Bridge House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Long, plain two storey gabled farm house of c.1850, with Georgian paned sash windows throughout and dry dash to front. Attached to the north gable is a small single storey gabled outbuilding, with further one and a half and two storey buildings to south. The whole ensemble is set on the E side of Lislasly Road, roughly 2 miles SE of Moy.

The gabled roof is slated and has a rendered chimneystack to each gable, with another to the N of centre of the ridge. Badly dilapidated cast iron rw goods.

The front elevation of the house faces directly W and is asymmetrical. To the right of centre is the entrance which consists of a relatively recent (c.1975-80) panelled timber door and rectangular fanlight. To the left of the entrance are three flat arch windows with 6/6 Georgian-paned sash frames and stone cills. To the right are two identical windows with seven more to the first floor all directly in line with the ground floor openings (apart from that to far left, which is also a false window). The front façade is finished in a modern ‘salt & pepper’ dry dash with plain rendered base. The far right hand edge of the façade is abutted by a one and a half storey gabled outbuilding (see below).

Attached to the ground floor of the N gable is a full width single storey gabled outbuilding which is harled to N and rear and plain rendered to W. To the rear there is a timber sheeted door to left. The gabled roof of the outbuilding is slated. The exposed upper portion of the N gable of the house is also harled but some of this has come away revealing brick construction (the whole house appears to be wholly brick built- as are most of the outbuildings). To attic level are two small square windows, with 3/3 Georgian-paned frames.

The south gable has lost much of its harling and much of the brickwork is now exposed. To right of centre on the ground floor there is a window, as front, now largely covered up with corrugated iron sheeting. There is a similar window to first floor, directly in line with that to ground floor. To attic level are two small windows as south gable (that to left is largely obscured by creeping plant growth). To the far right the S gable is abutted by a large-ish one and a half storey gabled outbuilding with (largely) harled façade and slated roof. To the right side of the ground floor of the S face of this outbuilding there is a large doorway (now without door). To its W gable there is an upper level loft doorway, with timber sheeted door.

Roughly to the centre of the ground floor of the rear elevation of the house is a low doorway with timber sheeted door. To the left of this are two windows, as front but with their frames much dilapidated. To the right is a similar window with another (taller) doorway to right again, with timber sheeted door and large (boarded up) fanlight. This door leads into an ‘store’ section. To the first floor are four windows, as before and in line with the ground floor openings. Right at ground level, between the two windows to left of the centre doorway, there is a rough opening, which looks into a cellar. The rear elevation is harled, but small sections have broken off revealing the brick construction.

To S of the house and the attached outbuildings is a large, but relatively low two storey gabled outbuilding with harled façade and slated roof. To its N elevation there are a number of window and door openings, all without frames or doors. Attached to the right side of the N elevation there was once a single storey lean-to, but only the N and W walls of this now survive. A wrought iron gate (now sheeted in timber) stretches between the remains of the lean-to and the outbuilding attached to the SW corner of the house.

To immediate front of the house there is a long narrow tarmac covered ‘forecourt’ with low recent timber fence (now dilapidated).

Historical information

This site is shown vacant on the OS map of 1834-35, with the present house shown on the revised map of 1857. The valuation of 1862 tells us that the building was relatively new at that point (grade ‘A’- built within the previous 20 years, possibly c.1850) and occupied by one Brown Rolleston (or ‘Rolestone’). Though the length and unusual internal layout of the property would suggest that the property has been extended at some point, the valuation suggests not, for the dimensions given for this ‘new’ house are the same as today. It is clear from the valuation, and the OS map, that there a greater number of outbuildings to the south of the house. The post 1864 annual valuation revisions tell us that these were ‘weaving sheds’, but were demolished in 1882-83, reducing the rateable value of the whole ensemble from £24 to £17 in the process.

Brown Rolleston remained in residence until 1898, after which the house was occupied by a Harriet Lonsdale, with whose relatives it remained until the 1980s.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/2/8/1 OS map, Co Armagh sh 8, 1834-35
2 PRONI OS/6/2/8/2 OS map, Co Armagh sh 8, 1857
3 PRONI VAL/2B/2/7 Second valuation, Loughgall parish, 1862
4 PRONI VAL/12B/10/12a-f Annual valuation revision notebooks, 1864-1929

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Long, plain two storey gabled farm house of c.1850, with Georgian paned sash windows throughout and dry dash to front. The plan form is unusual and, apart from the modern render and some loss of detail, the house remains largely original.