6 Derryneill Road, Banbridge, Co Down, BT31 9DX

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An asymmetrical two-storey three-bay mid-nineteenth century house dating from c.1870, located in rural surroundings at the end of a lane off Derryneill Road, Ballyward. Rectangular plan with single storey kitchen extension to left gable.

Pitched natural slate roof with three cement rendered chimneystacks with moulded caps; metal gutters to corbelled eaves. Walling is painted roughcast to principal elevation with smooth rendered rusticated contrasting quoins and plinth course; other elevations detailed below. Windows are original timber 6/6 sashes with single glazing and small horns set in rusticated long and short render surrounds with keyblock detail; exposed sash boxes with contrasting frames; cills are painted stone.

Principal north-facing elevation has three irregularly-spaced openings to each floor, aligned vertically (narrow left bay). Mid-twentieth century timber door with multi-pane glazed panel over three vertical panels to left. Stone step.

Left gable (E) is painted ruled-and-lined cement rendered and abutted by a single-storey gabled kitchen extension with slated roof and gutters on drive-in brackets, ruled and lined rendered to front, exposed masonry to remaining elevations, lit by a casement window to north and south.

Rear elevation (S) has vestigial lime render over rubble stone and overlooks a narrow grassed passage bounded by a steep bank and hedgerow. It is lit by two windows to each floor; timber casement and 6/6 to ground floor, 2/2 and six pane fixed light with slate cill to first floor.

Right gable (W) is blank, unpainted cement rendered and abutted by a gabled garage, of little interest.

There are three early to mid-twentieth century fuel pumps of varied designs facing the house, with adjacent storage containers.

Setting:
Accessed by a long tarmac lane from Derryneill Road, opening onto a tarmac forecourt with a number of early to mid-twentieth century fuel pumps of varied designs. The site is bounded by a rubble stone retaining wall with views over the surrounding rural landscape to north; steep tree-lined backdrop. Directly to rear is a stone-lined well, formed in roughly dressed cut stone with large stone lintel to opening, all whitewashed. Two-storey rubble stone outbuilding to west of site, overgrown and built up with twentieth-century accretions.

Roof: Natural Slate
Walling: Painted roughcast (N), painted render (E), lime render over rubblestone (S), cement rendered (W)
Windows: Original timber sliding sash (N). Metal casement to extension (E)
RWG: Metal

Historical information

The current two-storey farmhouse dates from c1873 and was constructed on the site of an earlier building. A structure is shown on the site on the first and second editions of the Ordnance Survey (1834 and 1859) but this earlier building appears to be orientated and located slightly differently from the current house and valuation records suggest that the present farmhouse was constructed c1873.

The earlier dwelling on the site did not reach the valuation threshold (£3) for inclusion in the Townland Valuation (1828-40) and is not listed in the fieldbooks. Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) records a small farm of around 7 acres with buildings valued at 5s, the lowest valuation generally given to built structures. This small farm was held by Patrick Small and the landholder was James Cleland, to whom a rent was paid of £4.4s.

The farm passed through a succession of subsequent tenants until in 1873 it was taken over by David Craig. Craig appears to have built the present farmhouse, which was valued at £3.10s the same year. The 1901 census records David Craig resident in the house with his wife and four children. Unusually for this rural area, Craig’s primary occupation was not farming, but shoemaking and his three adult daughters also worked in the clothing industry as dressmakers and hemstitchers. The family’s five-room house was designated second-class. In the 1911 census David Craig lists his occupation as farmer and his grown-up son is now working as a farm labourer while his daughters help at home.

The house remained in the Craig family until at least the 1930s when valuer’s notes give a plan and dimensions of the house and outbuildings. The accommodation comprised a reception, bedroom, kitchen and pantry on the ground floor and two bedrooms upstairs. In 1949 an attempt was made to work a granite quarry to the south of house, but the stone was found to be too hard to be easily worked and the quarry was given up. The farmhouse continues in use as a domestic dwelling.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/42/1 First Edition OS Map 1834
2. PRONI OS/6/3/42/2 Second Edition OS map 1859
3. PRONI OS/6/3/42/3 Third Edition OS Map 1901-2
4. PRONI OS/6/3/42/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-20
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/51A Griffith’s Valuation (1863)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/5A-F Annual Revisions (1864-1930)
7. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/31First General Revaluation (1933-57)
8. PRONI VAL/3/D/4/3/D/6 First General Revaluation (1933-57)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A two-storey three-bay late-nineteenth-century house. The rear has a traditional form, while the facade, although asymmetrical, presents elements of formalisation and ornamentation. Much original fabric and detailing survive and the house has an unusual plan form, with taller upper storey and enclosed stairs to extreme left bay accessed from the porch. There are three early to mid-twentieth century fuel pumps facing the house which are of interest. This is a good example of a modest traditionally constructed house in its original setting, of a type becoming increasingly rare in the area.