7 The Square (Orchard Grove Residential home)

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Long, largely two storey terrace block of mainly pre 1834 construction, with general Georgian appearance but with full height rounded end bays of c.1900. The building probably originally contained two to three properties, with the much larger pre 1834 portion to the W containing a house and store, with a short section to the E added post c.1860 as a separate dwelling. To the W end is a small single storey section, which appears to have been rebuilt in relatively recent times. The block now contains a single property and contains a residential home. The building is situated on the sloping N side of The Square, in the centre of the small village of Clough.

The long front façade faces S and is asymmetrical. To the left of centre is the main entrance, which consists of a panelled timber door and fanlight with margin panes. These are flanked by fluted Doric ¾ columns which support a panelled entablature. To the left of the doorway is a sash window with Georgian panes (6/6).

To the left of this is a shallow, rounded full height bay with hipped (four sided) slated roof. To each floor of the bay are three plain sash windows. The upper windows rest on a sill course which spans the bay only.

To the right of the main doorway are two sash windows (as immediate left of door). To the right of these is another doorway with a modern panelled and glazed door. To the right of this is a window, as previous. To the far right of the façade, beyond a line of in /out quoins which mark the limit of the larger original portion, is another bay, as that to far left.

To the first floor (in the large area between the bays) are six unevenly spaced sash windows, as ground floor.

To the W gable there is a small single storey gabled section with two plain sash windows and another sash window to its gable. The E gable (of the main building) is blank.

To the centre of the rear elevation is a large full height gabled return. To the left of this return (on rear façade of main building) there is a large modern window to far left on the ground floor, then a modern door and then a small sash window (4/4). To the first floor there are two windows with modern frames, with a doorway (with modern door) between, reached via a modern metal staircase. The door cuts through the eaves line.

To the E face of the return there is a large modern window to the ground floor. The gable of the return is blank. To the W face of the return there is a small single storey lean-to with modern glazed door and small window with modern frame, both to W face. To the first floor of the return proper there are three windows of varying size. One window has a plain sash frame whilst the others have modern ones.

On the rear façade of the main building to right of return there is a modern glazed door to the ground floor, then a pair of small windows with modern frames, and then (to right) a Georgian paned sash window, as front. To the first floor are four small sash windows, three of them 4/2 with one plain. To the rear façade of the single storey section (to far right) are two large modern picture windows with adjacent flat panel doors.

The front façade in finished in painted lined render with in / out quoins. The rear is largely finished in rough cast. The gabled roof appears to be largely slated though a small section to the rear may be asbestos. There are four rendered chimney stacks to the main roof. There is a taller, recent-looking stack to the return. Mainly cast iron rw goods (though some sections to the rear appear to be PVC).

Historical information

The large portion of the this block (i.e. the two storey section to the west of the east bay) appears to be the building of the same dimensions noted in valuation of 1836 (and shown on the OS map of 1834). According to the valuers the property was probably constructed in c.1800 or slightly earlier and was at that stage in the hands of one Miles Logan and contained a house, office and stores.

In c.1860 the occupant is recorded as Robert Cromie, a doctor who used part of the property as his surgery, with site of the single storey section to the east taken up with a house in the hands of a Jane Donaldson. The portion to the east was not present at this stage, but may have been built shortly afterwards.

The property probably assumed its present form c.1900 when the block was amalgamated and the rounded bays added. The single storey portion to the west end (originally the site of a separate property) appears to be of largely recent construction [?c.1990s].

Dr Cromie appears to have retained the property until at least 1886. However, up until the late 1970s the building continued as a surgery and doctor’s residence (which accounts for the retention of two front doorways). In the [?]1980s the building was used as an old peoples home, and in the 1990s as a residential home for people with learning difficulties.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/1B/387 1st valuation, Loughinisland, 1836-38
2 PRONI VAL/1D/3/19 valuation plan of Clough, 1838
3 PRONI VAL/2D/3/2 valuation plan of Clough, c.1860 [with annotations of c.1905]
4 PRONI 2nd valuation, Loughinisland, c.1860 [in print]
5 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down guide and directory’ (Dublin 1886), pp.146-47
6 PRONI OS/8/78/1 OS plan of Clough, 1901
7 PRONI VAL/3G/64/1 valuation plan of Clough, 1935-1956

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Long, largely two storey terrace block of mainly pre 1834 construction, with general Georgian appearance but with full height rounded end bays of c.1900. The building probably originally contained two to three properties, with the much larger pre 1834 portion to the W containing a house and store, with a short section to the E added post c.1860 as a separate dwelling. To the W end is a small single storey section, which appears to have been rebuilt in relatively recent times. The block is now a single property and contains a residential home. The building still retains its special architectural and historic interest.