156 Lower Dromore Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Single storey/ three bay vernacular house on E side of Dromore Road. House is aligned W-E up the slope with its gable facing the road. Its left and central bays (as viewed from S) are thatched, its slightly higher right bay has a natural slate roof.

Original house has a thatched roof with a plain ridge. Whitewashed rubble stone chimney to right end of ridge, at join with slate roof. Walls are rubble stone with an ochre painted lime render.

Principal elevation faces S. In central bay is a t+g sheeted door with 19thC letter box and knob. To its right is a small fixed timber window. To left bay there is a slightly wider 3x2 paned, timber casement window.

The right bay is later, with slightly higher wall head and pitched natural slate roof with a second chimney to its right gable. Its front wall is whitewashed and has a 2/2 sliding sash window (with horns and exposed sash boxes) to centre.

The left gable of the thatched section is blank.

Rear elevation of thatched section has a pair of 1/1 casement windows in a single opening to left, with a modern half-glazed door to its right. At extreme right end is a small 3x2 paned window. A small shed abuts between the windows. Its walls are of concrete blockwork and corrugated metal walls, and the roof of corrugated plastic (of no interest).

The rear elevation of the higher bay (now at left) is abutted completely by a post-WW2 painted and rendered concrete block extension with shallow monopitched tin roof and plain walls.

N facing wall of the extension is blank. Left cheek has modern fixed window (with concrete cill). Right cheek has single paned casement (also with concrete cill).

The right gable of the right bay is blank and its rubble stone chimney breast advances forward in two stages.

Setting:

Small front garden is enclosed by hedges and is planted with mature trees and bushes. To immediate front of house are small box hedges and creepers grow up the front elevation.

To rear right is a cast iron pump on concrete plinth with fluted head, lugged spout, cow-tailed handle, a lion mark on plain banded column inscribed “Lion / Evans” (disused).

Historical information

Although a building is shown hereabouts on the 1834 OS 6" map, it has a different orientation to the present one, the orientation of which is first shown on the 1860 map. Its valuation in 1863 is £1, and this increases to £1.5s.0d in 1875 - this may reflect an extension.

The present water pump is a replacement of an earlier one, installed by the owner c.40years ago.

Primary sources:
1. OS 6" map, 1st edition (1834), sheet 51 (PRONI, OS/6/3/51/1).
2. OS 6" map, 2nd edition (1860), sheet 51 (PRONI, OS/6/3/51/2).
3. Second Valuation book (1863) (PRONI, VAL/2B/3/65A, p.14).
4. Valuation Revision book (PRONI, VAL/12B/22/23B, p.97).
5. Information from present owner (1999).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A vernacular house retaining much characterbut with alterations and extensions.