42 Bluestone Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Storey and a half, three bay, rendered and partially painted, vernacular thatched house built parallel to the Bluestone Road and separated from it by a short two metre deep garden. Cement rendered wall along roadside topped by boulders. The building faces south.

Entrance is to the eastern end of the central bay via a lean-to porch with slated roof. Match boarded and painted entrance door with no fanlight. To east, six over six sash window with stone cill of standard Georgian size (which is large for a vernacular house). To west three similar windows, one to central bay and two more in the end western bay. The openings including the porch are regularly distributed across the façade. At first floor there is one opening to this façade. A narrow three over three sash with painted stone cill is tucked under the eaves and in the centre of the elevation.

The roof is currently scollop thatched in combed wheat straw. This is cut horizontally over the eaves and has a rounded head. Fixings are hidden except at ridge and eaves. A single ligger of hazel secures the eaves which are also wrapped in wire mesh. The head since the time of survey has been changed from a historically inaccurate block cut ridge to a flush ridge. The flush ridge is secured by two lines of liggers. The gables are unusually slightly higher than the thatched roof (circa 75mm) and cement parging has been applied to the junction between. There are two rendered chimneys one on top of the west gable the other aligning with the edge of the porch to the central bay.

The west gable is unpainted and smooth rendered in lime rich sand/cement. Two small side hung six pane casements are located at first floor symmetrical about the centre of the façade. They do not have cills.

To the rear a large single storey kitchen return sits out to the western end. This is slated with natural slates and has cast aluminium rainwater goods. Two painted timber windows to the west in a Georgian glazing pattern are top hung casements. Two similar windows light the rear gable. A similar window and a sheeted entrance door are on the eastern side. Beyond to the east a wide casement window in similar style to the others with sixteen panes to each side.

A small return sits out of the eastern end of the building. This has a small one over one sash with obscure glazing facing west, and a corrugated metal roof. This joins to a taller brick barn of similar height to the house recently roofed with overhanging natural slate. This barn has two arched openings for farm use. A new barn like structure has been built to the rear parallel with the house. It has similar arches and is made of brick. It also has dormers and a ridge ventilating cupola. Its design is slightly out of character with the vernacular style of the other buildings.

Historical information

A building similar to the present, but with an L-shaped return to the southwest, is shown on this site on the OS map of 1834 / 35, but is not ‘officially’ included in the contemporary valuation (see below). On the revised OS map of 1860 a small return is to the northeast is indicated. The property is recorded in the second valuation as an old 1½ storey thatched building, leased by Thomas Twynam from the Duke of Manchester’s estate, with the rateable value calculated at £3-5-0. The Twynam family acquired the freehold of the property in 1910, and were still in residence in 1929.

The building is believed to be one of the oldest still inhabited structures in Northern Ireland. This conjecture is based upon the construction of the roof, where regular mortices in the purlins indicate the one time presence of cross bracing. Marks were also found which showed that rafters had been butted into the purlins giving a common upper surface. This complicated form of construction is not required for a thatched roof but is found on Waringstown House and Waringstown Church, buildings currently slated but which may originally have had shingles. Both buildings date from the mid 1600s. It is likely, therefore, that this building is of similar age, and that before it was thatched it was roofed either in slates, shingles or tiles. The beams at first floor are similarly notched to take rafters and create a flat surface for the floorboards above. This is also an early joinery detail, but one which has been recorded on buildings constructed up to the early eighteenth century. Dick Oram, who surveyed the house in 1993, stated that ‘at first sight this building has the look of a standard vernacular farm house, but its original plan with interlocking doorways along the central axis and pegged timber framing of roof and floors is what can only be described as a post medieval tradition making it of very special interest’.

Documentary material concerning the building prior to the 1830s is lacking, however. John Rocque’s map of 1760 does indicate a structure on what appears to be this site, but the map itself is not accurate enough to be reliable, and there appear to be no early maps of the townland within the surviving Trevor or Manchester Estate papers. Local tradition holds that the building was once an inn known as the ‘Red Cow’, this too, is, as yet, is unattested by the sources. During recent research, however, this writer did find a discarded entry in the 1836 valuation for a ‘publick house on [the] old road to Portadown’ occupied by a George Green. This dwelling, which at £4-7-7 was subsequently deemed ‘under value’ and therefore not given a reference on the accompanying map, is described as a very old thatched building in good condition (quality letter ‘2C+’) measuring 49ft x 20½ x 11, with old thatched ‘offices’ (i.e. outbuildings) of 45 x 12 x 5½, 31 x 17 x 5½, and 18 x 13 x 5½. These dimensions suggests that this is indeed a description of this building and that it did function as an inn at this point.

