House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A symmetrical two-storey / three bay L-shaped house with stable-yard aligned N-S at the E of Clontivrin Townland. A two-storey farmbuilding at rear is linked to the house and has been incorporated at first floor only.

Hipped natural slate roof with three cement-rendered chimneys; one set perpendicular to the ridge at party wall between each bay, and a third to rear (W) end of projecting rear section. Rainwater goods are half-round metal. Walls are painted and lime rendered over a slightly advanced base course. Windows are painted timber casements (unless otherwise stated) with painted stone cills.

Principal elevation faces E. To centre is a large projecting porch. It has a shallow pitched natural slate roof with overhanging eaves supported on curved timber brackets. Walls are painted and lined cement-rendered over a chamfered base course. Decorative dew-drop bargeboards and a pointed drop finial to gable. E face has a double-leaf two panelled door (top panels have decorative geometric glazing) with matching sidelights and a decorative tripartite transom over. Each cheek contains a blind semi circular-headed niche. To either side of the porch is a 1 / 2 top-hung casement window. Aligned above ground floor openings are three side 2x1 side-hung casement windows (that to centre is 4x1). All are diminished in height.

S elevation is longer to accommodate the rear projecting section and is unpainted to extreme left end. (It extends further to incorporate the gable of the outbuilding – see later). Ground floor has three openings. Set to left and to left of centre is a top-hung casement window (as before). To extreme right is a large conservatory with flat leaded roof. It is six top-hung casements wide and two deep (all sharing a continuous cill) over a base detailed as house. First floor has five openings. To extreme left is a small pivotal 1x2 window (without cill). Aligned above ground floor left opening, with a similar window to its right, is a 2x3 side-hung casement. Aligned above central ground floor opening is a 2x1 side-hung casement. Above conservatory is a third 2x3 window.

Rear elevation is abutted to right of centre by the rear projecting section. The exposed section of the main block has a window to each floor at central bay (set to immediate left of projecting section). That to ground floor is a 6/6 sliding sash, that to first floor is a side-hung casement. Projecting section is all detailed as house. Its rear gable is completely abutted by the two-storey outbuilding (see later). The inside (N) cheek is abutted to left of centre by a small ¾ height lean-to annexe. To its right is a semi-elliptical headed coach-arch containing two t+g-sheeted doors. First floor has a 1x2 pivot window to either side. The annexe has a monopitched natural slate roof. N face has a 3x1 pivotal window. Right cheek has a timber door with a rectangular opening (boarded) ahead. Left cheek is blank.

Right gable has a window to each floor at centre (that to first floor is diminished in height).

Outbuilding:
The outbuilding to rear forms the E block of the stable-yard and is incorporated into house at first floor. It has a natural slate roof, hipped to S and gabled to N. There are two small brick chimneys, one to far left to lower part of rear pitch, and one aligned slightly to its right, placed at ridge. Walls are lime-rendered over rubble stone. Yard-facing elevation has a door opening to right of centre with a 2x3 side-hung casement above. It is abutted to right end by the S block of the stable yard. Left (N) gable has a boarded window opening to ground floor right and an infilled window opening to first floor left. Rear (house facing) elevation has three door openings to ground floor (that to right has a t+g sheeted door). First floor has a 2/2 sliding sash to right and a similar (but narrower) window to left. It is abutted to left by the rear projecting section of main block. Right (S) gable has a side-hung casement to first floor.

The remainder of the stable-yard consists of a block to S and to W. All are two-storey with pitched natural slate roofs and lime-rendered rubble stone walls. All openings are t+g sheeted. (The owner now occupies the left-hand side of the S block.)

Setting:
The house is set back from the road on a prominent site. It is reached by a curved driveway which is accessed by a pair of interlocking wrought-iron gates with similarly detailed gate screen, all hung on square-in-section gate piers with a single carved panel to each side and pyramidal coping (the outside piers are narrower).

Historical information

The building shown on the 1834 OS map is described in the 1839 first Valuation book as "an extremely handsome and commodious house" measuring 45ft6in x 24ft x 12ft. It was occupied by Henry Jackson in 1862 and its valuation was then £26. The dimensions are now given as 21ft x 19ft6in x 2 storeys – evidently it had been rebuilt in the intervening period. The Valuation also noted that it was a “very respectable stylish farmhouse suitable for a gentleman’s residence; low upper storey”. The present main block has a larger footprint, indicating a later rebuild, possibly signified by the 1906 Valuation revision book entry of that year; the earlier section probably survives at the rear.

Primary sources:
1. OS 6" map 1st edition, 1834, Co Fermanagh sheet 40 (PRONI OS 6/4/40/1).
2. First valuation book, Clones Parish, 1839 (VAL 1B/46, p.353 and 404).
3. Second Valuation, Clones Parish, Clones Union, 1860 (PRONI VAL 2B/4/6, p.182).
4. Valuation Revision book, 1906 (PRONI VAL 12B/25/2D, p.52).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This house is of handsome proportions and possesses some unusual and attractive detailing. It retains many original features of interest and a considerable amount of its internal and external character. It occupies a prominent site and, along with its stable yard, forms a group of some integrity.