15 Loughaghery Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A vacant two-storey three-bay farmhouse with attached outbuildings, built c. 1830, with alterations c.1870, and located at the end of a long lane southeast of Loughaghrey Road in Anahilt. Rectangular on plan with adjoining group of outbuildings to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof having blue/black angled ridge tiles and rendered gable chimneystacks. Cast-iron half round rainwater goods. Walling is roughcast render partially eroded to expose fieldstone construction. Windows are 2/2 timber-framed sliding sash having horizontal glazing bars; smooth rendered surrounds and masonry sills.

The principal elevation faces southeast and is symmetrically arranged, being three openings wide. To centre at ground floor is elliptical-headed opening having timber-sheeted entrance door with decorative cast-iron knocker and knob in round-headed smooth rendered surround; stained glass transom light and sidelights on masonry plinth with projecting sills.

The southwest elevation has a window to left at ground floor.

The northwest (rear) elevation is abutted to right by outbuildings; to left is single-storey extension under catslide tin roof.

The northeast elevation is blank.

Single-storey rubble stone and brick outbuildings form an L-shape to create a rear yard. Linear group adjoining dwelling comprises of square-headed carriage entrance to left having timber-sheeted doors with cast-iron strap hinges. To right is timber-sheeted door and two timber half-doors to stable. To gable is rubble stone outbuilding with catslide slated roof; abutted to north by semi-ruinous rubble-stone stable-block.

Setting:

Occupying a rural
setting at end of a long lane accessed off a quiet country road. Modern steel framed agricultural shed and livestock shed to south. Ashlar squared gate piers to Loughaghrey Road entrance having decorative wrought-iron gates. Brick and cement rendered gate piers to farm entrance having original wrought-iron gates. Site is enclosed by mature trees. Small garden to front of house is enclosed by rubble stone and rendered wall; to north is square gate pier having pointed cap and decorative wrought-iron latch gate leading to side yard.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Roughcast render
Windows: 2/2 sliding sash
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

This two-storey Georgian style farmhouse first appears on the first edition Ordnance Survey map for the area in 1833 where it is depicted as an oblong building, which possessed an adjoining north facing out building, situated in the townland of Ballycrune. The map also shows that in the 1830s the house possessed a similar sized out office and a smaller out office to its east which still survives but has fallen into a state of disrepair. The farmhouse does not appear in the contemporary Townland Valuation of the 1830s; however by 1862 the property was occupied by a Mr. Hugh Brown who rented the farm from Marquis of Downshire.

At that time the farmhouse was valued at £1 10s, although by 1871 the valuer noted that Brown had built a new house at the site increasing its value to £4 5s. A separate dwelling does not appear on the 1903 Ordnance Survey map suggesting that the previous house, originally a single-storey vernacular building, was modified c. 1871 into its current configuration when formal features were added and the building was raised a storey.

The 1901 census building return tells us that the farmhouse was a second class slated building which consisted of four rooms; the farm itself was quite modest, the only out offices recorded in 1901 were a stable, cow house, piggery and a barn; field research suggests that the stables were housed in the outbuilding at the rear of the house. In 1901 Hugh Brown was an 82 year old retired widower; his son Matthew maintained the farm until his father’s death in 1902. At that time he left the farm and effects of £299 to his son (PRONI Wills Catalogue – 05/08/1902).

Matthew Brown (born c. 1853) lived at the farm with his wife and son Hugh (born c. 1884). Between 1901 and 1911 Matthew Brown appears to have expanded the farm as the number of farm buildings had slightly increased in the interim; the 1911 Census out office return recorded that the farm consisted of two stables, a cow house, a piggery, a fowl house, a barn and a potato house which were housed in the adjoining and eastern outbuilding. Brown purchased the house by 1913 when he was recorded as the owner of the farm in the Annual Revisions, however by 1929 (when he would have been aged 76) the house passed to his son Hugh who was the last occupant recorded in the Annual Revisions which ended in that year.

The farm currently lies vacant; the farmhouse and its outbuildings have fallen into a state of disrepair, however many of the exterior features of the farmhouse have survived including a cast-iron knocker and remnants of the cobblestoned yard which was enclosed by the house and the attached outbuilding. This building is an interesting example of a formalised Georgian farmhouse that although abandoned and in a dilapidated condition, retains its original layout from at least 1833 when it is first recorded historically.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI VAL/1/A/3/22 – Field Map c.1830
2. PRONI VAL/1/B/338 A+B – Townland Valuation
3. PRONI OS/6/3/22/1 – First Edition OS Map 1833
4. PRONI OS/6/3/22/2 – Second Edition OS Map 1859
5. PRONI OS/6/3/22/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1903
6. PRONI OS/6/3/22/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-1920
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/35 – Griffith’s Valuation 1862
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/1 A – Annual Revisions 1866-1875
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/1 B – Annual Revisions 1876-1885
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/1 C – Annual Revisions 1886-1897
11. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/1 D – Annual Revisions 1897-1914
12. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/1 E – Annual Revisions 1915-1929
13. PRONI Wills Catalogue (1902)
14. Census 1901 / 1911

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A two-storey three-bay Georgian farmhouse built c.1830, and formalised c.1870 into the current configuration, having attached outbuildings; located at the end of a long lane southeast of Loughaghrey Road in Anahilt. The house is simply detailed in a Georgian style and is well proportioned, retaining original fenestration. The outbuildings are arranged in an L-shaped group around a partially cobbled yard, some with early stable doors. The outbuildings and rural setting add to the character of the group. Although interesting the building is not considered one of the better examples in the Lisburn Area and not worthy of listing.