14 Coyles Hill Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Three-bay direct-entry vernacular house accessed down a lane to W of Coyles Hill Road.

Pitched natural slate roof with two rendered and coped chimneys - one between the left and centre bays, the other on right (S) gable. There is a small metal skylight to the rear pitch. Raised eaves course. No rainwater goods.

Principal elevation faces W into farmyard. Left and middle bays are single storey and right bay is two storeys high. Walls are lined rendered with exposed rubble stones to the base. Stepped granite quoins to left gable. A narrow concrete path runs along the front of the left and centre bays. Left bay has a 2/2 (vertically divided) sliding sash window with horns and granite rendered cill. All windows are as this unless otherwise stated. Centre bay has entrance windbreak porch set to the right with a pitched natural slate roof and walls as façade. Left and right cheeks are blank and door is t+g sheeted. Concrete step to porch. To left of porch is a sash window. Right bay has a single window to each floor.

Left gable is abutted by a lower and narrower outbuilding of no interest. The exposed gable on the main block has a small 2x2 fixed window.

Rear elevation has walls as façade. There is a single sash window to middle bay and similar to each floor of left bay.

Right gable is blank.

Farmyard is enclosed to S by a single storey outbuilding with pitched artificial tile roof and lime rendered rubble stone walls (of no interest). To W (opposite house) are the ruinous remains of two single storey outbuildings to N and S joined by a random rubble stone wall. There is also a single storey cattle shed with corrugated metal roof at SE (of no interest).

Historical information

House with this footprint shown on 1834 OS 6” map; not valued (i.e. under £5). No change in valuation between 1860s and 1920s. Evidence therefore suggests that the existing building is probably of early 19thC date.

Primary sources:
1. OS 6" map, 1st edition (1834) Co Down sheet 51 (PRONI OS 6/3/51/1)
2. PRONI Second valuation c.1862, VAL 2B/3/57C, p.58.
3. PRONI Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, VAL 12B/22/5.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This building is good example of an evolved direct entry vernacular house which remains surprisingly unaltered and retains its unusual ‘cupboard’ staircase.