62 Poyntzpass Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A three-bay single-storey extended vernacular house with outbuildings, pre-dating 1833 and located at the end of a narrow lane to the south side of Poyntzpass Road south of Banbridge. Rectangular on plan with small projecting porch to front.

Pitched corrugated metal roof, natural slate to left bay, with raised cement verges and three rendered chimneystacks. uPVC rainwater goods; cast-iron half-round rainwater goods on brackets to porch. Walling is rubble-stone with lime-washed lime-render; smooth render to east gable. Windows are timber sliding sash and casement with projecting painted sills and timber lintels.

The principal elevation is set on a gradient and is south-facing. To left of centre is a projecting cement rendered porch containing a modern timber-sheeted door with twin layer of slates to catslide roof. 3/3 window to left of entrance porch; 2/2 and timber-casement window to right.

The west gable is blank.

The north (rear) elevation was not seen at time of survey.

The east gable is partially abutted by a corrugated metal shed.

Setting

Situated at the end of a narrow lane to the south side of Poyntzpass Road. Lane leads to yard with linear range of rubble-stone and lime-rendered outbuildings to south. To east is a set of roughcast rendered Ulster gate piers with pointed caps, supporting a wrought-iron farm-gate and leading to inner yard to front of house. Inner yard is enclosed to south by mature hedgerow on a grass verge and with another wrought-iron farm-gate to east. Linear range of outbuildings comprising two blocks, ridge level stepped with incline; that to east is partially slated, the remainder with corrugated metal roof. Timber-sheeted latch door to left and timber-sheeted doors to right. The west block is slightly higher and is fully slated with rendered chimneystack to ridgeline. Walls are rubble-stone and partially lime-rendered with timber-sheeted doors to left, corrugated metal door to centre and timber-sheeted latch door to right. West gable is blank. Modern farm-gate to west leads to adjoining farmland. Variety of wrought-iron gates to neighbouring land at west.

Roof: Natural slate / corrugated metal
Walling: Rubble stone and lime render
Windows: Timber
RWG: Cast-iron / uPVC

Historical information

This lime-washed stone vernacular dwelling is shown on the first edition OS map of 1834 as a rectangular structure with outbuildings and an additional dwelling opposite. The farm is sited beside a ‘fort’ or rath that remains to this day in a partial state of preservation. The second edition OS map (1860) and the associated Griffith’s Valuation field map makes it clear that a pair of dwellings under separate tenancies originally stood on the site and that the present structure extended into a further house beyond the boundary wall to the west. However, the second dwelling fell into ruins in 1927. A further house, still present, stood opposite the pair but is not separately listed in valuation records. The map evidence shows that a porch was added to the front facade of the present house between 1834 and 1860.

Griffith’s Valuation (1860) records the structure as comprising two separate farms occupied by members of the Moorhead family, both named Robert Moorhead and leasing their small farmsteads from local landholder James M McClenahan. The current house to the east, occupied by Robert Moorhead Senior, is valued at £1.5s and sited in over 7 acres of land. Robert Moorhead Junior’s dwelling house to the west (now gone) is valued at £1.10s and the associated plot of land is somewhat larger at around 11 acres. The present house was taken over by William Moorhead in 1873 and the census shows that the house was roofed with perishable material in 1901, probably thatch. The three room cottage was home to 60-year-old William, a farmer, and his four adult children who all worked on the farm. Joseph Moorhead, of an age to have been William’s nephew, took over the neighbouring house in 1900 on his father Robert’s death and lived there until 1910, when he moved into nearby Lisnabrague House, a larger and more comfortable two-storey dwelling suggestive of increased prosperity, where he remained for the rest of his life. The third-class dwelling adjoining the current house, once Joseph’s home, was in ruins by 1927.

William Moorhead remained in the present house until his death and it was subsequently (1907) taken over by his widow Jane. However, by the time of the 1911 census, their daughter, Sarah Jane Moorhead was farming the land alone and had two young female boarders of 11 and 10. In 1913 the farm passed to the Nicholl family, Sarah J and then Samuel (1915) and Violet (1949).

The First General Revaluation of 1933/4 revalued the current house at £1.5s and 10s for agricultural outbuildings. The house was partially slated and partially roofed with corrugated iron, as it remains today and a scullery extension is shown on the associated plan. Accommodation comprised a room, kitchen, bedrooms, and small scullery but the valuer judged it ‘a poor house in a poor position’. One of the outbuildings opposite the present house remained in the Moorhead family and then passed to James Bickerstaff. It is described in 1933/4 as an ‘old cottage’ with bedroom and kitchen, used as an agricultural building, and a separate barn. This stone slated building with chimney is still present on the site.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/33/1 First Edition OS Map 1834
2. PRONI OS/6/3/33/2 Second Edition OS map 1860
3. PRONI OS/6/3/33/3 Third Edition OS Map 1903
4. PRONI OS/6/3/33/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1903-18
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/55C Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/18A-E Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
7. PRONI Will of Robert Moorhead, died 25 April 1900
8. PRONI Will of Joseph Moorhead, died 22 October 1933
9. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/2 First General Revaluation (1936-57)
10. PRONI VAL/3/D/4/3/N/6 First General Revaluation (1933-57)
11. 1901 census online
12. 1911 census online

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A lime-rendered single-storey three-bay vernacular house with outbuildings, pre-dating 1833, located at the end of a long lane. The original rural setting survives with a linear range of outbuildings. While much of the original character of the site survives, the house retains insufficient original historic fabric and alterations such as PVC rainwater goods detract from its historic character. Better examples of this type of rural dwelling remain and as such the building does not meet the legislative test for listing.