35-37 Sentry Box Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A pair of attached single-storey two-unit vernacular hearth-lobby dwellings pre-dating 1833, joined by central outbuilding and with separate windbreaker porches, one facing west and one facing east. Located on the south side of Sentry Box Road approximately 4 miles southeast of Banbridge.

Pitched natural slate roofing with clay ridge tiles and cement skews. Metal half-round rainwater goods. Ruled-and-lined render chimneystacks with corbelled upper courses; no pots. Lime-washed rubble masonry walling to the south dwelling and lime render over rubble masonry to the north dwelling. Timber 1/1 sliding-sash windows with horns; exposed sash-boxes; plain reveals and painted concrete cills; unless otherwise stated. Painted timber sheeted doors with masonry plinth blocks to bottom of timber frames; set into projected windbreaker porch with hard-standing; continuous roofing unless otherwise stated.

South Dwelling:

The principal elevation faces west and is symmetrically arranged. Centrally located projecting wind-breaker porch flanked by single windows to either side.

The left gable is blank; abutted by the adjoining dwelling with lower ridge and eaves level (see north dwelling).

Asymmetrical rear elevation with single window left of centre.

The right gable is blank; roughcast rendered unpainted.

North Dwelling:

East facing principal elevation symmetrically arranged on inclining site from right to left. Centrally positioned gabled windbreaker porch with plain timber barge boards. Timber sheeted door with spliced repairs. Single 2/2 timber sliding sash windows with vertical glazing bars and horns to either side of the porch; painted masonry cills and partially exposed brick surrounds.

The left gable is abutted by a single-bay outbuilding with matching ridge level. The east elevation is set back from the building line of dwelling and comprises a timber sheeted door and horizontal ventilation-hole. Left gable abuts south dwelling. Single storey corrugated iron flat-roofed, cement rendered addition to the west with timber sheeted door and small window opening; of minimal interest.

View of the rear elevation is completely obscured by thick vegetation; field evidence suggests there are no existing openings.

The right gable is symmetrically arranged with centrally-positioned 2/2 steel framed casement window with vertical glazing bars, concrete cill and plain painted reveals. Date “1932” inscribed into gable apex.

Setting:

Rural
setting screened from view and accessed by a narrow lane. Wrought-iron gate adorned with spear-heads, hung from cast-iron piers. Concrete block, smooth rendered privy with corrugated iron roof east of dwellings. Cattle crusher running parallel to the rear elevation.

Roofing: Natural slate
Walling: Lime wash lime rendered over rubble masonry
Windows: Timber sliding sash
RWG: Metal

Historical information

Buildings are shown on the site on the first edition OS map of 1833, and these appear to correspond to the two houses which are found on the site today. The building has been remodelled over the years, however, and valuation records suggest that it may initially have been a single dwelling with attached outbuilding. The house to the north of the plot bears the date 1932 on the gable eaves, giving a possible remodelling date.

The building is not recorded in the Townland Valuation of 1828-40 as it would not have reached the threshold for inclusion. At the time of Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64), the tenant of the farmhouse was John Quinn who was paying a rent of £4.18s annually to his landlord Viscount Bangor. The house was valued at 15s and was situated on a farm of over 5 acres. John Quinn, a Catholic farmer lived with his wife and three children in the two-room, thatched house which was designated third-class in the 1901 census. By 1911 John Quinn had been widowed and was living with his daughter, son and grandson. The house was still thatched at this stage. The property continued in the Quinn family for some years, passing to Annie McKeown in 1937. The two dwellings are currently vacant.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/34/1 First Edition OS Map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/3/34/2 Second Edition OS map 1859
3. PRONI OS/6/3/34/3 Third Edition OS Map 1902-3
4. PRONI OS/6/3/34/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1903-18
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/352 Townland Valuation (1828-40)
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/56 Griffiths Valuation (1861)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/1A-E Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
8. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/1 First General Revaluation (1933-56)
9. PRONI VAL/3/D/4/3/A/2 First General Revaluation (1933-56)
10. 1901 census online
11. 1911 census online

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

A pair of single-storey two-unit vernacular hearth-lobby farmhouses with adjoining central outbuilding; pre-dating 1833. Although connected the pair of buildings have slight variations in some of the detailing, seen in the windows, porches and chimneys, reflecting different ownership. The plan forms appear to have retained the attributes associated with hearth-lobby layouts having undergone some historic modification which reflects the changing needs of the occupants. In general an unusual example of an attached pair of dwellings of a building type that is becoming increasingly rare.