15 McCartan's Rd

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A terrace of four two-storey, single-bay houses aligned approximately N-S at right angles to the north side of McCartan’s Road, a short distance west of a former flax scutching mill (HB17/10/028A), workers from which were accommodated here. The houses are arranged as pairs in two blocks, two of which step down the hill (from S to N: block 1 - houses 1.1 and 1.2; block 2 - houses 2.1 and 2.2).

Pitched natural slate roofs on two levels; some ridge tiles and slates now missing. Rainwater goods also missing except for vestige of cast-metal down pipe on E elevation. Overgrown rendered chimney on N gable of house 2.2. Chimney missing from corresponding gable of house 1.2 (shared with 2.1). Probably once chimney on S gable of house 1.1. Random rubble granite walls with slightly advanced masonry eaves and vestiges of lime render; fully lime-rendered to W elevation. All openings have flat granite heads. The original timber doors have been replaced with metal sheeted ones, and the windows are without cills.

The principal elevation faces E. The house in each block is the mirror image of the other. Each has a door and window to the ground floor and window to the first floor. All the window openings on block 1 have been infilled with concrete blockwork or sheeted over with corrugated plastic. The original windows on block 2 have been replaced with modern metal-framed ones.

The N gable of block 2 is heavily overgrown with ivy. A brick chimney flue is visible on the exposed section of the N gable of block 1; the apex of this gable has been repaired with concrete blockwork (probably when the chimney was removed).

The W elevation and S gable are both devoid of openings.

There is a relatively modern toilet in the yard in front of the terrace: monopitched corrugated metal roof and concrete block walls.
The yard in front of the terrace is now overgrown. It is enclosed by a high concrete block wall to N and E. There are steps up to the road at S.

Setting

Public road runs along S side of premises, which is otherwise surrounded by fields. The flax mill with which the houses were associated lies a short distance to E (see record HB17/10/028A).

Roof: natural slate
Rainwater goods: None
Walls: stone
Windows: metal

Historical information

This terrace of four houses is first cited in the 1872 Valuation book under the ownership of Michael McCartan (not on 1859 map). They probably housed workers from his nearby scutch mill (HB17/10/028A). Their small size is reflected in rateable valuations of £1.10s.0d each. The terrace is shown on the 1901 OS map. A succession of tenants occupied the houses, all of which were owned by the McCartans and then the McAnultys. Although the scutch mill had stopped by the mid-1930s, it was not until the ‘40s and ‘50s that the houses were gradually vacated.

References – Primary sources:
1. PRONI OS/6/3/43/2. Second edition OS six-inch map, Co Down sheet 43 (1859).
2. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/15A. Valuation revision book, p.63 (1864-1878).
3. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/15B. Valuation revision book, p.87 (1880-94).
4. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/15C. Valuation revision book, p.98 (1895-1908).
5. PRONI OS/6/3/43/3. Third edition OS six-inch map, Co Down sheet 43 (1901). Available in PRONI as VAL/12/D/3/43N.
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/15D. Valuation revision book, pp 33-34 (1909-1925).
7. PRONI OS/6/3/43/4. Fourth edition OS six-inch map, Co Down sheet 43 (1919).
8. PRONI VAL/3/B/4/1. Valuation revision book (1935).
9. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/2. Valuation revision book (1936-57)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A terrace of four two-storey, single-bay rubble masonry houses erected in the early 1870s to accommodate scutchers from a nearby flax mill (HB17/10/028A). The houses are primarily of historical interest due to their association with the nearby mill, however, they have been altered externally and retain little or no original internal fixtures and fittings. Although significant in the locale and representing the development of infrastructure in the district, insufficient fabric and detail survive to merit listing. The houses and associated mill complex (HB17/10/028B) are worthy of record but of a relatively late date and not of special interest.

General comments

HB17/10/028A relates to a nearby mill associated with this terrace of houses .