23 Mullaghcarton Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 1 ½ storey three-bay mid-nineteenth-century direct-entry vernacular farmhouse, located on Mullaghcarton Road 1.5 miles north east of Maghaberry town; adjacent to HMP Maghaberry.

Pitched natural slate roof with clay ridge tiles; Victorian polychrome brick chimneys; cast-iron rainwater goods. Cement rendered walling; unpainted. 2/2 timber sliding sash windows with horizontal glazing bars; some timber casement; 6 pane half sash fixed lights to upper floor. Concrete cills and plain surrounds. Wide timber front door 1930’s style; rear door timber sheeted.

The principal elevation faces southwest and is a formal asymmetrical arrangement. Flat roofed entrance porch abutting to right of centre. Single window to the right and two windows to the left. Diminished windows to first floor directly over ground floor openings.

The left gable faces directly onto the road. Chimney over apex with two attic windows flanking the chimney breast.

The rear elevation is asymmetrically arranged. Rear flat roofed porch abutting left of centre. Single window to the left and two windows to the right. Three diminished six-pane fixed lights to upper floor, over ground floor openings; exception to far right bay.

The right gable is abutted by single-storey outbuildings arranged along the axis comprising; pitched natural slate roofing on sawn timber trusses and rafters; rough-cast render; timber sheeted doors and steel framed windows; small lean-to bay at the far left.

Setting:

Northwest gable facing directly onto road; adjacent to various two-storey modern dwellings. Abutting the south west elevation is a low rise wall surmounted by mild steel railing; matching gate fixed to squared piers. Yard to the rear; large modern agricultural unit and mobile home. Open rural landscape to the south east and west. Quarry to the south.

Roofing: Natural slate
Walling: Rendered
Windows: Timber sliding sash/casement
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

This 1 ½ storey vernacular dwelling, situated on the Mullaghcarton road may originate as early as c. 1830 although this cannot be confirmed; a division between two sheets of the first edition of the Ordnance Survey map (1832-33) runs straight through the current site of this dwelling, omitting a section of detail and making it difficult to determine whether a building existed on the site at this time. The second edition of the Ordnance Survey map indicates that the dwelling had been constructed by 1858 when it is depicted as an oblong building which was situated to the north-west of a Limestone Quarry; it is unclear from the map whether the surviving single-storey outbuilding, which abuts the right gable, had been constructed at this time, however there was no further alteration to the site on later editions of the maps suggesting that this adjoining office block had been constructed prior to 1858. An L-shaped outbuilding was also depicted, situated to the east of the house; however this was taken down sometime after 1920 when it last appeared on the fourth edition Ordnance Survey map.

In 1859 this dwelling was let by the Marquis of Hertford to a Mr. William Clark; at that time the site included the house and the nearby ‘Limestone Quarry and kilns,’ the entire site valued at £2 10s. William Clark let a smaller dwelling, either the adjoining office or eastern outbuilding, to tenants between 1859 and 1928; this house was valued at 10 shillings and was let to a large number of tenants over this period. Between 1863 and 1865 Clark added ‘a small addition to the dwelling house 7ft by 5ft and a small new office;’ this note may refer to the small outbuilding currently adjoining the rear of the length, however this is not clear.

William Clark resided at this site until his death c. 1870 at which time the property passed to Thomas Clarke (an unknown relation) who purchased the dwelling outright and resided there until at least 1901. The 1901 Census tells us that Thomas Clarke was an elderly man of 80 years old who lived in this dwelling with his wife Christina (75) and his son John (35). The census building return described the building as a 2nd class dwelling which contained five rooms and possessed a slate roof; Clarke was recorded as a retired farmer, possessing a stable, cow house, piggery, barn and fowl house which were housed in either the adjoining office building or the eastern outbuilding. Thomas Clarke died between 1901 and 1911 leaving the farmhouse to his son John which he occupied until his own death in 1930; at that time the farm passed to his nephew Thomas Culbert (PRONI Wills Catalogue – 17/02/1930). The farmhouse is currently lying vacant and has fallen into a state of disrepair.

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/67/1 – First edition Ordnance Survey map 1832-33
2. PRONI OS/6/1/67/2 – Second edition Ordnance Survey map 1858
3. PRONI OS/6/1/67/3 – Third edition Ordnance Survey map 1900
4. PRONI OS/6/1/67/4 – Fourth edition Ordnance Survey map 1920-21
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/62B – Griffiths Valuation 1859
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/13A – Annual Revisions 1863-1865
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/13B – Annual Revisions 1869-1881
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/13C – Annual Revisions 1881-1894
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/13D – Annual Revisions 1895-1908
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/13E – Annual Revisions 1909-1928
11. PRONI Wills Catalogue (1930)
12. Census of Ireland 1901 / 1911

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A 1 ½ storey three-bay mid-nineteenth century direct-entry vernacular farmhouse; located at the road side of Mullaghcarton Road. With a series of adjoining outbuildings arranged on the axis, the overall complex is a good example of linear development. The external appearance is largely due to early 20th century modifications, which was typical for a building of this type once common to the area but becoming increasingly rare. Internally some historic fabric is retained although modification of fireplaces and layout has detracted from its overall interest. The dwelling may be a purpose built 1½ storey of a unique type; or the rear entrance as it currently exists, may once have been the front entrance, directly addressing the yard and at the time of formalising the elevations.