Ashton

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A late 18thC two-storey, three bay (+ attic / basement) symmetrical house with a central Georgian doorcase accessed by steeply sweeping steps. House is aligned NW-SE to the W of Fathom Line.

Pitched artificial slate roof with terracotta ridge tiling and a chimney to each gable. There are four skylights to front pitch, and three to rear. An advanced eaves course supports modern metal rainwater goods, with a downpipe to left of façade. All walls are wet dashed and painted over rubble stone.

Principal elevation faces NE. Basement is at ground level and has three openings - one to either side of steps, and a third behind the arch of the steps. Entrance is at ground floor centre and is accessed by eleven steeply rising (cement rendered) granite steps. A wet-dashed dwarf wall to either side carries cast-iron railings. Georgian doorcase encases a timber nine-panelled door (two at top and one at bottom are horizontal). Door surround consists of Doric columns (on plinth blocks) supporting an open pediment; all of painted stone. Set within the latter is a spider-web fanlight.

To either side of doorcase is a window to each bay. Aligned above to first floor are three windows, diminished in height. All windows are modern top-hung casements with bull’s eye glazing, set in smooth rendered reveals with peaked heads. Cills are granite. Windows to all elevations are as this, but without peaked heads or bulls-eye glazing (unless otherwise stated).

Left gable has a central glazed door at basement level, which is accessed by a paved yard enclosed by a wet dashed wall, beyond which ground rises to wall head level. At left is a window in plain reveal with cill at ground level. Abutting gable between door and window is a small boiler house, of no interest. Ground and first floor each have two windows set at left and right ends. Abutting gable to left is a high curved wall, detailed as house and enclosing rear yard. It contains a doorway at right leading to rear sunken basement level.

Rear elevation has a central projecting bay (between ground and first floor) with catslide roof. It is supported on three concrete pillars over a recessed ground floor level, now a timber glazed porch. Basement level is roughly cemented and has two modern top-hung casement windows.

The projecting bay has a window to left of centre in rear (SW) face, and a narrow window to its right cheek; left cheek is blank. At ground floor level, set to either side of projecting bay is a window. That to (immediate) left is as before; that to right contains a pair of timber casements. First floor has a window at right and left ends.

Right gable is symmetrical. There is a window at left and right of each floor, including basement (cills of latter are at ground level). Abutting at right is a high curved wall, as before, enclosing rear yard and linking to outbuilding set to right of house.

Setting:

House is situated in maturely planted and landscaped gardens, with a number of outbuildings to rear yard. It is accessed by a long winding drive, which rises over a small single-span bridge. Front garden is set at a lower level and is accessed by steps, which echo the line of entrance steps.

A cast-iron water pump in garden has makers name “Down….Drogheda”

Historical information

Probably of late 18th century date. Cited as Ashton on the 1835 OS map. Noted in the first Valuation book as being occupied by Henry Ogle. The house's dimensions are given as 50ft x 30ft x 25ft. These statistics accord with those given in the 1862 Valuation when the premises are occupied by Francis Ogle. It was vacated by the Ogle family in 1887, one William Eakine taking over. Its rateable valuation falls from £22 to £20 in 1913, and to £15 in 1919.

Primary sources:
1. First edition OS 6" map, Co Armagh sheet 29, 1835 (PRONI - OS 6/2/29/1).
2. First Valuation book, c.1835 (PRONI - VAL 1B/246A, p.98).
3. Second edition OS 6" map, Co Armagh sheet 29, 1861 (PRONI - OS 6/2/29/2).
4. Second Valuation book, 1862 (PRONI - VAL 2B/2/39A, p.12).
5. Valuation Revision books (PRONI - VAL 12B/15/1F, p.87; /1J, p.121).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A pleasantly situated and much altered late 18thC Georgian house with impressive entrance doorcase and original door. It has undergone internal refurbishment and retains few features of interest.