41 Kilvergan Road, Aghacommon, Lurgan, BT66 6LF

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

POST-SURVEY NOTE: In early January 2022, prior to listing, the building was stripped of original fabric and detailing. Timber sliding sash window frames, a significant amount of the natural slate roof covering, and internal features including joinery and staircase had been removed. This was confirmed at an HED site visit on 11th January 2022. The description below refers to the buildings at the date of the initial survey in October 2021.

Refer to key plan in ‘pictures’ field.

‘Laurelmount’ is a large dwelling located on Kilvergan Road, Aghacommon Townland, which is located between Derrymacash, close to the southern shore of Lough Neagh and the northern side of Craigavon, approx 2.5miles W of Lurgan town centre.
The house is comprised of two attached buildings; an earlier linear, two-storey dwelling running SW-NE, of pre 1830s (for purposes of this survey described as Block 1), and a later, Victorian-era house of 1889 (for purposes of this survey described as Block 2) which was added to the SW gable of Block 1, facing SW, and approached via a curved formal driveway with entrance to the SW of the site.

The house has a farmyard located on its NE and N sides with various 20th C farm buildings, and an L-shaped mainly roofless and ruinous pebble-dash over stone and brick outbuilding, which bounds Kilvergan Road. The site is immediately N of Tannaghmore Gardens (Historic Parks, Gardens and Demesnes Reference: A-007)

There is a two-storey pitched roof return which links the rear (NW) elevation of Block 1 with a single-storey outbuilding on the NW side. There is also a flat-roofed infill section linking the two-storey return with the rear (NE) of Block 2.

Block 1:
Linear, painted pebble-dash, low two-storey dwelling facing SE onto Kilvergan Road with pitched natural slate roof and clay ridge tiles. The south-western half remains as a former dwelling, with the half towards the NE in use as a farm store.

Front (SE) elevation:
Front elevation set back from the road, behind a low pebble-dashed wall with piers, and path leading to the front door. Two chimneys, one at the NE end of the dwelling section and the second approximately half way along the block, both are painted stone with chamfered coping, no pots. Plain painted rendered plinth.
Metal gutter to dwelling section. Plastic gutter to store section. No downpipes.
From L-R: on ground floor level, two window openings; wide recessed door opening with replacement timber front door flanked by painted rendered blank walls; two window openings; tall boundary wall with arched head and metal gate separating dwelling section from store section; boarded up window opening; path rises up by a step; single door opening with replacement flush timber door; blank wall with modern metal gate leading into farm yard.
All windows are 1/1 timber sliding sash, single-glazed (no historic glass) with plain narrow render band surrounds and painted stone cills.
Ground rises towards NE, so first floor rooms to dwelling section only.
From L-R: on first floor level, four window openings aligned with openings below; single window opening to right. All windows are same as ground floor except smaller upper sash.

Gable elevation (NE):
Wide opening formed in gable with modern metal and glazed double doors giving access to store.

Rear elevation (NW):
From L-R: store section has irregularly placed window openings with replacement uPVC windows; concrete ramp leading to replacement flush timber door, steps to further door opening and window opening with metal window. Dwelling section has a wide window opening then a smaller window opening both with metal windows; first floor level has same openings and windows, aligned with those below. Metal rainwater goods.

Gable elevation (SW): fully abutted by rear (NE) of two-storey Victorian-era house (Block 2).

Block 1 materials:
Windows: timber sliding sash, single-glazed / metal windows to rear
Walls: pebble-dashed walls / painted rendered bands to window openings
Roof: natural slate with clay ridge tiles
RWGs: metal/ pvc

Block 2:
Two-storey, three bay, double-fronted, lined & ruled painted render Victorian-era villa with hipped roof attached to the SW end of Block 1, facing SW over gardens and a formal curved driveway accessed through large granite piers and rendered wing walls.

Front elevation (SW):
Two-storey canted bays either side of square-plan central entrance porch and single window opening with decorative plaster surround aligned above porch.
All windows are timber 1/1 sliding sash with historic glass single-glazing and painted stone cills.
Front porch projects from main façade, two concrete steps up, door opening contains replacement timber doorscreen with central timber door and glazed side panels and is flanked by engaged pilasters, flat roof behind parapet above moulded cornice. Single window opening in each cheek.
Ground floor level has painted rendered toothed vermiculated quoins to both sides, and plain painted rendered quoins to first floor level. Plain painted rendered plinth. Moulded plaster string course between first and second floors.
Natural slate hipped roof with clay ridge tiles to main ridge. Other valleys and ridges are lead, with plaster corbelled dentils. Original cast iron rainwater goods.
Two tall painted rendered chimneys on ridge with moulded caps, each with two clay pots.

Side elevation (SE):
Single window openings on both ground and first floor levels in centre of façade, windows are same as front SW façade. GF window has a decorative plaster surround and there is a plain painted plaster string course between first and second floors. Toothed vermiculated quoins to both sides of GF level and plain painted quoins to first floor. Plain painted rendered plinth. Eaves and roof detail same as front (SW) façade.

Rear elevation (NE): abuts SW elevation of Block 1. Exposed triangular section closest to Kilvergan Road has plain plastered toothed quoins and same eaves detail as other elevations. Tall rendered chimney with moulded cap and two modern clay pots located at bottom of rear roof slope, close to ridge of Block 1.
Rear elevation of two-storey pitched-roofed return which abuts flat-roofed infill has a door opening to GF on far left with 20th C timber door, and a window opening to both GF and FF with uPVC windows. FF.

