53 Benagh Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

One and a half storey / two bay vernacular house up a lane on east side of Benagh Road.

Pitched natural slate roof (slates small and thick) with iron skylight to rear pitch, clay ridge tiles and cement coped verge. Dashed corbelled brick chimney to each gable. Projecting eaves support half round metal gutters. Walls are harled and whitewashed rubble stone tarred at base.

Principal elevation faces north into yard. Main entrance is at left side of right bay. Sheeted front door (four wide planks, each with central bead) is set in a projecting gabled porch. It has a natural slate roof with slate flashing detail and mortared verge; no rainwater goods. Its walls are as façade and each cheek is blank. Set to left of right bay of main block is a 6/6 partially exposed-box sliding sash with painted stone cill, and there is a similar window centred on the left bay.

Right gable of main block is blank at ground floor and has two 2/2 exposed box sliding sash windows to first floor gable. Abutting this gable at left is a square stone built pier with domed cap from which is hung a traditional flat iron gate.

Rear elevation of main block is abutted at left by a modern kitchen extension. To right of extension is a buttress to rear wall of main block and beyond is a low 6/3 exposed box sash window. Extension is single storey with a shallow monopitch asbestos slated roof. Its walls are smooth rendered and it has a steel casement window on its rear wall. Its right cheek is blank and its left cheek has a 1930s style partly glazed door.

Left gable is abutted by a single storey wing, over which, in gable, is a partially exposed box 2/2 sliding sash window offset towards the front. Single storey wing has a natural slate roof (slates thinner and larger than those on main block) and a red brick chimney on end gable. Walls are harled and whitewashed. A small outbuilding (see later) abuts its front wall. Its gable has a 2/2 exposed-box sash window, and its rear wall has a 2/2 sash window.

Single storey outbuilding abuts at right angles to front of this block, it has a pitched natural slate roof. It has a sheeted door on its west face and no other openings.

To east of the house is a small domestic water pump.

Outbuildings

Opposite the house, across the yard, is a single long storey outbuilding. Pitched natural slate roof (west end asbestos), but no rainwater goods. Walls are harled and whitewashed with a tarred base. Five openings from left to right on front wall are: sheeted half door, small vent with cill, sheeted half door, double leaf door, and single door.

On left corner is a pair of metal gates link to a second outbuilding (described later). In the left gable is a pair of corrugated iron doors. Rear wall is unpainted granite rubble, without openings and against which is a concrete block lean-to with an open corrugated tin roof shelter. Right gable is blank.

The second outbuilding is a byre with hayloft over at west end of yard. It is at right angles to the first and is 1½ storeys / two bays. Pitched natural slate roof, no gutters although brackets remain, walls are roughly dressed squared granite, snecked and laid in courses. The E face (to yard) is the front. Openings from left to right: sheeted half door, vent, then a similar second door. Left gable has a painted sheeted timber loading door to upper floor. Rear elevation has two small low openings (left-hand infilled). Right gable has a flight of smooth cement rendered steps to door in gable. Abutting to ground floor right of these is a small outhouse with corrugated monopitched roof and cement rendered walls. It has a door on its left cheek and a four paned window on its right cheek; front wall blank.

Historical information

A building and outhouses are shown at this location on the 1834 OS map. It may have been associated with the nearby Benagh House (HB16/05/022).

Primary Sources:
1. OS 6" map, 1st edition (1834) Co Down sheet 55 (PRONI OS/6/3/55/1)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This vernacular house with its outbuildings is a good example of its type, little altered and with an attractive setting and group value.