Dwelling

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Single-storey/ three-bay dwelling with south-east facing façade set into the hillside so that the rear eaves is at ground level. It has a coped gabled roof, part slated (left of door) and part corrugated (to right). There is a cement-rendered chimney on the south west gable and another on the party wall between the second and third bays (as viewed from the front). The rainwater goods are plastic.

The rubble granite walls are rendered with cement and painted white. There is an off-centre half-door to middle bay on the main elevation, with tongue and groove boards. Each bay has a green-painted timber sliding sash window (one to the left of the door, two to the right), all with granite cills.

A now-roofless monopitched shed abuts the south west gable. A shed with pitched roof abuts the north east (right) gable; the remains of another shed abut this.

Rear elevation has a single sliding sash window to middle bay.

A short distance south is a two-storey byre (HB16/01/035B).

Historical information

A building is shown on this site on the 1859 OS 6” map. As it is not on the 1834 edition, it is therefore of mid 19th century date. The building’s main interest lies in the fact that it was the holiday home of Estyn Evans, professor of Geography at Queen’s University, Belfast and founder of its departments of Archaeology, Social Anthropology and Institute of Irish Studies. Evans was also a founder member of the Ulster Folk Life Society and a chairman of the Ulster Folk Museum. It was in this house that he wrote his seminal work ‘Mourne Country’, first published in 1951 and still an excellent example of a regional geographical monograph.

Source:
1. PRONI – OS 6/3/49/1(1834 OS map).
2. PRONI- OS 6/3/49/2 (1859 OS map).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
D. Plan Form
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

The slightly raised cill height of the left most bay and different roof coverings would suggest that this building was extended lengthways to the left of the kitchen. This evolving plan form is typical of the area.

It has strong links with Estyn Evans, pioneer of Folklife studies in Ireland, writer on the Mournes, and who also made a significant contribution to our understanding of Irish vernacular buildings. The building also has an attractive setting, being surrounded by rubble granite walls, and compliments the nearby byre with which it was once functionally associated.