Vernacular house

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey /two bay hearth-lobby vernacular house accessed by a lane on E side of Cabragh Road.

Pitched natural slate roof (some slates missing) with rendered and coped chimney to left (S) gable. Chimney to centre has been removed and right bay seems to have been re-slated as slates to left bay are more roughly dressed. Raised eaves course. No rainwater goods. Walls are random rubble and lime rendered.

Principal elevation faces E into front yard. Left bay has a large window opening (now sheeted over) with a concrete cill and the remains of an exposed box frame. Aligned above is a smaller 2/2 exposed-box sliding sash replacement window (vertically divided) with horns and no cill. All windows are as this unless otherwise stated.

Right bay has entrance windbreakporch set to left, with pitched natural slate roof, carved bargeboard and t+g sheeted door. Its left and right cheek are blank. There are irregular granite flags to threshold. To right of porch is a small sash window to ground floor with thick granite cill. To first floor, set slightly to its left, is a similar but smaller window.

Left gable has a window opening to first floor (now sheeted over) and a projecting irregular stone bracket (function unknown).

Each bay to rear elevation has a 2/2 sash window to ground floor and to first floor.

Right gable is abutted by a single storey outbuilding with corrugated asbestos roof and random rubble walls.

Setting.

House is accessed off Cabragh Road through a curved rendered rubble stone wall, terminated with a pair of cylindrical stone pillars with conical stone copings. Pillars support a pair of wrought iron gates with spear-end finials, protective cross br, dog bars and decorative latch. A similar pair of pillars supports a less ornate pair of gates into front garden. There is also a two-stage single storey rubble stone outbuilding with a pitched natural slate roof to the front yard.

Historical information

Not on the 1834 OS 6’’ map. First shown on 1860 edition, in present form. Valued c.1862 at 15s. 0.d. In 1893 the valuation increases to £1.5s.0d and noted as “Part of house raised and slated”. No further changes in valuation.

Primary Sources:
1. OS 6" map, 1st edition (1834) Co Down sheet 47 (PRONI OS 6/3/47/1)
2. OS 6" map, 2nd edition (1860) Co Down sheet 47 (PRONI OS 6/3/47/2)
3. PRONI 2nd valuation, c.1862, VAL 2B/3/57C, p.5.
4. PRONI valuation revision books 1866-1930, VAL 12B/22/5.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

The most interesting feature of this evolved vernacular building was its hearth lobby entrance, a feature not normally found in this region. A significant portion of its fabric and details has been lost and insufficient remains of the historic fabric to merit statutory protection.