Ashfield

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay two-storey house, built c.1840, located to the south side of Laurel Road. Square-on-plan with single-storey lean-to extension to north.

Roof is hipped natural slate with blue/black clay ridge tiles over brick corbelled eaves course; red brick corbelled chimney. Walls are of sandstone construction - tooled quoins with squared, snecked & coursed stone to front elevation/coursed rubble to remainder with red brick dressings and roughcast (partially fallen away). Windows are timber framed 6/6 sliding sash with sandstone sills.

Principal elevation faces east; central bay consists of timber framed entrance opening (now blocked) surmounted by transom light; single window at first floor. Left and right bays each consist of double-height round-arched recess in brick walling containing single window to each floor.

South elevation is blank.

West rear elevation contains central square-headed entrance flanked left and right by single window; single window to left and right bays; window to each bay at first floor (all windows blocked).

North elevation is blank; abutted at ground floor by rubble lean-to extension containing two window openings at right; east elevation contains single window opening; west elevation contains door opening supported by timber lintel.

Setting

The house sits in a rural
setting with farmyard to west. Single-storey outbuilding to north of yard; raised stone verges (roof removed); walls are rubble with fieldstone quoins and brick corbelled eaves; window openings are camber-headed with brick voussoirs. Two-storey outbuilding across yard to west; roof is pitched natural slate; walls are lime-rendered rubble (east elevation) with red brick dressings; windows are timber casements; vertically-sheeted timber entrance doors. Outbuilding abutted at west by single-storey red brick stable block with corrugated metal roof and vertically-sheeted doors; further abutted by higher lime-rendered bay with slate roof containing carriage-arch and further lime-rendered stables with natural slate roof (partially collapsed); rear wall of stables acts as retaining wall for land behind. Site accessed from north-east; yard bounded to south by rubble walling with rubble coping.

Roof Natural slate
Walling Roughcast/brick/sandstone
Windows Timber
RWG Cast-iron

Historical information

The house first appears on the second edition OS map of 1853 captioned ‘Ashfield’ together with outbuildings to the north and west. Additional outbuildings appear on the third and fourth editions (1905-6, 1937-8)

It is listed in the Townland Valuation as the residence of William Rodgers and valued at £5.11s.4d, although this may possibly refer to earlier buildings on the site. In Griffith’s Valuation the lessors are recorded as Andrew Rodgers Esq and Col J W Fairclough. The house is now valued at £7.15s. In Annual Revisions the value rises again to £10.10s. The house remains the residence of William Rodgers until it passes to the Galbraith family in 1895 who become owners in fee in 1910.

The house is three-bay two-storey with plan form and façade proportions typical of some houses of the period, built around the mid-nineteenth century. Outbuildings appear similar in style and materials indicating that these were built at the same time.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/42/1 – First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/42/2 – Second Edition OS Map (1853)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/42/3 – Third Edition OS Map (1905-6)
4. PRONI OS/6/6/42/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map (1937-8)
5. PRONI VAL/1/A/6/42 – Townland Valuation Map
6. PRONI VAL/1/B/630A-B – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
7. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/42 – Griffiths’ Valuation Map
8. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/32B – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/41/10A-F – Annual Revision Records (1860-1924)

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, built c.1840. This substantial mid-nineteenth century house retains elegant proportions in the façade and, where render has fallen away, tooled sandstone walling with brick detailing is revealed, giving an indication of the original refined character of the building. Although mid-Nineteenth century in date, the general style is of an earlier period, as are the internal doors. Its plain, four-square appearance is that of a 'yeoman house' and unusual in the area, as is the hipped roof. The plan form is not entirely typical of houses of this date since the location of fireplaces on internal walls, as opposed to the gables or cross walls, results in a central chimney. It is possible that it was designed but not by an architect, rather an educated person of local importance. The outbuildings to the rear, including stable range with raised central bay, contribute to the character of the setting and the composition as a whole.

General comments

New listing.