1 Derryloughan Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A single storey, six bay, dual lobby entry thatched house of plastered and whitened mud wall construction with a black base at the front and left hand (west) gable.
The house, situated at the Diamond, faces south at the north–west corner of an intersection of a minor road with the road that travels in a southerly direction from the main Portadown/Moy road. The house is located about four miles from Portadown.

The thatch roof covering is retained between raised parapet gables, exposed scollops form a pattern at the ridge and there is a further row of scallops below this feature. The eaves that are square cut do not have exposed scollops.
A plain plastered chimney rises from beside the left hand (west) gable and there are similar features over the position of the two main hearths.

All of the windows on the front elevation of the building are 6/6 vertically sliding with splayed sash stops and sills of traditional depth. There are three entrances and eight window openings arranged as follows from the left hand (west) corner: -
Three windows followed by a curved jamb windbreak porch protected by an extension of the thatched covering and entered by a timber sheeted half door. This is followed by three more windows, a timber sheeted door and two windows on either side of a curved jamb windbreak porch protected by an extension of the thatch and with a timber sheeted half door. A VR post box is set into the wall to the right of the entrance that lacks a windbreak porch. A painted timber sign over this entrance is inscribed “DAN WINTER, Grocer, Spirit Merchant, Tobacconist”. To the right of the first windbreak porch there occurs a blue-coloured plaque inscribed “Dan Winter’s Cottage 1795”.

The seven windows on the rear elevation are all 6/6 vertically sliding with splayed sash stops but without sills. They vary in size and in levels as follows starting from the right hand (west) corner: -
Two windows at a lower level, two somewhat higher and another similar in form at the other side of a timber sheeted door. There is a window at a lower level and one at the general higher level before finishing with another timber-sheeted door.
There are no openings in the gables.

Historical information

A building is shown on this site on the OS map of 1834-35, but not included in the (near) contemporary valuation. In the second valuation of 1862 it is recorded as occupied by Francis Winters [sic], who was leasing it from the Cope (Loughgall) Estate, with the rateable value calculated at £2.

No house appears to be indicated on the this site (i.e. on the crossroads) on John Rocque’s 1760 survey of County Armagh. It is accepted, however, that the building was standing at the time of the Battle of the Diamond in 1795 when following the skirmish between the protestant ‘Peep o’day Boys’ and the catholic ‘Defenders’, a number of the triumphant Peep o’day Boys met either in this building, (believed then to be an inn belonging to Dan Winter), or at nearby house to the east, also belonging to the Winter family, and took the decision to form what was to become the Orange Order.

An extensive renovation of the property was carried out in 1918 by rev. John Winter.

In the mid 1990s, in preparation for the celebration of the bicentenary of Orangeism, moves were made to restore the building and add an interpretative / visitors’ centre to the site. In July 1993 the Ulster Society sought planning approval to restore this house and to construct a two-storey interpretative building, with Dan Winter’s Heritage Trust seeking Listed Building Consent for the restoration of 1 Derryloughan Road and the addition of a visitor centre in November of the following year.

Approval for the latter scheme was granted and, after funding for the project was secured, restoration work began in March 1998. The existing roof structure was retained with the thatcher putting in place barrier foil and using fire retardant.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/1A/2/9 OS map, County Armagh sheet 9, with valuation
references (1834-35) The house appears on this map.
2 PRONI VAL/2A/2/9A OS map, County Armagh sheet 9, with valuation references (1860 [-c.62])The house and two small outbuildings to the west appear on this map.
3 PRONI VAL/2B/2/30 Second valuation, Newry (1862)

