25 Drumaran Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A symmetrical two-storey three-bay early nineteenth century house with slightly later rear addition linking to a linear range of outbuildings to east. The group is located on the south side of Drumaran Road, in Kernan townland between Gilford and Loughbrickland. The house is rectangular on plan with rear addition having parallel ridge, and offset slightly to east; the accommodation extends at ground floor only into the attached outbuilding range to east; for the purposes of this report, this is referred to as the annexe.

Roof is pitched natural slate with rendered verges and ridge; projecting eaves support cast-iron gutters. Wet dashed gable chimneystacks, with blockwork chimneystack to rear addition. Walling is wet dashed with contrasting smooth rendered quoins and plinth; cement render to rear addition. Windows to principal elevation are original 6/6 timber sashes with exposed boxes painted in a contrasting colour. They are set in slightly projecting smooth rendered reveals, with painted granite sills and decorative keyblock detail. uPVC replacements to rear, annexe and, east elevation, with some metal casements to west of addition.

Principal elevation faces north and is symmetrically arranged, three openings wide about a central entrance. Wide elliptical-arched entrance opening comprises painted timber doorcase with replacement three-pane sidelights, wide spiderweb fanlight, and door with six raised decorative panels and brass furniture, all divided by slender timber pilasters and surrounded by smooth rendered quoins and voussoirs. The door is accessed by a paved path, granite step and threshold.

East elevation has an M-profile roof line; the main gable is blank and there is a uPVC window to addition at ground floor. The addition is abutted at left by the two-storey outbuilding with annexe to ground floor; annexe is entered by a modern timber sheeted door with a window to its left; further left is an infilled doorway with a window at right; openings are set within painted smooth rendered reveals. (A small window to upper level lights the loft).

Rear elevation is abutted by a two-storey pitched natural slate roofed addition (ridge parallel with main block); exposed section at left is blank.
The addition has two uPVC windows to first floor and is fully abutted to ground floor by a twentieth-century lean-to greenhouse with corrugated perspex roofing; left cheek has two metal casement windows to first floor and a uPVC window to ground floor left of centre; timber sheeted door accesses greenhouse.

West gable is blank.

The attached outbuilding range comprises a series of two storey stables with lofts, with ridge lines stepping down with the slope of the hill. Roofs are pitched natural slate with skews. Walling is random coursed rubble stone, indicating different stages of building; fieldstone quoins. Openings are formed in brick. Variety of timber window openings, including an unusual six pane light with timber frame having indented decorative motif. Doors are timber sheeted, one set within an infilled coach door opening with segmental brick head. Loft is accessed by a set of external steps, each step being formed from a single piece of granite and with kennel opening beneath. The section of the outbuilding closest to house (incorporated with it) is cement rendered with uPVC windows.

Setting:
The house is set parallel to the road in a rural agricultural
setting, with panoramic views over the surrounding countryside. There is a large lawned garden to rear, and a small garden to front located to either side of the path; the site is bounded to the road by cast-iron railings with spear finials; a matching gate supported by octagonal granite piers with pointed caps. Separating the garden from the farm entrance at east is a painted rubble stone wall. The long farmyard is accessed by a pair of steel gates to east, supported on rendered piers. A painted cast iron water pump (unlikely to be original) is located within the gates, and there is a circular well constructed in rubble stone adjacent to the annexe entrance.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Wet dashed over rubble stone
Windows: Timber
RWG: Cast iron

Historical information

The farmhouse pre dates 1833, and shows a gradual linear development of the associated outbuildings. The house is situated in a rural landscape that has undergone little alteration in the years since the first maps were surveyed other than the laying of the Banbridge Junction railway to the north in 1859.

The building is shown on the first edition OS map of 1833 as a house of similar plan form to that existing today with a small return and a rectangular outbuilding to the side. The house is listed in the Townland Valuation of 1828-40 as the home of Mr Hugh Burns, a house and offices valued at £7.5s. An interesting feature of the house is the trapdoor giving access to a servant’s bedroom. An occasional feature of larger farmhouses, the offer of a room with only trapdoor access may have made a position at the farm more attractive to young women away from home. (See Islet Hill Farm HB23/01/007)

On the second edition of 1860 the outbuildings are shown as having extended both eastwards and westwards and the house now has a slightly offset rear return, still present today. Additional outbuildings have been constructed next to the road but it is not until the 1903-4 edition that the final outbuilding is shown. The house and offices are valued at £8 in 1860, later raised to £13 and dimensions are given for the house and three outbuildings, two 2-storey and one single-storey. The ‘stone farm house in good repair’ is deemed ‘a very neat concern’. The occupier is Anthony Byrne who leases the property from local landowner Alexander John Robert-Stewart.

Subsequent occupiers are Anthony’s son Patrick Byrne (1887) (Will of Anthony Byrne 5th August 1885) and Samuel McGaffin (1891). In 1893 McGaffin built new outbuildings one of which survives and raised another by a storey, but no increase in valuation was deemed necessary. The 1901 census shows that 62-year-old Samuel McGaffin was resident with his wife and two children, 11 and 16. In 1911 the household had expanded somewhat, Samuel and his wife were now living with their son, grandson and cousin and had three farm servants, two older men of 79 and 60 and a young boy of 11. The census also poignantly records that the couple had had thirteen children only five of whom had survived. Samuel McGaffin became the owner in fee under land purchase legislation in 1916 but he died in September 1917 and the house passed to his son Thomas McGaffin in 1919.

In the First General Revaluation of 1933/4 the house was revalued at £8.10s later reduced to £8, with £4.10s for outbuildings. The accommodation comprised four bedrooms, three receptions a kitchen and pantry and a plan and dimensions are given for the building.

The building remains in use as a dwelling.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/26/1 First Edition OS Map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/3/26/2 Second Edition OS map 1860
3. PRONI OS/6/3/26/3 Third Edition OS Map (1903-4)
4. PRONI OS/6/3/26/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1903-17)
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/25A-D Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
6. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/2 – First General Revaluation (1936-57)
7. PRONI VAL/3/D/4/3/S/3 – First General Revaluation (1933-57)
8. PRONI Will of Anthony Byrne, died 5th August 1885

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

25 Drumaran Road is two-storey three bay Georgian farmhouse, set parallel to the Drumaran Road with linear outbuildings attached. Much original fabric and detailing survives, including a fine Georgian entrance door. The plan includes separate servant's accommodation, a feature which is now rare. The outbuildings are good examples of traditional construction methods; some unusual detailing is of note, including a fine window with indented decorative motif. The site has developed in stages, and presents a coherent traditional farm grouping, indicating a smallholding of modest wealth. It is a good and relatively unchanged example of the type.