59 Seavers Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An attractive group of vernacular buildings consisting of a single-storey, three bay vernacular house (aligned NE-SW) with a number of outbuildings to its front left.

Roof is pitched with three lime rendered skews – one to each gable (that to right is raised) and one between the left and middle bays. A single lime rendered chimney between the latter. Roof is natural slated to its left bay; the remaining two bays are felted (formerly thatched). No rainwater goods. Walls are lime-rendered random rubble.

Principal elevation faces SE. Left bay has a single 1/1 sliding sash window with painted granite cill. Centre bay has a 2/2 fixed-pane window (with irregular painted fieldstone cill) set to left and a windbreak porch to right. Porch has pitched natural slate roof, t+g sheeted half-door and its left and right cheeks are blank. Third bay has a t+g sheeted door (into byre).

Left gable is blank.

Rear elevation has small ventilation opening to byre.

Right gable is abutted by a lower outbuilding. Walls as house with a lean-to felt roof (partially collapsed). Its front (SE) face has a t+g sheeted door. Right cheek is blank. Rear elevation has a tiny single window opening with mesh wiring.

Outbuildings to front of site.

To front of house, abutting its left end, is a group of four single-storey outbuildings. All are constructed in whitewashed random rubble and face NE. They consist of a main outbuilding flanked by two sheds; the left one is abutted by a utility block. To SE of site is a small cart house.

1. Main outbuilding

Pitched corrugated tin roof with a t+g sheeted door set to right. Each gable is abutted by a lower shed (see later). Rear elevation is plain with two ventilation openings below eaves level.

2. Right shed

Monopitched corrugated tin roof. Its NE face has a large opening. Its left cheek abuts the main outbuilding. Rear elevation is blank and its right cheek abuts the house.

3. Left shed

Irregular pitched natural slate roof. Its NE face has a door opening set to right. Left gable is abutted by an utility block. Rear elevation is blank. Right gable abuts the main outbuilding.

4. Utility block

Flat (slightly sloping) corrugated tin roof and faces SE. There are two t+g sheeted doors to front face. Its left and right cheeks are blank and rear elevation abuts the left shed.

5. Cart house

To SE of site has a monopitched felted roof. Its front (SW) face has an irregular segmental-headed opening. Left gable is abutted by a small toilet block (of no interest). Rear elevation has three ventilation openings. Right gable has small fixed-pane window.

Setting

A pair of lime rendered (square in section) rubble stone gate piers, with eye-brow granite coping support a pair of wrought iron gates. House and outbuildings are accessed by lane with rubble stone boundary walls.

Historical information

A building is shown on OS maps from 1835 onwards. Its rateable valuation in 1835 was less than £5 so no statistics are given in the Valuation book of this date. It may well be the same building as the present one. Its valuation remains unchanged at £1 from 1862 onwards.

Primary sources:

1. First edition OS 6" map, Co Armagh sheet 29, 1835 (PRONI - OS 6/2/29/1).
2. Second Valuation book, 1862 (PRONI - VAL 2B/2/37B, p.101).
3. Valuation Revision books, 1860s-1920s (PRONI - VAL 12B/15/17A-D).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This direct entry vernacular house, attractively located in the Slieve Gullion AONB, retains all its original features. Along with its outbuildings, it forms a rare ensemble of vernacular buildings.