Mayne House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey three-bay house with attic, built c.1830, located on the north side of Maine Road, Omagh. Rectangular on plan, facing south with gabled breakfront central bay and single storey lean-to extension to rear.

Roof is pitched artificial slate with gable chimneystacks (cement rendered to left, brick replacement to right). Rainwater goods are half-round cast-iron. Walling is lime roughcast to front and rear, cement rendered to gables. Windows are 6/6 timber sliding sashes (replacement) having original cylinder glazing re-used; sills are broach-marked stone.

The principal elevation faces south with a single opening to each floor at each bay symmetrically arranged about central round-headed entrance opening with slightly projecting smooth rendered reveal contained in breakfront. Modern hardwood panelled door with original spoked fanlight set within opening and flanked by slender timber columns. All windows at this elevation are set back within rectangular recesses with smooth rendered reveals. The breakfront apex has a circular spoked window with coloured glazing lighting attic.

Left gable has two windows to attic level and a single window to ground floor right.

Rear elevation has two windows to first floor and is abutted at ground floor by lean-to extension; there is a single timber casement window to ground floor right side. Extension is modern and of no interest.

Right gable is blank.

Setting:-
The house is accessed from the road via a long farm lane marked at entrance by modern walls. The curtilege is planted with mature trees and there are farm buildings to rear, including a two storey rubble stone outbuilding with pitched natural slate roof and brick dressed openings.

Roof: Artificial slate
Walling: Render
Windows: Timber
Rainwater goods: Cast-iron

Historical information

A house is shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1833 together with an outbuilding to the north west. A ‘well’ and ‘brick kiln’ are also captioned. By the second edition (1854) the building appears to have been rebuilt, although it retains the original structure as a return. It is now captioned ‘Maine House’. By the third edition (1906), additional outbuildings are present, to the west and east.

The house is listed in the Townland Valuation (1828-40) as the dwelling house of John Fullterton and is valued at £4.7s. Dimensions are given for the house, a ‘lay too’, an outbuilding and a cart house. The dwelling house appears to be single storey at this stage.

Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) raises the value to £5. The lessor is Sir Beresford Burton McMahon, Bart. A marginal note reads, ‘lease about 1848’. Annual Revisions put the value at £8. When Joseph Mitchell becomes the occupier in 1893, his complaint about the valuation of his property leads to a marginal note giving the dimensions of the house and outbuildings. The slated house has similar dimensions to those noted in the Townland Valuation but it is now a two-storey house. Three outbuildings are also noted, one of which is thatched.

In the First NI General Revaluation of 1934 Joseph Mitchell has become the owner in fee under land purchase legislation of the early twentieth century. The value of the house is subsequently raised to £8. It comprises a kitchen, two rooms, a breakfast room and p[antry], four bedrooms and a servants’ bedroom. Dimensions are given for the house, the (porch???) at the front and the return, the house and return retaining approximately the dimensions that they had in 1893.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/35/1 -First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/35/2 -Second Edition OS Map (1854)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/35/3 -Third Edition OS Map (1906)
4. PRONI OS/6/6/35/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map (1935-7)
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/645A-B – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/47A – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/6/35 -Annual Revisions Map
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/41/26A-F -Annual Revisions (1860-1929)
9. PRONI VAL/3/D/7/8CC/3 – First NI General Revaluation: Valuers’ RV Binder (1933-57)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A detached three-bay two-storey farmhouse, built c.1830. The house has mid-nineteenth century proportions, and retains an early aspect with several features of interest remaining intact. 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 the type.

General comments

Formerly listing query HB11/LQ010