House at Four mile, opp. 189 Belfast Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

One and half storey/ three bay vernacular structure comprising of two dwellings on the W side of four mile cross.
The S bay comprises one dwelling.

Shallow pitched natural slate roof with overhanging eaves and exposed rafter tails. There is a chimney to either side of the central bay, which has a dormer roof (as the end gables), on its front elevation. Walls are harled rubble stone.

The front elevation faces E onto the road. Left bay has a small porch with gabled roof and sheeted door on its E gable, with transom light over. The central bay has a shallow canted bay window to ground floor with small natural slate roof and the remains of side hung casement windows, one on each cheek and a pair on the front. There is a small window opening in the dormer gable above. The right bay has a window opening containing three side-hung casement windows and to its right is a four panelled (bolection moulded) door.

The S gable of the block has a canted bay window at ground floor (as that to façade but in better condition). In dormer above there is a small window.

The rear elevation is abutted completely by a single storey lean-to extension. Its natural slate roof is monopitched and its walls are as main block. Its S gable is flush with the S gable of the house and has a 2/2 sash window. Its rear facing elevation has a door at window to left and right and an infilled doorway (containing a window) to centre. The lean-to continues N (left) and wraps around the N gable of the main block.

The N gable of the main block is abutted at ground floor by the rear lean-to, which wraps around. It has a pair of t+g sheeted doors on its N wall and a window opening on its E (left) cheek.

Historical information

A building is shown at this location on the 1834 OS 6" map. However, it does not have a valuation, suggesting a one-storey vernacular building. It is shown with a L plan form on the 1859 OS map. The 1862 Valuation notes two houses in this plot of land, one valued at £2.10s.0d and the other at £1.10s.0d. There are no subsequent changes in these valuations. It is probably mid 19th C in date.

Primary sources:
1. OS 6" map, 1834, Co Down sheet 40 (PRONI OS 6/3/40/1).
2. OS 6" map, 1859, Co Down sheet 40 (PRONI OS 6/3/40/2).
3. Second valuation book, 1862 (PRONI VAL 2B/3/58A, p.26).
4. Valuation revision books, 1866-1929 (PRONI VAL 12B/22/11A-D).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A one and half storey vernacular (direct entry) structure on the E side of Four Mile Cross. It is unusual for a vernacular house of this small scale to have a shallow pitched picturesque style roof with overhanging eaves, and exposed rafter tails.