111 Drumhillery Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two storey, two-bay vernacular house with outbuildings to each gable. It is aligned N-S on a lane to the W of Drumhillery Road.

Pitched natural slate roof with cement-rendered chimney to each gable and a brick chimney to party wall between each bay. Advanced eaves course; no rainwater goods. Walls are lined rendered with slightly advanced base course and contrasting stepped quoins to facade.

Principal elevation faces E. Left bay has a three-quarter height windbreak porch set to the right. It has a pitched corrugated asbestos roof with plain timber bargeboards; walls are as house. To front face is a t+g sheeted door with narrow transom over with diamond-cut bottom rail; right and left cheeks are blank. To left is an 8/8 exposed box sliding sash window (with horns) and painted stone cill (all are as this unless otherwise stated). Right bay has a 2/2 sash window to ground floor. Aligned above to first floor, each bay has a 3/6 sash window, diminished in height.

Left gable is abutted by four lower single-storey outbuildings (see later). The exposed section is blank.

Rear elevation has a 2/2 sash window to ground floor of each bay - that to left is smaller. Left bay has a 1/1 sash to first floor.

Right gable is abutted by two single-storey lean-to outbuildings (see later). The exposed section is blank.

Outbuildings to left gable:

All have lime-rendered rubble stone walls with pitched corrugated metal roofs; except that to extreme right-end which is natural slate. Each has a t+g sheeted door to E elevation; those to extreme right are a pair. The central two outbuildings each have a window opening set to right of the door - that to left is a 2x3 metal framed casement, that to right is a single-fixed pane. The rear elevation of all outbuildings (with the exception of that to right) contain a metal-framed casement window – from left they are as follows: a 2x4, a 1/1, and a 2x3.

Outbuildings to right gable

Two single-storey side-by-side lean-to sheds - that to rear is larger. That to W has a corrugated metal roof and cement-rendered walls. Its W cheek has a 3x2 metal-framed casement window and its N face is blank. Its E cheek is abutted by the second lean-to - the exposed section has a t+g sheeted door set to right. That to E is shallower with a corrugated asbestos roof. It has t+g sheeted door to E cheek and an infilled window opening to N face.

To S of site is a single-storey outbuilding with pitched corrugated metal roof and cement rendered walls. E elevation has a t+g sheeted door to left and a 1x3 metal-framed casement to right. Left gable is blank. Rear elevation has a 1x2 metal-framed casement set to right. Right gable has a timber door.

Setting:

This group of buildings occupies an elevated site, accessed by a lane off the Drumhillery Road with hedgerow boundaries. The rear elevation is built into a bank.

Historical information

This building appears on the 1835 OS map as a rectangular block, however it may not be the existing building. By 1860 it was described as “House and offices” valued at £2.10.0 and occupied by a Samuel Wilson. The building valuation remains the same, suggesting it was originally built as a two storey dwelling. By 1888 it was occupied by James Macklin, then Thomas Murphy and Patrick Murphy in 1922 and 1923 respectively.

Primary Sources
1. PRONI – VAL1A/2/19, VAL2B/2/40 p8, VAL12B/10/19a-d
2. 1st edition OS 6” map, Co Armagh, Sheet 19, 1835 (PRONI – OS 6/2/19/1).
3. 2nd edition OS 6” map, Co Armagh, Sheet 19, 1860 (PRONI – OS 6/2/19/2).
4. 3rd Edition OS 6” map, Co Armagh, Sheet 19, 1901 (PRONI – OS 6/2/19/3).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

An attractive and well-proportioned 19thC vernacular dwelling pleasantly set within a well-concealed elevated site. It retains most of its original internal and external fabric.