Cumber House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Substantial, relatively plain two storey gabled farm house of 1886 with arch headed windows and large return. The property is set at the end of a drive to the E of Crabtree Road, roughly 2 miles SE of Ballynahinch.

The symmetrical front façade faces roughly SW. To the centre is a PVC door screen with partly glazed door, sidelights and elliptical fanlight. This door screen is set within an elliptical arched recess with simple moulded surround. To the left of the doorway is a segmental arch headed window with PVC frame. To the right of the doorway is a similar window with three more to the first floor. The front windows rest on a sill course and have simple moulded surrounds.

The NW gable has two windows to the first floor, much as front, but without surrounds or sill course. The SE gable has two windows to each floor, as front.

To the rear is a large two storey gabled return. The gable of the return is blank. The NW face has a square window (with PVC frame) to left on the ground floor, with PVC door to right. To the first floor are two more windows, much as ground floor. The SE face has two windows to the first floor and one to the ground floor, much as NW face but of varying size. Al the return openings have simple geometric surrounds. To the right of the return (on rear façade of the main portion of the house) there is a window, as front.

The façade is finished in lined render with in-out quoins to the main portion and a string course above the first floor windows to the gables. Eaves course. The roof is slated and has an overhang. Three rendered chimney stacks (one to each gable). Cast iron rw goods.

Historical information

This house was built in 1886 by a Mr McCauley. It replaced a dwelling of c.1840, which in turn appears to have superseded a pre 1834 single storey house.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/29/1 OS map, Down sh 29, 1834
2 PRONI OS/6/3/29/2 OS map, Down sh 29, 1858
3 PRONI OS/6/3/29/3 OS map, Down sh 29, c.1901

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Substantial, relatively plain two storey gabled farm house of 1886 with arch headed windows and large return. The window frames and doors are now all PVC. Not considered to be of special architectural or historical interest.