E of 14 Ringclare Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Single storey/ four bay vernacular house aligned parallel to road (W-E) and on its S side.

Pitched natural slate roof without rainwater goods. Three red brick chimneys, one on either side of left bay and one between the third and fourth bays (from left).

Front (N) elevation faces onto the road. Smooth cement rendered walls. The second bay from left has a small gabled porch at its right end. Porch has a pitched natural slate roof (part-tied into main roof), with crested ridge and bargeboard. Cheeks have narrow margin paned windows and the front door is four panelled (bolection moulded). To left of porch is a small 6/6 exposed box sash window with dressed granite cill. Each of the three remaining bays has a similar window.

The left (E) gable is blank.

The rear (S) elevation is abutted to centre by a small gabled return (scullery). The left bay has a window opening. The second bay from left has a window to left side (the scullery abuts its right side). The third bay has two small windows on its right side (the scullery abuts its left side) and the right bay has a single window. Scullery has a pitched natural slate roof, a window on its rear gable and a door on its left cheek.

The right (W) gable is abutted by a single bay outbuilding. It has a similar roof with matching walls.

Setting

Small garden to front is enclosed by rendered rubble stone wall (part collapsed). To rear at W is a derelict two storey outbuilding with similar single storey one to roadside. On opposite (N) side of the road is an overgrown garden belonging to this house.

Historical information

A building is shown at this location on the 1834 OS 6" map. However, the first Valuation map of around the same date is missing, so it is not possible to ascertain from the first Valuation book whether its dimensions match those of the present house. Three houses are noted on this plot in the 1862 Valuation - all are valued at 15s.0d, indicating one-storey vernacular houses. One of them was in ruins by 1870 and the other two by 1904. The 1914 Valuation revision book suggests a rebuild - possibly the present house - at this time. It has been vacant for over 20 years.

Primary sources:
1. OS 6" map, 1834, Co Down sheet 41 (PRONI OS 6/3/41/1).
2. Second valuation book, 1862 (PRONI VAL 2B/3/58B, p.95).
3. Valuation revision book, 1870 (PRONI VAL 12B/22/9A, p.30).
4. Valuation revision book, 1904 and 1914 (PRONI VAL 12B/22/9D, p.58).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This little altered but derelict vernacular house is four bays wide and single storey. It may have been direct entry originally, from what is now the back. It retains a number of features including a traditional kitchen hearth and parlour.