80 Enagh Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay two-storey lime rendered house, built c.1820. Rectangular on plan, facing northwest and located at the end of a lane to the east of Enagh Road within its own mature and elevated site.

Pitched natural slate roof with black clay ridge tiles, four profiled cement rendered chimneystacks and black clay verges. Rough-cast lime render over rubblestone walling. Square-headed window openings with redbrick surrounds, concrete sills and original timber sash windows with exposed sash boxes to front of wall.

Front elevation is three windows wide having a single six-over-six timber sash window, the remainder windows are two-over-two. Off-centre square-headed door opening having vertically-sheeted timber door and rectangular overlight. Door opens onto large granite platform to cobbled front area.

North gable abutted by pair of single-storey rubblestone byres with corrugated iron roofs.

Rear elevation has a random arrangement of window openings with two-over-two timber sash windows and a single steel casement window.

South gable has a single square-headed window opening with a timber casement window, to first floor left.

Setting

Located at the end of a lane to the east of Enagh Road and set on an elevated site with mature trees. A roofless range of outbuildings are located to the east of the house while the front is enclosed by a pair of wrought-iron gates hung on circular plan rubblestone piers.

Roof Natural slate
Walling Lime render over rubblestone
Windows Timber sash
RWG none

Historical information

The current house initially was a single-storey vernacular dwelling, that was subsequently raised and improved in the early 1870s demonstrating the increasing prosperity of its tenant-farmer occupiers. The house is shown on the first edition OS map of 1833, together with two outbuildings, one of which appears to have survived. The house could not be identified with certainty in the Townland Valuation, but a house occupied by John Shaw and then Samuel Craig, appears likely to be the same dwelling. Dimensions are given for a thatched single-storey dwelling, 8½ feet high with two single-storey outbuildings. Map and field evidence suggest that the house was extended and single-storey outbuildings added between 1859 and 1903.

Griffith’s Valuation lists the house as the residence of Samuel Craig (Bob), a tenant farmer who leases the 23 acre farm and the dwelling from John Herron. The buildings are valued at £1.10s, indicating a single-storey vernacular dwelling and the rent is 40s. In 1872 the farm was taken over by James Mears and the same year the valuation was raised to £3, suggesting that the farmhouse was raised and improved. Alex Mears occupies the house in 1873, followed by William Johnston in 1882 and Thomas Johnston in 1901. The 1901 census shows Thomas Johnston, a farmer of 27, living in the house with his two sisters, one of whom worked as a seamstress. The slated building of six rooms was categorized second class.

At the time of the First General Revaluation (1933/4) the owner was Herbert Rankin and the buildings were revalued at £3.10s and £1 for agricultural outbuildings. The accommodation comprised two bedrooms, two rooms and a kitchen and the house was described as an ‘unoccupied farmhouse in rather poor condition’. A plan and dimensions are given for the rubble masonry and slate building of 1¾ storeys and attached single-storey outbuilding. Currently the house is in disrepair and lies empty.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/28/1 First Edition OS Map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/3/28/2 Second Edition OS map 1859
3. PRONI OS/6/3/28/3 Third Edition OS Map 1903
4. PRONI OS/6/3/28/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1903-20
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/343 Townland Valuation (1828-40)
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/39 Griffith’s Valuation (1863)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/12A-E Annual Revisions (1864-1930)
8. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/2 First General Revaluation (1933-57)
9. PRONI VAL/3/D/4/3/H/3 First General Revaluation (1933-57)
10. 1901 census online

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Detached three-bay two-storey lime rendered house, built c.1820. Initially the house was a single-storey vernacular dwelling, that was subsequently raised and improved in the early 1870s. Rectangular on plan and located at the end of a lane within its own yard. Much historic fabric and modest original detailing survive, including the developed plan and detailing demonstrating the improvements. The house is a good example of a substantial farmhouse and an increasingly rare vernacular dwelling in its original setting.