Farm Outbuildings and Horsewalk

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A group of slated rubble stone early-to mid-nineteenth century farm buildings located west of Magheraconluce Road in Anahilt. To west is a single-storey block; rectangular on plan having cement rendered twentieth-century addition to north gable. To rear of this block is a single-storey small block. To east is a one-and-a-half storey barn, rectangular on plan with a single-storey return to northeast.

Pitched natural slate roofs with blue/black angled ridge tiles; return to barn has corrugated metal roof. Plastic rainwater goods. Walling is rubble stone. Windows to east block only; 6/6 timber-framed sliding sash with horns to northeast elevation; remainder are single pane diminutive windows.

The principal elevation of the west block faces southeast. Two square-headed timber-sheeted doors with cast-iron hinges to right of centre. The southwest gable is blank. The northwest elevation not accessed. The northeast gable is abutted by twentieth-century cement rendered extension (of little interest).

The small rectangular block to rear is partially concealed; north elevation is blank.

The southeast elevation of the barn to east has a diminutive window to either side of segmental-headed carriage entrance having red-brick lintel and a timber-sheeted double-leaf doors with cast-iron hinges. The northwest gable has a diminutive window to attic; to ground floor is timber-sheeted door with cast-iron hinges. The northeast elevation has to far left a timber-sheeted replacement door and 6/6 sliding sash window; abutted to right by single-storey return; northeast gable is blank; northwest elevation has recessed replacement timber-sheeted door and diminutive window; southeast elevation has three regularly spaced diminutive openings to very top. The southeast gable of the main block has blind window to attic.

Setting:

The farm buildings are owned by the National Trust. Situated at the end of a long lane west of Magheraconluce Road, to south and west are two 20th century farmhouses. An early rubble stone boundary wall is attached right of centre to the barn to east. To south is a recently constructed stone wall (marking the site of the former farmhouse, demolished 1979) having modern timber farm gate to south and tubular farm gate to southwest. Horsewalk mechansim adjacent to outbuildings. Thresher and wheel to south. Enclosed to north and east by mature trees.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Rubble stone
Windows: Variety of timber-framed
RWG: Plastic

Historical information

Greenhill farm dates from at least 1830 when it was depicted on the first edition Ordnance Survey map (1835); the two surviving farm buildings (a former barn in the east block and a store in the west block) date from this period. A new farmhouse was constructed to the south of these buildings around the mid-twentieth century; the original farmhouse can be seen on the first edition Ordnance Survey map when it was situated to the south of the farm buildings of this group.

Greenhill farm was occupied by members of the Irvine family from at least the 1830s when a Mr. William Irvine was recorded as occupant in the Townland Valuation. The valuer tells us that the farm was valued at £3 12s. and that it possessed five single-storey out offices. William Irvine (born c. 1781) occupied Greenhill until his death in 1836 at which time the farm passed to his daughter Sarah and her husband James Matthews (1816-1900). Valuation records indicate that James Matthews let the farm from the Marquis of Downshire at total rent of £24 5s. and resided at Greenhill until his death in 1900 at which time the house and farm passed to his widow Sarah (1818-1905).

The 1901 census tells us that Sarah Matthews was 82 years old on the night of the census and occupied the farm with her youngest son Abram (1863-1944) a retired shirt manufacturer, and her daughter Sarah (1849-1934); during their marriage James and Sarah Matthews had ten children. The census out office return of that year tells us that the farm buildings at Greenhill were used to house a stable, cow house, calf house, two piggeries, a fowl house, a boiling house and a barn. Mrs. Matthews died in 1905 leaving the farm to her daughter Sarah who resided there until her own death in 1934. There was little change to the site between 1901 and 1911, however the 1911 Census tells us that Sarah lived at the farm with her sisters Elizabeth (1853-1932) and Margaret (1850-1944). Sarah Matthews had bought the farm outright by 1913 when it was recorded as ‘in fee’ in the Annual Revisions.

With Sarah’s death in 1934 the property passed to Abram and Margaret who occupied the farmhouse until their own deaths in 1944. The farm then came into possession of Oonagh Matthews (a granddaughter of James and Sarah Matthews) who lived in England and did not return to Ireland until the 1970s. Oonagh Matthews (1903-1992) demolished the original farmhouse and began construction of the new dwelling shortly after the end of the Second World War; however she did not move into the new farmhouse until c.1979 when she and her sister Ruth (1904-2000) retired and returned from England. Neither Oonagh nor Ruth married or had children of their own and upon their deaths Greenhill was left in the care of the National Trust; in her will Oonagh Matthews bequeathed Greenhill to the organisation ‘for the particular benefit of the trust’s Northern Ireland region’ (Gillespie).

This group of farm buildings has been well maintained by the National Trust which has preserved the original character of the buildings, although a modern concrete garage extension to the west block distracts from the generally intact appearance. Further additions to the group include a corrugated metal roof to the modern garage and the former pig sty (the sty was located in the barns north-east facing return) and modern windows to both the west block and the barn. Field research has found that a stone wall has been recently constructed to the south of the barn; this runs over the site of the previous farmhouse which was approximately located along the line of the wall although there is no trace of it that survives. However, despite the loss of the farmhouse the farmbuildings in themselves are historically significant, having been occupied by the same family for at least over 150 years and in a good state of preservation.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI VAL/1/A/3/21 – Field Map c.1830
2. PRONI VAL/1/B/344 A+B– Townland Valuation c.1830
3. PRONI OS/6/3/21/1 – First Edition OS Map 1835
4. PRONI OS/6/3/21/2 – Second Edition OS Map 1859
5. PRONI OS/6/3/21/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1903
6. PRONI OS/6/3/21/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-20
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/35 – Griffith’s Valuation 1862
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/ – Annual Revisions 1866-1875
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/ – Annual Revisions 1876-1885
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/ – Annual Revisions 1886-1897
11. PRONI VAL/12/B/ – Annual Revisions 1897-1914
12. PRONI VAL/12/B/ – Annual Revisions 1915-1929
13. Census 1901 / 1911

Secondary Sources

1. Gillespie, I., ‘History of the occupants of Greenhill, Annahilt’ Belfast: Ulster Archaeological Society, 2007.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A group of early-to -mid-nineteenth century traditional rubble stone farm buildings; located west of Magheraconluce Road, Anahilt. Although altered, the group has retained some of its early appearance; having timber-sheeted barn doors and timber-framed windows. With an original horsewalk and thresher and a largely unspoiled setting it is an iteresting group, however in the absence of the original farmhouse, the buildings were not deemed of sufficient architectural interest to merit listing..