Craigavon New Town Commission made a compulsory purchase of the building in the 1960s and maintained it in a reasonable condition. It was listed in 1981 and sold to the current owner in 1993, who embarked upon a renovation which to date has involved the relocating of the spy window, sheeting in the ceiling, re-plastering and extending the building to the rear with the addition of a new kitchen. The roof was re-thatched in 1981 and again in 1995 using wheat straw. The same material was used for the re-thatching of the ridge in 2001.

References- Primary sources
1 Linen Hall Library ‘Survey of the County of Armagh by John Rocque’ (1760)
2 PRONI VAL/1A/2/10 OS map, County Armagh sheet 10, with valuation
references (1834-35)
3 PRONI VAL/1B/222 First valuation, Seagoe (1836)
4 PRONI VAL/2A/2/10A OS map, County Armagh sheet 10, with valuation references (1860 [-c.62])
5 PRONI VAL/2B/2/19C Second valuation, Seagoe (1862)
6 PRONI VAL/12B/14/7A-E Annual valuation revision books, Kernan ED (1864-1929)

Secondary sources
1 Brett, C.E.B., Oram, R., et al, ‘Lists of Historic Buildings…Craigavon’ (revised edition, Belfast, [?1979]), p.8 (Section 1)
2 McCorry, Francis, ‘Journeys in County Armagh and Adjoining Districts’ (Lurgan, Inglewood Press, 2000), pp.18-27

Other references
1 EHS Historic Buildings file HB14/04/012

At time of renovation the roof structure of this building was inspected in detail. Regular mortices in the purlins were found and this was taken to indicate that cross bracing had been provided to the structure in the past. Marks were also found which indicated that rafters had been butted into the purlins giving a common upper surface. This complicated form of construction is not required for a thatched roof but is found on Waringstown House and Waringstown Church buildings now currently slated but which may originally have had shingles. Both buildings date from the Plantation period of the early sixteenth century. It is likely therefore that this building is of similar age and that before it was thatched it was roofed either in slates, shingles, or tiles. The beams recorded at first floor are similarly notched to take rafters and create a flat surface for the floorboards above. This is also an early joinery detail but one which has been recorded on buildings constructed up to the early eighteenth century.

Local tradition holds that the building was once an inn known as the Red Cow. The 1834 Ordnance Survey map does not indicate this function. A brick barn to rear courtyard is indicated at that time. Little change to setting of building until late Twentieth century. Compulsorily purchased by Craigavon New Town Commission in the 1960’s it was maintained in a reasonable condition by the Council. It was listed in 1981 and sold in 1993 to the current owner. He embarked on a renovation of the house to its current condition. Relocating the spy window, sheeting in the ceiling, re-plastering and extending the house to the rear by building a new kitchen. Structure was open for inspection in 1993 and evaluated at the time as~: ‘at first sight this building has the look of a standard vernacular farm house but its original plan with interlocking doorways along the central axis and pegged timber framing of roof and floors is what can only be described as a post medieval tradition making it of very special interest.’ Building recorded in EHS file as being thatched in 1981 though material is not noted . It was thatched with Wheat Straw in 1995. Its ridge was re-thatched in Wheat Straw in 2001.

References- Primary sources
Ordnance Survey Map First Edition 1834 Co Armagh Sheet 10
Ordnance Survey Map Second Edition 1860 Co Armagh Sheet 10
Ordnance Survey Map 1955 revision Co Armagh Sheet 10
EHS files

Secondary sources
Mr R Oram
Current owners

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

A very old vernacular house, now thatched, which retains its plan form, its roof structure and which is well situated. Of interest for its style, ornamentation , and plan form. It is of national interest because of its age, rarity and the evidence of a shingle / tile roof covering predating the current thatch.