38 Dunnaval Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey / two bay house and former post office on intersection of Dunnaval Road and Ballynahattan Road.

Pitched natural slate roof with dashed brick verges and rendered coped chimney to each gable. That to left has (?asbestos-cement) slate smokestacks and right has terracotta pots. Half-round plastic rainwater goods, part missing.

Walls are painted wet-dash with projecting eaves and a painted granite wheel stone to right corner (on road junction).

Façade, which faces north, is slightly asymmetrical, with right bay wider than left one. Main entrance is slightly to right of centre and contains a framed and sheeted door with an additional hinged half leaf (to allow door to fold neatly into an internal vestibule). Over is a mouth-organ transom (now boarded up). To left and right at ground floor are 6/6 exposed box sliding sashes with painted granite cills. To first floor are three similar windows in line with ground floor openings. All are now boarded up.

Left and right gables are blank.

Rear elevation is abutted along its full length by a one-storey annexe. Its natural slate roof is tarred and abuts eaves of main block. Its walls are smooth lined render and it has a 1/1 sliding sash window to either end (both boarded up) and a t+g sheeted painted timber door towards right end. Blank cheeks.

At front right is a gravelled area, with an EIIR post-box on a cast-iron post. To left side is a small overgrown garden. To rear is a small yard with derelict outbuilding. It is partially enclosed by the gable of an abutting barn, to the right of which is a pedestrian gate and flanking railings, all of wrought-iron. At right, along Ballynahattan Road, is a vehicle entrance to rear. Comprises a corrugated metal gate between two dashed square piers.

Historical information

Shown on the 1834 OS 6” map. Cited as a one-storey building measuring 49ft x 17ft x 8ft6in, with a return measuring 27ft x 8ft x 6ft, all belonging to Henry Reilly. The 1863 second Valuation describes it as 27ft x 18ft x two storeys, with a 27ft x 9ft x one-storey return. It still belonged to Reilly and is described as “a small post office”. These statistics suggest that the building was rebuilt as a two-storey structure during the mid 19th century. However, the fireplaces and staircase suggests some modernisation during the present century.

Primary References:
1. OS 6" map, 1st edition (1834) Co Down sheet 57 (PRONI OS/6/3/57/1)
2. PRONI- VAL 1B/390B, p.219 (1834 valuation).
3. PRONI- VAL 2B/3/81C, p.1 (1863 valuation).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Simple vernacular shop building at a road juction, retaining most of its original features but not of sufficient quality to merit listing.