23 Glenmacoffer Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached three-bay two-storey symmetrical vernacular house, built c.1860, located on the west side of Glenmacoffer Road. Rectangular on plan, facing south.

Pitched natural slate roof, blue/black clay angled ridge tiles, brick chimneystacks (with traces of render) at gables, stone verge at west gable, remnants of half-round metal gutters. Walling is coursed rubble basalt (with traces of lime render), cut quoins. Windows are square-headed painted timber 2/2 sliding sashes, smooth rendered reveals, stone sills.

Principal (south) elevation centre bay has a slightly canted lean-to windbreaker porch, remaining bays have single window each (that to ground floor right bay has replacement metal casement window).

West gable is abutted by ruinous outbuilding, exposed section is blank.

Rear (north) elevation is roughcast, left end slightly projects with bed outshot, remaining ground floor has two diminished timber casement windows.

East gable is abutted by ruinous outbuilding, exposed section is blank.

Setting:-
The house is situated on a sloping grassed site off a minor road with several mature trees. Attached to west gable is a lean-to (roof missing) store with coursed basalt rubble and a single square-headed entrance opening (door missing). Attached to east gable is similarly detailed outbuilding.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Basalt
Windows: Timber
RWG: Metal

Historical information

The house first appears on the third edition OS map of 1905-6, and can be dated to c.1860. A smaller building is shown on the 1854 edition, to the south of the site of the present building.

Griffith’s Valuation lists this smaller building as being occupied by Arthur McCullagh and leased from Major A W C Hamilton. It is valued at 10s. In Annual Revisions(1860-1929) the occupier is recorded as James Keenan and the value is now £1.15s, indicating that a more substantial property has been built, or that it has been raised. James McCullagh becomes the occupier in 1895 and the occupier in fee in 1909.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/18/1 – First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/18/2 – Second Edition OS Map (1854)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/18/3 – Third Edition OS Map (1905-6)
4. PRONI OS/6/6/18/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map (1953)
5. PRONI VAL/1/A/6/18 – Townland Valuation Map
6. PRONI VAL/1/B/45A-B – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
7. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/18 – Griffiths’ Valuation Map
8. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/45A– Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/39/6A-F – Annual Revision Records (1860-1929)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

A detached three-bay two-storey symmetrical vernacular house, built c.1860, located on the west side of Glenmacoffer Road. The house has retained much of its original detailing and layout. It is on the interface of vernacular and formal design, featuring a symmetrical principal elevation but a nearly blank rear elevation with a bed outshot. The combination of two storeys with a bed outshot is unusual; outshots were normally associated with clachans and raising of vernacular houses usually occurred in the later 1800s. Thus it also represents an historical progression, which adds to its architectural and historic interest.