Invermuir

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay two-storey rendered house, built c.1840. Rectangular-on-plan, facing south, with two-storey return to north; the house occupies a corner site at the junction of Cogry Road and Bridge Road, Doagh.

Pitched natural slate roof, blue/black clay roll-top ridge tiles; rendered chimneystacks with octagonal chimneypots, overhanging timber eaves, decorative bargeboards, cast iron downpipes. Walling is roughcast with continuous cill course at each floor, smooth render stepped quoins and a chamfered plinth. Windows are square-headed timber 1/1 sliding sash with smooth rendered architraves, chamfered reveals and masonry cills (unless otherwise stated).

The principal (south) elevation has projecting gabled central bay containing principal entrance, three windows to flanking bays at ground floor, central larger, two windows to flanking bays at first floor, all with moulded architraves. Central bay has partially glazed pitched roof, entrance recessed within square headed opening with chamfered reveals, painted timber four-panelled door with transom light, pilasters to corners surmounted by dentilled entablature. Ten-pane fixed window with concrete lintel to first floor, glazed apex. Each cheek has windows at each floor, (those to first floor fixed casements). Left side is enclosed by ornate cast metal railings.

West gable has window at left to ground and first floor. Left end abutted by wall aligned east-west enclosing orchard to north-west corner of site.

North elevation is abutted at left by two-storey hipped return.

East gable has window to first floor; boiler house below, abutted by rendered wall aligned east-west, pyramidal-capped square rendered pillars and replacement gates enclosing courtyard.

Return has hipped roof and is detailed as main house with two chimneys to centre. West elevation is four windows wide with catslide extension to the internal angle of the main house, two dormers each with paired timber 3/6 sliding sash windows. Abutted by single storey outbuilding to left; central bays could not be accessed due to dense vegetation. North gable has central blocked opening to first floor and overlooks Cogry Road. East elevation is seven windows wide; replacement door recessed within smooth-rendered round headed opening with keyblock to each end. abutted by two-storey outbuilding (aligned east-west) to right.

Setting

The house is surrounded by mature trees; gravel forecourt, extensive front lawn, enclosed orchard to west and courtyard to east enclosed to all sides by single-storey multi-bay roughcast outbuildings with hipped roofs. West range (aligned north-south) has central archway; the group is located to the west of the river which separates the house from Cogry Mill (HB21/04/002). The site is bound by two metre high random coursed rubble wall, house is accessed by a curved avenue entered through rendered alcoved plinth walls with cast-iron railings and square pyramidal-capped pillars. A pedestrian bridge to the east of the garden connects Invermuir to Cogry Cottage (HB21/04/002) on the east side of the river.

Roof: Natural slate; blue/black clay roll-top ridge and hip tiles
Walling: Roughcast with smooth render detailing
Windows: painted timber
Rainwater Goods: cast-iron

Historical information

The building first appears on the second edition map of 1857, with an extension to rear not shown on the current map. The building appears in its current form in the third edition OS map of 1902.

The Valuation Revisions first detail the site in the 1880’s as a house, office and land which is occupied by James Gault and the immediate lessor is John Wilson. The value of the building is £22.10s while in 1897 the buildings are valued at £28. This was the former residence of the owner of the nearby Cogry Mills.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/45/1 - First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/45/2 - Second Edition OS Map (1857)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/51/3 –Third Edition OS Map (1902)
4. PRONI VAL/2/A/1/45A - Griffith's Valuation map (1859)
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/8B - Griffith's Valuation Fieldbook (1859)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/1/4A-E - Valuation Revisions (1864-1904)
7. PRONI VAL/12D/1/45A - Valuation Revision Map (1864)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A pleasantly detailed symmetrical three-bay two-storey rendered house, dating from the mid nineteenth century. Well proportioned and enhanced by its mature landscaped setting, Invermuir is also of interest in terms of its group value as part of the Cogry Mill Estate (HB21/04/002). Attendant outbuildings and orchard add to the integrity of the site.

General comments

The Local Landscape Policy Area includes the Doagh River Corridor as mentioned in Designation DH 07 in the Published Area Plan.