33 Greencastle Pier Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Small group of three vernacular dwellings and outbuilding forming a small settlement up a lane on north side of Greencastle Pier Road.

Building A

Two storey / three bay vernacular farmhouse, with south facing façade, at west end of group.

Pitched roof. Central and right bays are natural slate and left bay (later addition) is artificial slated. Natural slate rear pitch is in poor condition. Right gable has a cement fillet and left has a plain slated verge. Four corbelled rendered chimneys, one to each gable and on either side of central bay. No rainwater goods.

Walls to centre and right bays are harled and whitewashed; that to left bay is painted smooth cement rendered. At left side of central bay is a shallow windbreak porch with walls as façade and natural slate monopitched roof. Door is sheeted and painted.

To its right is a 2/2 exposed box sliding sash window with painted granite cill. There is a similar window to right bay at ground floor. At first floor above each ground floor opening is a similar window. The ground floor of left bay has a pair of 1/1 sliding sashes set into a single opening, with similar above.

Left gable is abutted at ground floor by a lean-to outbuilding. Gable above is smooth rendered and has a pair of 1/1 sliding sashes. Single storey outbuilding has a mono-pitched natural slate roof, painted wet dashed walls and a door to front and a boarded up window to rear.

Rear elevation is abutted to centre and left by a lean-to return. Exposed left end has a small boarded up window opening. Remaining wall to central bay has a similar opening. Right bay is painted smooth render. It has a single boarded up window opening on each floor.

Lean-to has a monopitched natural slate roof with cement verge and no rainwater goods. Whitewashed random rubble walls with small window opening at right end of yard facing wall and a doorway at either end.

Right gable is blank and abutted to right side by a red brick outshot with slate roof, harled walls, and with no openings.

Setting

Front of house opens onto lane. There is a rear yard enclosed by single storey outbuildings of no interest. To west, along lane, is a small pig house with rubble walls, natural slate roof and enclosed pen to east gable.

Building B

Single storey outbuilding (animal house) aligned W-E, across lane to ENE of house.

Pitched asbestos slate roof with cement verges. Walls are of granite and shalestone rubble. The quality to front wall is much better than that to the others.

Front (south facing) wall has two sheeted doors in separate openings and a pair of similar doors at right end.

Left gable has a sheeted loft door with a small shuttered opening below.

Rear wall has a small shuttered opening at right hand end.

Right gable is abutted by a rubble stone lean-to extension. Gable above is obscured by vegetation. Lean-to has a mono-pitched natural slate roof, rubble walls and a sheeted door.

Building C

Two storey / two bay vernacular farm house, with a third single storey / single bay wing.

Pitched natural slate roof with tiled verges and corbelled eaves. Projecting rendered chimney to each gable. No gutters. Walls are rubble stone, harled (gone in places) with an ochre coloured wash.

Front elevation is north facing. Main entrance is to right bay of main block and is set into a shallow windbreak porch with monopitched natural slate roof, walls as façade and sheeted door. To its immediate right is a small rectangular window (sheeted over) without cill. Ground floor left bay has two boarded up window openings at left end. Two four paned windows without cills to first floor.

Left gable has a single large boarded up window opening at first floor.

Rear elevation of main block has a 1930s glazed and panelled door to centre, a boarded window to right and a similar opening to left. Both windows have brick jambs.

Right bay is blank and abutted at ground floor by a single storey wing. This has a pitched natural slate roof and walls as main block. There are two brick dressed window openings on its front elevation (larger than those on main block). One on its end gable and the other on its right cheek.

House fronts lane. To rear is a garden enclosed by rubble walls and accessed by a gate abutting right bay.

Building D

Two storey / three bay vernacular farmhouse, the most easterly of the group of four.

Pitched natural slate roof with cement verges and a rendered chimney to each gable, and third between second and third bays. Projecting eaves support half-round cast iron gutters. Walls are harled over random rubble. All original window openings have painted granite cills but those with steel casements have been widened and have concrete cills.

The entrance is to left on central bay. Sheeted door is set within a single storey, lean-to windbreak porch with monopitched natural slate roof and walls as main block. To its right is a 2/2 sliding sash window with horns and painted granite cill. There is a similar window opening to ground floor of right bay, but sashes are gone. Left bay has a steel casement window. At first floor (in line with ground floor windows) there is a single window on each bay. All are steel side hung metal casements.

Left gable has a small steel casement to rear at ground floor.

Rear elevation has, on its right bay, a flight of cement rendered steps abutting at right angles and serving a sheeted timber door at first floor. Central bay has one window opening at ground floor and two at first floor. Right bay is blank. Wall very overgrown.

Right gable is blank and abutted by a monolithic granite gate pier.

Setting

Small front garden has been cleared of vegetation and walling. Two ruinous single storey outbuildings enclose rear yard. In rear garden is a dry latrine with rubble walls and monopitched natural slate roof.

Historical information

All buildings shown on 1834 OS map.

Primary Sources:
1. OS 6" map, 1st edition (1834) Co Down sheet 57 (PRONI OS/6/3/57/1)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This group of houses and outbuildings with associated gardens and setting is an attractive vernacular grouping, of a type which is uncommon in the local area. However, these buildings are not not of special architectural or historic interest in a wider context.