Cherry Valley

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey three-bay gabled house with an attic storey, a gabled projecting porch, and two yellow brick chimneys equidistantly spaced on ridge. Main entrance faces south. Roof slated in regular courses with red terracotta ridge tiles, replacements for previous ridge to slightly different design. Walls smooth cement rendered and painted, with rusticated quoins to extremities. Windows rectangular PVC fixed lights with top-hung vents, replacements for timber sliding sashes. Original drip mouldings retained over windows, segmental arched to first floor of entrance front, horizontal elsewhere. Gabled single and two-storey returns to rear.

SETTING: The building stands in a very rural area, facing the road but set well back from it within a large field in front, with some mature trees. Main entrance gateway has low curving rendered walls and square piers but no gates.

Historical information

Precise date of building not known but appears on OS map of 1832-3. In the 1830s it was the residence of Charles Armstrong Esquire, J.P., agent to the Honourable Colonel Pakenham, and was described as “a modern and gentleman-like 2-storey house” with “a good deal of planting and some old oaks (apparently natural timber) about the house”. In the 1890s it was the residence of Mr J.H. McConnell, Land Commissioner.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1832-3, Co Antrim 59.
2. Ordnance Survey memoirs of Ireland, Vol 21: Parishes of County Antrim VII, 1832-8 (Belfast, 1993), pp 62-63, 67, 68.
3. C. Watson, The Story of the United Parishes of Glenavy, Camlin and Tullyrusk (Belfast, 1892), p 52.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This is a building of early 19th century foundation, but after falling into disrepair has been largely rebuilt both inside and outside, and has now lost much of its original fabric.