124 Staffordstown Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A single storey thatched dwelling with a flat roofed extension to the rear. It is located facing west on the east side of the Staffordstown Road about three miles from Randalstown. Main entrance faces west.

West elevation has one window to left of entrance doorway and two to the right; windows rectangular timber vertically-hung sliding sash, 3 over 6 with horns; exposed sash boxes, recessed in slightly raised smooth rendered and green-painted surrounds; projecting concrete cills. Windows are replacements of 1982 to the original openings.
Walls whitened and roughcast with wet dash of small stones, with slightly projecting smooth rendered plinth, painted green, and slightly raised vertical end strips to each extremity, also painted green.
Roof of thatch with three scollops to the ridge; and eaves protected by chicken wire. Cement skews to each gable. Thatch is a replacement of 1982, with later repairs.
Two chimneys, one on north gable, and one in line with left-hand jamb of entrance; both chimneys rendered and whitened; no pots.
Main entrance is a rectangular timber ledged door with translucent glazed panel, and traditional metal latch, set in a plain timber frame recessed in a raised smooth cement rendered surround, painted green. Door is a replacement of 1982.

North gable is blank; roughcast rendered without plinth or corner strips. Projecting sandstone coping to gables.

Rear elevation rendered as north gable; roof thatched as to entrance elevation. Two windows to right of projecting rear return: window to right is a recessed rectangular timber 6-pane fixed light with top-hung 3-pane vent, set in smooth rendered reveals; projecting concrete cill, painted; window to left is similar except fixed light is only 3-pane. Left-hand reveal is formed by the side wall of the rear return. One window to left of rear return: similar to extreme right window as previous.

Rear return is L-shaped; flat roofed, with timber fascia; metal upstand all round with top covering of gravel.
North wall of rear return is rendered with wet dash of crushed stones; two windows, rectangular timber fixed light with top-hung vent; projecting concrete cills.
East wall of return is blank; PVC gutter and downpipe.
South elevation of return is rendered as previous; has a recessed rectangular flush timber glazed door to left set in plain smooth rendered reveals; to right of door is a rectangular timber fixed light window with a top-hung vent, recessed in smooth reveals, with projecting concrete cill; to right of that the return breaks forward with a blank west return wall, and a window in the projecting south face; window of similar type to north face of return; PVC soil pipe.

South gable of main block similar to north except it has a small square window at upper level, to light roofspace; single pane set in wooden frame slightly recessed with rounded reveals.

SETTING: The house stands facing a side road, with its north gable close to the corner with the main road. It is set back the depth of the adjacent footpath to the north, with a narrow border of concrete across its front. Small plain iron gate to left of entrance front, leading to a paved path to rear garden, bordered by greystone rocks; low screen walls to right of entrance front, smooth rendered and painted white, flanking an open gateway to a gravelled and concrete flagged area to the south; steel barred cattle grille set in opening. In front of the south gable stands an iron-handled water pump inscribed 'J. Lowden & Co Belfast' mounted on a circular concrete base. To the rear of the return is a small detached smooth rendered boiler house with ledged door and preformed metal sheet roof. Rear boundary formed by a horizontal timber fence.

Historical information

The precise date of the building is not known but it first appears on this site on the revised OS map of 1857. The property is recorded in the valuation of c.1860 as a house and forge, leased by a William McAteer from the Representatives of Nathaniel Alexander and rated at £2.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/2A/1/49 OS map, County Antrim sheet 49, with valuation
references (1857-c.60)
2 PRONI VAL/2B/1/70 Second valuation, Cranfield (c.1860)

Secondary Sources
EHS file.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A good example of a thatched vernacular house. It retains most of its original exterior appearance and enjoys a pleasant setting in a prominent position on the Staffordstown Road, facing west, about three miles south of Randalstown. It is of mid 19th. Century origin.