23 Knockany Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey three-bay direct-entry vernacular farmhouse pre-dating 1830; rectangular plan form with returns and extensions primarily dating from the 20th century. Located at the end of a private lane on the west side of a sharp bend on Knockany Road approximately 3miles south-west of Carryduff.

Pitched natural slate roof with clay ridge tiles; uPVC replacement rainwater goods; cast-iron to front porch. Red-brick chimneys with corbelled upper courses. Rough-cast rendered walling. Timber sliding sash windows with margin panes; with horns (replaced c.1990); masonry rectangular cills; some timber casement replacement windows. Timber replacement front door with margin paned fixed light over.

The principal elevation faces south-west and is asymmetrically arranged. The front entrance is located centrally and comprises a wide wind-breaker porch with the front door centrally located at the front with a small casement window located on the right cheek. Right of the porch is a single window and to the left is a tri-partite timber casement window. The first floor comprises a central single window flanked by two tri-partite timber sliding sash windows.

The left gable is abutted by a 1 ½ storey gable ended white-washed bay which is further abutted on the south-west face by a 1 ½ storey flat-roofed extension, built c.1970; with a partially pitched roof to the south-east elevation with a pair of large dormers; timber casement windows to the front elevation with uPVC to the rear. The extension is further abutted by a single-storey flat-roofed addition c.2008; polycarbonate roof and uPVC windows.

The rear elevation is largely abutted by a two-storey lean-to roof extension (pre-dating 1970; possibly 1930); corrugated asbestos roof and timber casement and uPVC windows. Diminished timber casement ground and first floor windows left of the extension.

The right gable is abutted by a 1 ½ storey pitched roof bay with dormer window and single ground floor window; extended c.1980 with an L-shaped return incorporating a semi-circular projecting glazed bay with conical roof; adjoining the outbuildings located south-east of the main building. The outbuildings comprise a series of linear single and split storey units with corrugated tin/asbestos and slate roofing; partially modified at the time of the adjoining extension; roof timbers appear to be 20th century.

Setting:

The building is secluded away from public view and is largely enclosed by a series of historic and modern structures. Gardens surround the north and east comprising lawns and vegetation by mature trees beyond. The yard at the front comprises various sized agricultural and equestrian units with associated paddock; beyond which is extensive rural landscape.

Roofing: Natural slate
Walling: Rough cast render
Windows: Timber sliding sash/timber casement/uPVC
RWG: uPVC/cast-iron

Historical information

A two-storey farmhouse situated off the modern Knockany Road first appearing on the first edition Ordnance Survey map for the townland of Ballycarngannon in 1834 as an oblong building possessing a similar sized outbuilding to its south-east and a number of small offices to the west; over 100 meters to the west of the farmhouse can also be seen two further outbuildings. A painting of the house in the current owner’s possession tells us that the farmhouse was originally a single-storey vernacular dwelling (which was later raised a storey c. 1930). There had been little alteration to the site by the second edition of the Ordnance Survey maps in 1859 although a number of small outbuildings had been erected to the west and south-west of the farmhouse (the single-storey coach house to the south-west side of the dwelling is likely to be one of this group). The contemporary Griffith’s Valuation tells us that this site was occupied by a Mr. Joseph McMinn in 1861. The valuer records that McMinn let the farm, which was valued at £35, from the Marquis of Downshire; McMinn also let out the two westernmost outbuildings (which were recorded as houses valued at £1 each) to tenants.

Joseph McMinn was a local farmer who resided at this site until his death in 1895 at which time he left the property to his widow Margaret McMinn along with effects of £614 13s. 1d. McMinn’s will stipulated that the farm would pass to his eldest son George after seven years, whilst a second farm in the parish of Drumbo would pass to his younger son Thomas after a similar period (PRONI Wills Catalogue – 7 August 1895). Census records tell us that Margaret McMinn (a 60 year old Presbyterian farmer) continued to live at the farm with her sons George (30) and Hants [sic] (22), and daughter Jane (19) in 1901. The Census Building Return of that year described the farmhouse as a 2nd class dwelling which consisted of five rooms, was roofed with slate and possessed seven farmbuildings including a stable, cow house, piggery and a barn. By 1911 there had been little change although a coach house and a potato house had been added to the out offices; the third edition of the Ordnance Survey map (c. 1900) could not be examined, however the fourth edition (1919-20) shows that the westernmost outbuildings (recorded in 1861 as two small dwellings) had been taken down.

Field research supports the assertion that the single-storied farmhouse was raised a level c. 1930 when the two-storey lean-to extension at the rear of the dwelling is also thought to have been constructed (however, the north-west and south-east elevations remained single-storied). There was little change to the house until the current owners came into possession in 1969 and began to extensively remodel the layout of the farmyard; the two-storey western extension to the house was built c. 1970 whilst a second extension, including the round conservatory, was added to the north-east elevation c. 1980. The modern corrugated iron farmbuildings to the south of the dwelling were added at some stage between 1920 and 1976 when they first appear on the Ordnance Survey map of the latter year. The most recent alteration to the site was made in 2008 when a single-storey flat-roofed extension was added to the north-east elevation of the house. This former vernacular cottage continues to be occupied and is in a good state of repair although the original character of the dwelling has inevitably been altered due to the extensive reconstruction of the site.

References
Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/3/15/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey map 1834
2. PRONI OS/6/3/15/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey map 1859
3. PRONI OS/6/3/15/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey map 1919-20
4. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/25B – Griffith’s Valuation 1861
5. PRONI Wills Catalogue (1895)
6. Census of Ireland 1901 / 1911
7. Ordnance Survey map 166-13 (1976)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A two-storey three-bay direct-entry vernacular farmhouse pre-dating 1830; raised a level c. 1930. Rectangular plan form with returns and extensions primarily dating from the 20th century. Largely altered from its origins, most of the alterations reflect sympathetically the proportions, scale and details of the original building. The building is of local interest but is not considered suitable for listing.