241 Newry Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey/ two-bay formalised vernacular farmhouse with one and two-storey returns. Pitched natural slate roof with rendered gable chimneys (no pots). The ridge is blue clay tiles, the verges are raised in concrete and the eaves project. The gutters are galvanised metal with some plastic on the single storey outhouses. Walls are whitewashed lime rendered.

The principal elevation faces NE. Slightly left of centre is the entrance door framed and sheeted with a two paned overlight all protected within a decorative pitched roofed timber framed open porch. The front panels of the porch are pierced and designs include leaves, hearts and stars. Its flanks are diagonal trelliswork. To left and at right is a 6/6 sliding sash window with exposed boxes and painted granite cills. At first floor are three 6/3 sliding sashes in line with the ground floor openings (also with exposed boxes and granite cills).

Left gable is abutted by a single-storey/ two-bay outhouse (may have been labourers’ lodgings). Exposed section of gable blank. The outhouse has a pitched natural slate roof and chimney to party wall. No rainwater goods. Rendered walls. North elevation blank. East gable has small window, and south elevation a t+g door into left bay.

Rear elevation of main block is abutted across its entire length: at left by a one-and-a-half storey return and at right by a one-storey lean-to. The left return was, according to the owner, once a shop. It was built in two phases and this is reflected in a 30cm instep between the ground and upper floors. It has a pitched natural slate roof and whitewashed rendered walls. On its east elevation is a sheeted door and a 1/1 sliding sash to right of this. There is also a loading door to the first floor. In the gable is a sheeted loft door accessed by external mass-concrete stairs. The left cheek of this return has, at left, a casement window to each floor.

The lean-to at right of rear elevation has an monopitch artificial slate roof. There is a water pump against the outside wall. The yard-facing wall of this lean-to has a sheeted door, to the right of which is a modern steel casement window. Both cheeks are blank.

The right gable of the main block is blank.

At the front of the house is a formally laid out geometrical garden protected by a low whitewashed stone wall with traditional wrought iron gate. The approach to the house is by a long drive straight past the west gable to the yard which is stone paved and walled. The gates out of it are traditional vernacular patterns. In the yard behind the house is a parallel range of single storey buildings, now roofless.

Historical information

Building shown here on 1834 OS 6” map. 1838 Valuation notes owner as Edward Cummin and dimensions as 33ft 6in x 19ft x 15ft, all of which broadly accord with dimensions given in 1861 valuation and match those of present house.

Primary Sources:
1. PRONI- OS6/3/55/1 (1834 OS map) (Down sheet 55).
2. PRONI- VAL 1B/390A (1838 Valuation) p.179.
3. PRONI- VAL 2B/3/81B (1861 Valuation)p.52.

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

A substantial two-storey Mourne farmhouse, probably of early 19th century date. It retains many original features and displays a regularised, but asymmetrical, façade and a fine decorative porch.