29 Curr Road,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay two-storey house, built c.1880, located to the west side of Curr Road at the corner of Meenmore Road. Rectangular-on-plan with single-storey flat-roofed porch to north; single-storey extension (built c.2007) to west.

Roof is pitched natural slate (replaced c.2000) with terracotta ridge tiles over corbelled eaves; red brick chimneys with replacement clay pots. Walls are ruled-and-lined rendered with smooth rendered quoins. Windows are replacement square-headed uPVC casements in painted moulded sandstone surround with vermiculated keyblock detail; painted sandstone sills.

Principal elevation faces north; left and right bays each contain single window at each floor; central bay contains two windows at each floor; abutted at ground floor right by porch. Porch is surmounted by moulded cornice and parapet with dentil detail; single window to north and west elevations; east elevation contains replacement square-headed uPVC entrance door with transom light in moulded surround with colonettes and keyblock detail.

East gable contains three windows at ground floor (no surround) and two windows at first floor.

South elevation contains, at left, three windows at each floor; abutted at ground floor right by flat-roofed commercial unit; exposed section at first floor contains two windows.

West gable is abutted at ground floor by extension; exposed section at first floor is blank.

Setting

Set in mature gardens; directly accessed from roadside at east. Cast-iron pump with cowstail handle, and wall mounted water pump to south. Farmyard to south contains a range of outbuildings; roofs are pitched natural slate; walls are roughcast rendered. That to south-west is single-storey and contains segmental-headed carriage arches with double-leaf vertically-sheeted timber doors; attached gabled building to south. That to south has corrugated metal roof at left and hipped slated roof at right; vertically-sheeted timber doors and metal casement windows. Yard enclosed at east by large corrugated sheds; access from west through pair of wrought-iron gates supported by square pillars.

Roof Natural slate
Walling render
Windows uPVC
Rainwater goods uPVC

Historical information

A rectangular building on the same site is shown on the first edition OS map of 1833. The house is shown in its current form by the third edition map of 1906, and an extension to the building is captioned ‘Gortaclare Post Office’.

Griffith’s Valuation of 1858 records a ‘house, offices and shop’, valued at £1.15s, which is occupied by James Bell and leased from Thomas Roleston. In 1879 the valuation increases from £1.15s to £12, and in 1877 ‘Shop and cottiers house’ are added to the property description.

It appears that significant remodeling or rebuilding of the original dwelling took place in the 1870’s. The building was re-roofed c.2000, and extension to the west built c.2007. The proportions of the façade, and presence of a wall hearth in the kitchen suggest that this may have been originally a single-storey dwelling, extended during the late 1870s.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/43/1-4 - Ordnance Survey Maps (1833, 1854, 1906, 1936-8)
2. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/43 - Griffith’s Valuation Map (1858)
3. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/29 - Griffith’s Valuation (1858)
4. PRONI VAL/12/B/41/14A-F - Valuation Revisions (1860-1929)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A detached three-bay two-storey house, built c.1880, located to the west side of Curr Road. This house retains original proportions, as well as exterior detailing such as architraves and keyblock mouldings (c.1880 when major rebuilding work was carried out). However, there have been extensive alterations and the use of inappropriate materials and finishes that have degraded the property and compromised its historic and architectural character.