Dunwish Cottage

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached symmetrical three-bay two-storey house, built c.1840, located to the east side of Dunwish Road, Omagh. Rectangular-on-plan facing south with two-storey return at rear built c.1960.

Roof is pitched natural slate, blue/black clay ridge tiles; two brick corbelled chimneystacks. Deep overhanging timber eaves with exposed rafter-ends supporting u-profile replacement aluminium rainwater goods. Walls are roughcast rendered with smooth rendered stepped quoins and plinth. Windows are 2/2 timber (vertically divided) sliding sashes (diminished in height at first floor) with smooth rendered lugged architraves and projecting stone cills.

Principal elevation faces south and contains central entrance door with window at each side; three windows at first floor. Four-panelled timber entrance door comprises panelled glazed sidelights and elliptical fanlight. Door contained within smooth rendered surround and fronted by (later) pitched timber canopy supported on cast-iron columns. Canopy roof is asbestos tiles; timber sheeted soffit; moulded bargeboards and replacement uPVC rainwater goods.

Left (west) elevation is blank.

Rear (north) elevation is abutted at centre by two-storey flat-roof return, built c. 1960, exposed sections at left and right each contain single window at each floor.

Right (east) gable is blank.

Return felted flat roof (roof line above eaves of main house), walls are roughcast rendered with smooth rendered banding and plinth. Windows are top opening timber casements with precast concrete cills. North elevation contains single window at ground floor; two windows at first floor, (left diminished). Left cheek contains single window at each floor, (that at first floor diminished). Right cheek contains replacement timber door at right, accessed by two masonry steps.

Setting

The house is located to the south side of a substantial farmyard complex with original outbuilding, built c. 1830, located at north. House is bound at north by roughly coursed rubble walling with saddleback coping and hedging; two circulars rubble piers, no gates.

Roof Natural slate
Walling Roughcast
Windows timber
RWG aluminium

Historical information

The house is first shown on the second edition OS map of 1853. A previous building appears on the 1833 OS map. The outbuilding to the east of the present house is also shown on the 1833 map, but the house itself is of a later date.

Griffith’s Valuation of 1858 records the occupier of a ‘house, offices and land’ as Robert Wiley, the property is leased from Sam Galbraith, and the building valuation is £2. Valuation Revisions record a change of occupier to James McBrien in 1876 and the same year the valuation increases slightly to £2.2s. The property is described as a ‘herds house and land’ in 1892, with the valuation decreasing to £1.12s.

The entry for the property is crossed out in 1902, and is re-inserted again as a ‘house and office’, which is valued at £5.20s. It appears that the property was renovated or underwent some changes at this stage.

Interior detailing suggests that this may have originally been a two-bay house with the east bay one-and-a half-storey and the west, single-storey. Remodelling of the exterior detailing including re-rendering hides any rebuilding but interior details would support this. The ground floor details are largely original and intact and date from the early nineteenth century; remodelling toward the end of the nineteenth century may have included the addition of a second floor over the existing west bay and incorporated an new stair well (central bay) and subdivision of original rooms. This could correspond to the valuation increase noted in 1902.

References:

Primary Sources

1.PRONI OS/6/6/34/1 –First Edition OS Map (1833)
2.PRONI OS/6/6/34/2 –Second Edition OS Map (1853)
3.PRONI OS/6/6/34/3 –Third Edition OS Map (1905-6)
4.PRONI VAL/2/B/6/32A-B –Griffith’s Valuation (1858)
5.PRONI VAL/12/B/41/34A-F -Valuation Revisions (1860-1924)
6.PRONI VAL/12/D/6/34D –Valuation Revisions Map (1896-1925)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A detached symmetrical three-bay two-storey house, built c.1840. The plan form of the original 1840’s farmhouse remains largely intact, although the detailing varies from the early-late nineteenth-century, demonstrating the evolution of the house. However, it is of a relatively common type and has been compromised by more recent alterations and detailing and is not among the best examples of a traditional rural dwelling.