48 Dromore Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Much altered 19thC two storey (with semi basement) / three bay farmhouse with rear yard on triangular site at junction of Banbridge Road and Ballyroney Road.

Pitched artificial slate roof with plain overhanging eaves supporting modern plastic rainwater goods. Yellow brick chimney with brick projecting band on each gable.

Main elevation faces S and walls are lined cement render and painted. Three openings to each floor. Central one to ground floor is main entrance and is abutted by a modern stained timber porch with flat roof (of no interest). All remaining openings are 6/6 modern stained timber casements set in original openings with painted granite cills.

Left and right gables are blank.

At rear the ground falls away to reveal a basement. Rear elevation is abutted to centre by a two-storey return with door on ground floor left. All windows are modern casements.

A rendered dwarf wall topped by a cast concrete balustrade encloses small front garden. Rear yard has a number of rubble stone work outbuildings with pitched natural slate roofs.

Historical information

First shown on 1860 OS 1:500 town map (but not on 1833 6” edition), thus indicating a mid 19th century date of construction.

The 1970 slide shows this building with many of its original features, including 6/6 timber sliding sash windows and a shallow rendered masonry entrance porch with a plain cornice. It has a four panelled timber door with rectangular transom over. To front are iron railings on a rendered plinth with a matching gate. The HMBB survey card from 1970 further states that it had painted quoins and anentrance door surmounted by a rectangular fanlight and narrow windows in each cheek of the porch.

Primary Sources
1. OS 6" map, 1st edition (1833) Co Down sheet 41 (PRONI OS 6/3/41/1)
2. OS 1:500 scale town map, Rathfriland (1860), (PRONI OS 8/24/1/4)
3. 1970 HMMB slide in Architectural Archive 5-33 Hill Street

Secondary Sources
1. P.J. Rankin “Hilltown and Rathfriland List” Belfast (1978-9).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This much altered farmhouse retains no features of interest.