Side elevation (NW):
Front section is same as side elevation (SE).
Two-storey flat-roofed pebble-dashed infill section extends towards NE and has wide window opening to both GF and FF with uPVC windows. PVC rainwater goods, soffit and fascia.
Pitched roofed two-storey return continues towards NE and is abutted on its NW side by a single storey outbuilding. Single window opening with uPVC fixed pane window on SW side of outbuilding, and same window on FF on NE side, but with curved head. Chimney on gable with no capping stone, single plastic pot.
Single storey outbuilding with natural slate roof and clay ridge tiles abuts gable of two-storey section and runs towards NW; window opening with metal window, door opening with temporary timber door, abuts modern outbuilding on NW side.

Block 2 Materials:
Windows: timber sliding sash, single-glazed / metal / pvc
Walls: painted lined & ruled render / pebble-dash
Roof: natural slate with clay ridge tiles and lead valleys & ridges
RWGs: cast iron / metal / pvc

Setting:
Located on Kilvergan Road, Aghacommon, which is between Derrymacash, close to the southern shore of Lough Neagh and the northern side of Craigavon, approx 2.5miles W of Lurgan town centre. The house has a farmyard located on its NE and N sides with various 20th C farm buildings leading to farmland. There is an L-shaped mainly roofless and ruinous pebble-dash over stone and brick outbuilding, which bounds Kilvergan Road.

Block 1 is bounded on Kilvergan Road by a pebbledash (over brick) wall with painted concrete coping stones and plain painted rendered plinth. Piers to pedestrian pathway are pebbledash with painted rendered edges and pyramidal concrete caps.
Block 2 is accessed through large granite piers with pyramidal caps, with painted rendered lined & ruled curved wing walls with concrete capping stones to driveway off Kilvergan Road. Metal railings no longer extant.

Historical information

A building of similar size and orientation to the return of the present house is shown in this general vicinity on John Rocque’s County Armagh map of 1760. Although it is difficult to quantify the accuracy or otherwise of this map, it does suggest a farmstead had been established on or close to this site at that time.

On the OS map of 1835 a building matching the size and location of the return is depicted. This is recorded in the May 1836 valuation as a slated dwelling house in the hands of George Ruddell measuring 33ft x 22 x 12½ (to the eaves), with a thatched office (presumably attached) of 70 x 19½ x 7, with the whole rated for valuation purposes at £4-7-0. The valuers’ grading of ‘B’ suggests the building was of not inconsiderable age by that date and quite probably of pre-1800 construction. A separate structure is shown along the roadside, on the site of the current outbuilding, but this is not noted by the valuers as part of this particular property (it may have belonged to the dwelling recorded on the opposite side of the road then in the hands of a James McDonnell.)

The revised OS map of 1859 shows what would appear to be the same house, but with a short rear projection to the north-west, corresponding to the present gabled section to this end. Now captioned ‘Laurelmount’, and still in the hands of George Ruddell, (or a relative of the same name), the main body of the house is recorded in the 1862 valuation as amounting to 15yds x 7 x 2[storeys], with two ‘returns’ of 5 x 5 x 2 and 3 x 5 x 1, offices (i.e. outbuildings) of 20 x 6 x 1, 4 x 4 x 1, 9 x 4 x 1 (‘shed’), 10 x 7 x 2, 3 x 5 x 1 and 5 x 2 x 1, with the rateable value a respectable £17.

In 1876 the rateable value of the property was raised to £23. Usually, an increase of such a size denotes an upgrade in the form of an addition and / or a thorough renovation; however, valuers mention on specific changes at this point. In fact, the major change to the building, the construction of the formal front block at a right-angle to the west end, is specifically noted as having occurred in (of just prior to) 1889, when a ‘new house 12yds x 6yds 1ft x 2[storeys]’ is referred to; the valuers also note that the ‘value of [the] old building’ was ‘very high’- clearly the previous rise to £23 being something of an anomaly.

The new extension was added by Nelson Ruddell, who became leaseholder in c.1866. He acquired the freehold from the Brownlow estate in c.1892 and his descendants would appear to continue to hold the property.

The presence of some metal-framed windows to the rear of the house, and the recessed entrance to the return suggests some renovation work was carried out to the latter section in the mid-20th century, whilst the door to the front porch appears to be c.1980s.

In early January 2022, the building was stripped of much of its original historic fabric and internal detailing.

References - Primary sources
1 Map of County Armagh by John Rocque - 1760
2 OS map, Co. Armagh sheet 6 - 1835, 1859, 1905-06
3 PRONI VAL1B/222 - 1836
4 PRONI VAL2B/2/19B - 1862
5 PRONI VAL12B/14/3A-F - 1864-1929

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed
Not listed
Not listed

Evaluation

Prominently sited close to a roadside in semi-rural surrounds just north of Lurgan, Laurelmount is in essence an amalgam of two distinct structures. The long, low, semi-formalised - but still recognisably vernacular - two-storey return is of pre-1830s construction, and quite likely 18th century, whilst attached at a right-angle to the western end is a contrastingly formal Italianate block of the later 1880s. In themselves, both parts of the building are worthy of note in their own right, but forming as they do a highly individual palimpsest, the interest is all the greater, reflecting both changes in architectural styles as well as the growth in rural prosperity in the course of the 19th century.

The property has witnessed some mid-20th century alterations, however, the essentials of its vernacular / late Victorian hybrid form remained largely intact until January 2022. Now stripped of much of its original historic fabric, its valuable contribution on the local landscape is still largely undiminished.

Due to the loss of timber sliding sash window frames, a significant amount of the natural slate from the roof and much of the original internal detailing including staircase and joinery, the building no longer meets the criteria for listing.