Dunscoy

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

One and a half storey 19thC house on the S-side of Donaghaguy Road. House is roughly square in plan, having been enlarged and the roof profile altered, which gives its end gables a very wide appearance.

Pitched roof with new heavy artificial tiles and crested terracotta ridge tiles and boxed eaves. Two rendered chimney stacks to front pitch – one to each gable, each with a single yellow octagonal pot. Front pitch has three large hipped dormers, each with a pair of modern casement windows; glazed cheeks.

Principal elevation faces W. Walls are painted and line rendered. Door at centre is modern painted timber with ¾ height plainly glazed sidelights. Two granite steps up to threshold. Flanked to each side by a large canted bay with moulded cornice and balustraded parapet. Each cheek has a 1/1 fixed timber window with a stained glass transom; the front window contains a pair of 1/1 casements and all cheeks have a common hood mould and cill.

Left (N) elevation has a door flanked by two modern windows at left. Door is modern timber with strap hinges and windows are 1/1 and although mimicking sliding sashes they are actually top hung casements. All other windows are like these unless otherwise stated. In attic there are three equally spaced 2/2 windows.

Rear elevation is all modern with similar door to left and three windows to right (a pair of 2/2, one 2/2 and one 2/2). The right section of roof has two dormers as front pitch. The wall continues to left as a two-storey rear return which is all modern, detailed as main block and advances beyond the line of the right gable of the main block.

Right gable of main block and the front facing cheek of the rear return are abutted by a large modern conservatory (of no interest). Exposed section of wall is blank.

Front garden is lawned and enclosed by a rubble stone wall to N, a modern concrete block wall to W and a fence to S. Small screen with rendered square piers (with recessed moulded panels and gable-coped caps) to modern gate; similar terminal piers. To rear (E) of house is a yard with a two storey rubble stone outbuilding, of no interest.

Historical information

Shown on the 1834 OS 6" map and described in the 1835 Valuation Book as measuring 31ft x 23ft6in x 13ft high. These statistics are similar to those given in the 1863 Valuation, which, taken with the constancy of its rateable valuation, suggest that it remained relatively unaltered until renovated in the 1920s and more recently.

The HMBB first card states, “chimney gables plus return rendered smooth with corbel course and yellow octagonal pots. Roof natural slate with red crested ridges to main building and plain blue-grey ridge to return, bracketed eaves. Two canted dormer and central dormer with flat face. Walls smooth rendered. Entrance door solid with side lights, all modern in old opening. Windows are variety of sliding sashes to ground floor. Fixed lights with 1920s coloured glass and casements at rear. At front symmetrical elevation with door case to centre, c1820 with renovations c1920.”

Primary sources:
1. OS 6" map, 1st edition (1834), sheet 51 (PRONI, OS/6/3/51/1).
2. First Valuation Book (1835) (PRONI, VAL/1B/353, p.99).
3. Second Valuation Book (1863) (PRONI, VAL/2B/3/57A, p.58).
4. Valuation Revision book (PRONI, VAL/12B/22/23).
5. HMBB first survey card dated 20/03/1997.
6. HMBB survey slide dated 20/03/1997.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This house has been much altered and retains no features of architectural interest.