Secondary sources
1 Bassett, George Henry, ‘The Book of County Armagh’ (Dublin, 1888), pp.320-21
2 Sibbert, R.M., ‘Orangeism in Ireland and Throughout the Empire (1914, [?]revised 1939)
3 Wolsey, W.H., ‘Story of the Battle of the Diamond (1928)
4 ‘Armagh Guardian’, 25 July 1952 [Article]
5 ?Author, “On the Conditions of the Refugees” in ‘Seanchas Ard Mhacha’ (1958)
6 Senior, Hereward, ‘Orangeism in Ireland and Britain’ (1966)
7 Dewar, Long and Brown, ‘’Orangeism (1966)
8 Brown, Rev. John, ‘Orangeism, A New Historical Appreciation’ (c.1960s)
9 Miller, David W., ‘Peep o'day boys and defenders : selected documents on the disturbances in County Armagh, 1784-1796’ (Belfast, PRONI, 1990)
10 ‘Belfast Telegraph’, 2 June 1995 [Article]
11 ‘Belfast News-Letter’, 21 September 1995 [Article]
12 ‘Belfast Telegraph’, 4 October 1995 [Article]
13 ‘Belfast Telegraph’, 7 October 1995 [Article]
14 Redmond, Jack, ‘The History Books All Say…’ (November , 1995) [Source of article not known]
15 ‘The Ulster Gazette’, 28 March 1996 [Article]
16 ‘Belfast News-Letter’, 4 April 1996 [Article]
17 Gray, Tony, ‘A History of the Orange Order’ (1996)
18 ‘Belfast Telegraph’, 26 August 2000 [Article]
19 Miller, David W., “The Origins of the Orange Order in County Armagh” in ‘Armagh History and Society ed. Hughes, A.J. and Nolan, William (Dublin, 2001)
20 Agnew, Frazer, ‘Diamond to Loughgall- The Battle of the Diamond’, [Date not known]
21 Lilburn, Richard, ‘Orangeism’, [Date not known]
22 Long, Rev. S.E., ‘Orangeism in N. Ireland’, [Date not known]
23 Lutton, S.E., ‘A Short History of the Loughgall Area’ [Date not known]
24 Tohall, Patrick, ‘The Diamond Fight of 1795 and the Resultant Expulsions’, [Date not known]
25 Verner, Col. Sir William, ‘Battle of the Diamond’, ?
26 ‘Orangeism’, [Date and author not known]
27 Reproduction scene of the Battle of the Diamond [Date not known]
28 Reproduction of photograph of the 1860s / 70s [Date of reproduction not known]
29 The Battle of The Diamond – An eye Witness Account”, Parliamentary Records
30 Bassett, George Henry,” A Guide and Directory” 1888
31 Quigley, R J, Newry Examiner 1837
32 Seanchas Ard Mhacha, “On the Conditions of the Refugees”, 1958

Other references.:
EHS file. - Numerous letters and reports from June 1991/ April 2000

Historical Information:

Colin Winter’s cottage was the focal point of the Battle of the Diamond in 1795. That evening after the battle an Orange Society was formed.
Extensive renovation was carried out by the Rev. John Winter in 1918.
The early roof timbers have been identified as being in place at the time of the Battle of the Diamond in 1795.
Planning application on behalf of the Ulster Society dated 29 July 1993 to restore Nos. 1 and 9 Derryloughan Road and to construct a two-storey interpretative building were received..
Application for grant aid by Colin Winter to EHS, 21 March and 14 June 1994.
Application for Listed Building Consent on behalf of Dan Winter’s Heritage Trust,
7 November 1994 to restore No.1 Derryloughan Road and to add a visitors Centre.
Application for planning permission for scheme as outlined above, 14 November 1994.
Listed building consent and planning permission were granted for the erection of a heritage centre and refurbishment of the associated cottage on 28 November 1994.
An application for grant assistance by the Dan Winter Heritage Trust under the EC Tourism Sub Programme was approved on 25 August 1995 and an offer was made on 30 July 1996.
Restoration work started in March 1998. It was agreed that reed would be acceptable for re-thatching. The origin of the material is stated as Austria and the nitrogen content test was acceptable.
The thatcher’s quotation included the use of barrier foil and fire retardant.
A mud wall collapsed and was replaced in blockwork in 1999.
The existing roof structure was retained under a foil barrier in 1999.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

D. Plan Form
F. Structural System
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
V. Authorship
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

A single storey, six bay, dual lobby entry thatched house of plastered and whitened mud wall construction.
The layout retains all of the original features including two lobby entries and four fireplaces. The continuing existence of the extensive roof structure is of special interest.
This house,along with that at 9 Derryloughan Road, is the first example of removal of corrugated iron roof covering followed by re-thatching. It is hoped that this will provide a model for similar work involving Thatch Under Tin (TUT) buildings.