Laburnum Cottage

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A one and a half story, three bay, lobby entry house part thatched and part with a natural slate roof. The wall finish is of whitened roughcast.

The house occupies a roadside position facing west behind a small garden and a low wall.
Oroory Hill is accessed by proceeding in a north-westerly direction from the Dromore/Banbridge Road about two miles from the former town. The building is gained by travelling a further two miles and making a turn to the north off Killysorrell Road for a short distance.

The two bay thatched portion terminates on the south side with a cement skew and abuts and rises over the single bay slated part on the north side. The rainwater goods serving this section are of cast iron.

A chimney with narrow corbelling rises over the position of the former kitchen fireplace and there is a further stack on the north gable to service the former parlour fireplace. Each stack is provide with one pot to which is affixed a spark arrester.

The timber ledged, framed and sheeted entrance door protected by a trelliswork porch is flanked on either side by a casement window with three small panes above two larger panes. The openings are dressed with narrow raised surrounds and the sills are of traditional depths.

The slated part to the left (north) has a large vertically sliding window at the front with sashes divided into two vertically. There are small sash stops, the surround is similar to those lighting the thatched part and the sill is of traditional depth. A small window has been inserted in the gable relating to this room.

The opposite right-hand (south) gable has a window with two hinged panes at the top.

At the time of writing the roughcast external finish was incomplete.

Historical information

A building is first shown on this site on the OS map of 1858 which appears to match the size of the thatched section of the present dwelling. According to the valuation of 1861 this house was then occupied by a James Manery[?] with an Anne K. Robinson recorded as the immediate lessor and the rateable valuable noted as £1.

The house was re-thatched in 1980 by Gerry Agnew using straw and the slate roof was repaired. Further thatching was carried out in 1992 by Gerry Agnew using flax. The extension was constructed in 1994.

References-

Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/2A/3/20B Revised OS map, County Down sheet 20, with valuation
references, (1858-c.61)
2 PRONI VAL/2B/3/38D Second valuation, Dromore, ( 1862 )

Note. OS map 1st revision 1858, Co. Down sheet 20. The thatched part of the house is shown on this map together with a small roadside outbuilding to the south. The existing slated section is not shown.

Other references
1 EHS Survey of thatched buildings 1992 report by Colin Hatrick
2 EHS file. Reports and other corrospondence since date of listing.

The house was re-thatched in 1980 by Gerry Agnew using straw and the slate roof was repaired.
Further thatching was carried out in 1992 by Gerry Agnew using flax.
The extension was constructed in 1994.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System
H-. Alterations detracting from building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

This house occupies a roadside position facing west behind a small garden. It is about four miles from Dromore off the Dromore / Banbridge road. A one and a half storey, three bay, lobby entry house part thatched and part with a natural slate roof. The wall finish is of whitened roughcast. A number of alterations have taken place but the original layout remains intact. The restoration of the interior is on going. The extension was designed to give the appearance of a second cottage joined to the original house. The house is of early / mid 19th. Century origin, exact date not known.