows timber
RWG cast-iron

Historical information

The house is dated 1897, although there have been buildings on the site since at least the first edition OS map of 1833 and some of these older outbuildings appear to have survived. The present house first appears on the 1906 OS map, captioned ‘Grove House’

The present site is not identifiable in the Townland Valuation but Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) lists a house, offices and land valued at £3, occupied by Duncan Carr and leased from James Sheil. A marginal note reads, “The third of this farm is very good and lies well. The rest is also good medium land. It is an excellent farm.” The occupier’s name is amended to Kerr in Annual Revisions. It is noted that new offices are built in 1863 and a new turf house in 1888. William George Kerr becomes the occupier in 1887 and in 1899 the value of the buildings on the plot rises to £14 indicating that a new house has been constructed. In 1907 W G Kerr becomes the owner in fee.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/43/1 – First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/43/2 – Second Edition OS Map (1854)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/43/3 – Third Edition OS Map (1906)
4. PRONI OS/6/6/43/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map (1936-8)
5. PRONI VAL/1/A/6/43 – Townland Valuation Map
6. PRONI VAL/1/B/626B – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
7. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/43 – Griffiths’ Valuation Map
8. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/28 – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/41/6A-F – Annual Revision Records (1860-1929)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Detached two-bay two-storey house, dated 1897, located to the north side of Crevenagh Road, Omagh. Externally the house remains largely intact in terms of its massing and proportion but is poorly conceived. It is a common type of a late date and archaic style and not one of the best examples of the type.