20 Katesbridge Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached symmetrical three-bay two-storey rubblestone and redbrick house, built c.1910, with single-storey redbrick return. Rectangular on plan facing west with three single and two-storey rubblestone and redbrick outbuildings to north and south. Located on the east side of Katesbridge Road on a bend in the road, currently vacant.

Pitched natural slate roof with roll-moulded terracotta ridge tiles, two profiled yellow brick chimneystacks with glazed pots, timber bargeboards to either gable end and replacement metal rainwater goods to overhanging eaves. Coursed rubblestone walling with squared flush stone quoins to the ground floor, redbrick to the first floor. Square-headed window openings formed in redbrick with granite sills and single-pane timber sash windows with partially exposed sash boxes.

Symmetrical three-bay two-storey front elevation with single window opening to the central bay and paired window openings to left and right at both levels. Central segmental-headed door opening (now boarded over) formed in voussoired redbrick with granite sills to concealed sidelights. Door opens onto two concrete steps to enclosed front garden.

North gable is blank with redbrick chimney flues visible.

Symmetrical three-bay two-storey rear elevation is three windows wide abutted by off-centre single-storey gable-ended redbrick return having natural slate roof and plastic rainwater goods. All window openings are boarded over.

South gable is blank with redbrick chimney flues visible.

Setting

Small enclosed front garden with central concrete footpath enclosed to the road by cast-iron railings on low rendered plinth wall and matching pedestrian gate supported on pair of fluted cast-iron posts. To the north is a single-storey rubblestone outbuilding fronting directly onto the road with pitched natural slate roof and two square-headed vehicular openings with vertically-sheeted timber doors. To the rear elevation of the outbuilding is a lean-to built in redbrick. Further north is a multi-bay two-storey outbuilding set on an east-west axis with pitched roof, corrugated iron to the west half, diagonally slated roof to the east half. Rubblestone walling to the ground floor, redbrick to the first floor with a flight of external stone steps to the east end. Square-headed door and window openings throughout with vertically-sheeted timber doors and shutters. To the south of the house is a further two-storey lime rendered rubblestone outbuilding set on an east-west axis with its west gable fronting directly onto the road. Pitched natural slate roof, stepped to the centre with cement verges and cast-iron rainwater goods. Square-headed openings throughout, now boarded over.

Roof Natural slate
Walling Rubblestone / redbrick
Windows Timber sash
RWG Replacement metal

Historical information

The current farmhouse dates from c1910 but outbuildings on the site are earlier. Those to the north include a former farmhouse which has later been adapted as an outbuilding and a formerly single-storey structure that has been raised. The dignified symmetry of the main farmhouse forms a pleasing contrast with the older vernacular buildings on the site and illustrates a progression of styles as tastes changed and an aspiration to formality was felt in rural areas.

Buildings are shown on the site on the first edition OS map of 1833-4 which correspond to the outbuildings still present to the north of the present farmhouse. Part of an outbuilding to the south of the house is shown on the second edition (1860). The farm is not listed in the Townland Valuation (1828-40) as it did not reach the threshold for inclusion. Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) lists the buildings as two separate farms, each comprising a house, offices and land. Buildings valued at £3 to the north of the plot are situated on a farm of over 23 acres and are let by Eleanor Thompson to Thomas Jones for a rent of £23.7s annually including the land. Buildings to the south of the plot including the site of the current farmhouse are valued at £4.10s. A new outbuilding had recently been built and is noted in the fieldbook of the 1860s. The tenant of the farm of over 25 acres is John Pinkerton who pays a rent of £15.7s annually to Eleanor Thompson. In 1882 the Pinkerton family took over both plots and from 1891 the farmhouse to the north is redesignated as outbuildings. The present farm passes to Thomas then Joseph McKee in the 1890s and a sudden rise in valuation to £10 in 1910 suggests a date for the current farmhouse. Valuer’s notes of the period indicate that the vernacular building to the left of the farmhouse was thatched in 1910, although other outbuildings were roofed in corrugated iron. The farm remained in the McKee family until at least the 1950s but currently lies vacant.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/35/1 First Edition OS Map 1833-4
2. PRONI OS/6/3/35/2 Second Edition OS map 1860
3. PRONI OS/6/3/35/3 Third Edition OS Map 1901-2
4. PRONI OS/6/3/35/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1902-20
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/69F Griffith’s Valuation (1863)
6. PRONI VAL/12/A/3/7 Valuer’s Notes 1910
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/3A-E Annual Revisions (1864-1930)
8. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/1 First General Revaluation (1933-57)
9. PRONI VAL/3/D/4/3/B/3 First General Revaluation (1933-57)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Detached symmetrical three-bay two-storey rubblestone and redbrick house, built c.1910, with single-storey redbrick return. Rectangular on plan facing west with three single and two-storey rubblestone and redbrick outbuildings to north and south. Although this group is of some interest locally, the house is a common type of a late date and not one of the best examples.