20 Soldierstown Road, Killough, Aghalee, Craigavon, County Antrim, BT67 0ES

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

No.20 Soldierstown Road is a single-storey, three-bay, lobby entry, linear vernacular dwelling with two-storey detached outbuilding to rear, originating before 1830. Located off the Soldierstown Road approximately 1 mile southeast of Aghalee, No.20 has an attached former dwelling (No.22 - now a store), and remains of a third (No.24) on the north-east side.

The principal elevation (south-east) is asymmetrically arranged with the front entrance located right of centre; two window openings on both right and left sides. Pitched corrugated asbestos roof with clay ridge tiles; cast iron rainwater goods; red-brick chimneys; rough-cast rendered walling; 2/2 timber sliding sash with horizontal glazing bars and horns behind concrete block infill. Timber sheeted front door with brass ironmongery, recessed into gable ended porch; the latter has a natural slate roof and smooth rendered walling. The left gable (south-west) is blank and sits perpendicular to and directly on Soldierstown Road.

The rear elevation (north-west) is abutted by a subservient gable ended return, right of centre; blank gable with rear door and casement window to the left cheek and a single steel framed window to the right cheek. Single window opening to right of return with 2/2 timber sliding sash window with single-glazing; two matching windows to the left of return, same type as above. The right gable is abutted on its north-east side by a linear building (No.22 – now a store which has lost its planform). The latter is further abutted on its north-east side by the former No.24 which is now much altered with a flat roof, and is open to the yard at rear. A roughcast wall with coping links No.20 with the rear outbuilding along Soldierstown Road, and the wall continues to the front of No.20, ending in a pier with pyramidal capping.

Outbuilding:
The outbuilding is a two storey rectangular stone structure, constructed prior to 1830 in association with the vernacular farmhouse. Its walls are built of rubble stone bonded with lime mortar and retain weathered remnants of historic lime render. The elevations feature small openings that reflect the building’s original agricultural purpose. At ground floor level, doorways are fitted with painted timber doors set within red brick surrounds. Upper level openings are small rectangular apertures with brick dressings and timber shutters. Access to the upper floor is provided by external rubble built steps located on the rear elevation. The road facing gable contains a loft opening framed by a segmental brick arch. The roof is finished with corrugated metal sheeting and metal ridge capping. Later additions include metal gutters and downpipes.

Setting:
Rural
setting with the south-west gable of No.20 Soldierstown Road sited directly perpendicular to the road. To the rear is a farm yard with a two-storey outbuilding to rear (north west), linked to No.20 with a roughcast wall; No.20 has a former attached dwelling (No.22 – now a store) and remains of a third (No.24) on the north-east side. Two modern bungalows located immediately south-east (new No.24) and east (new No.22) of No.20, both constructed in early 2000s.

Materials:
Roofing: Corrugated asbestos
Walling: Roughcast
Windows: Timber sliding sash with single glazing
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

A range of three single-storey vernacular cottages situated in the townland of Killough, south of the village of Aghalee, first appearing on the 1832 Ordnance Survey map of the region. This map shows that the length and the outbuilding nearest to the road were constructed sometime before 1832. The site was not recorded in the contemporary Townland Valuation of the area; however Griffith's Valuation tells us that a Mr. Matthew Beckett let the building, which at that time was recorded as a single dwelling (the two additional cottages were likely used as out offices), and its offices from the Marquis of Hertford in 1859. Matthew Beckett occupied the property, which was valued at £4 10s. until 1885 when it passed to a Mr. James Hobb. Over the next ten years the site changed hands a number of times until a Mr. James Reid came into possession in 1893.

James Reid never occupied the site himself but lived at a nearby dwelling in the same townland; in 1894 he purchased the property from the Marquis of Hertford and in that year the original cottage and its adjoining out offices were converted into three separate dwellings which he let out to lodgers from that year. With this conversion the value of the site was divided between the three new dwellings; the dwelling closest to the road was valued at £2 10s. whilst the adjoining house was valued at £1 15. The final dwelling along the length (which has since been demolished) was valued at 15 shillings. James Reid owned this range of dwellings until his death in 1896; his will tells us that he left effects of £150 and ‘administration of his estate’ to his son, also named James Reid (PRONI Wills Catalogue – 30/09/1896).

The 1901 Census tells us that James Reid Jnr (47) was a Presbyterian farmer who lived in the townland of Killough although it is not known exactly where he resided. Reid may have let these dwellings to labourers that worked on his farm and a number of occupants between 1901 and 1911 were indeed occupied in this trade; however, the 1901 and 1911 Census also records that previous occupants included a shoemaker and a linen weaver making this theory uncertain. In 1913 the house nearest to the road was occupied by the Rev. W. H. Shire, a 28 year old Church of Ireland Minister who boarded there; in 1916 a Rev. John Smythe replaced him as occupant making it clear that these dwellings were not primarily intended for farm labourers.

The 1911 census building return tells us that all of these cottages were originally thatched; the first house nearest the road possessed five rooms, the adjoining dwelling four and the (now demolished) third building originally contained three rooms and was recorded as a third class dwelling, the previous houses recorded as 2nd class. The three houses continued to be occupied until 1920 when the third building was abandoned and converted into an office building; this former dwelling has since been taken down although the front elevation has been retained and converted into a workshed with the installation of a flat corrugated iron roof. The exterior character of the remaining dwellings has been maintained although all of the roofs have been replaced with corrugated iron. A single-storey replacement dwelling was constructed by the owner c. 2000 and is located immediately to the east of the cottages.

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/66/1 – First edition Ordnance Survey map 1832
2. PRONI OS/6/1/66/2 – Second edition Ordnance Survey map 1858
3. PRONI OS/6/1/66/3 – Third edition Ordnance Survey map c. 1900
4. PRONI OS/6/1/66/4 – Fourth edition Ordnance Survey map 1920-21
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/58B – Griffiths Valuation 1859
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/9/2A – Annual Revisions 1863-1879
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/9/2B – Annual Revisions 1880-1894
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/9/2C – Annual Revisions 1893-1905
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/9/2D – Annual Revisions 1906-1918
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/9/2E – Annual Revisions 1918-1928
11. PRONI Wills Catalogue (1896)
12. Census of Ireland 1901 / 1911
13. Ordnance Survey map 164-9 (1973)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
Z. Rarity
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A roadside vernacular grouping that retains its original form and character. 20 Soldierstown Road is a single-storey, three bay lobby-entry vernacular farmhouse with detached two storey stone outbuilding to rear, originating before 1830 and located on Soldierstown Road approximately 1 mile southeast of Aghalee.
Externally, the special interest of the dwelling is characterised by the pitched profile over a former thatched roof, a windbreak porch with a pitched natural slated roof and small window openings to front and rear elevations, all characteristic of vernacular architecture. Internally it retains much of its essential vernacular character and form with an open hearth with crane and crook within the chimney aperture, sheeted ceilings, panelled doors and quarry tiled floor.
The outbuilding to rear is a two storey, rubblestone structure, also constructed prior to 1830, which has irregularly placed openings of varied sizes, as per the vernacular idiom.
The arrangement of the dwelling (with conjoined former dwelling and remains of a third dwelling) and outbuilding linked by a boundary wall along the roadside and with wall and pier at the site entrance form a cohesive vernacular composition.
This complex forms an interesting and increasingly rare architectural group with the scale and form contributing to the rural character and adding local distinctiveness to the rural scene. The linear vernacular form of the dwellings, with stepped roofs responding to the sloping ground, remains clearly legible.