Straid House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached two-storey five-bay house, built c.1840, facing south and located to the east side of Main Street, Straid. Rectangular on plan, two-storey return to north-west, further extensions to north east. One-and-a-half-storey outbuilding to south-east corner.

Pitched natural slate roof; crested clay ridge tiles; uPVC rainwater goods supported on modillions at eaves; corbelled brackets at gable ends supporting plain bargeboard to west and decorative to east. Smooth rendered chimneys to gables and centre, masonry caps, shallow cylindrical terracotta pots. Walls are ruled-and-lined rendered below first floor cill course, roughcast above; quoins throughout. Windows are square-headed timber casements, moulded architraves with corbels to sides and cill course, foliated keyblock to centre.

Principal elevation is five windows wide, principal entrance offset to left comprising panelled door with fanlight and sidelights, recessed in a moulded elliptical-arched opening with keyblock. Window to each side. Shop front at right comprising central modern entrance door with window to each side; all divided by staged pilasters paired at either side of entrance; fascia and modillioned cornice above. Cast metal light fittings between end windows at first floor to east and west sides.

West gable has two replacement uPVC windows at first floor. Chamfered corner below quoins to north and south.

Rear elevation has two-storey return at right and series of extensions on left; single-storey flat roof extension adjoining left elevation of return followed by two-storey extension and single storey lean-to with cat-slide roof. Exposed section has two plainly detailed windows to first floor.

East gable is abutted by range of one-and-a-half-storey outbuildings set perpendicular to house.

Return is three windows wide and faces east. Roof is pitched artificial tiled, detailed as main house. Windows are as main house with smooth rendered pointed-headed architraves and masonry cills. Three windows to each floor. North corner abutted by original roughcast round pillar with conical cap. North gable has one window to east at ground floor. East elevation has replacement timber sheeted door and is abutted by single-storey flat roof extension; three windows to first floor.

Two-storey extension is pitched slated with plain bargeboards and chimney to west side, detailed as main house. North elevation at ground floor comprises replacement uPVC window in plainly detailed segmental headed opening. Abutted at east by single-storey lean-to extension, window to each elevation at first floor. Lean-to has timber sheeted door to north and is abutted by storey-and-a-half rendered outbuilding to east.

Setting

Site bounded to north and east by single-storey and two-storey outbuildings. Bounded to west and south by rendered boundary wall and hedge. Accessed at west through square pillars with pointed caps supporting cast iron gates. Access to rear via rendered round pillars and conical caps.

Roof: natural slate
Walling: Smooth rendered below cills; roughcast above.
Windows: Square-headed timber casements.
Rainwater Goods: uPVC

Historical information

A small rectangular building is shown on the site in the first edition OS map and the surrounding area is vacant. The second edition OS map of 1857 shows significant development in the village and the building appears in its current form.

The Townland Valuation Fieldbook of 1836 records that the property was re-measured in 1859. The revised record states the owner of the property as Mary Wilson, who has a “public and grocery shop” , and this building is valued at £6.11s.0d.
Griffiths Valuation in 1859 records a house/shop and office which is occupied by Mary Wilson; the Marquis of Downshire is the immediate lessor. The building is valued at £15.5s

References

Primary Sources:
1. PRONI OS/6/1/46/1 - First Edition OS Map (1832)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/46/2 - Second Edition OS Map (1857)
3. PRONI VAL/1/A/1/46-Townland Valuation Map (1836)
4. PRONI VAL/1/B/1/114 -Townland Valuation Fieldbook (1836)
5. PRONI VAL/2/A/1/46 -Griffiths Valuation Map (1859)
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/12-Griffiths Valuation Fieldbook (1859)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A detached two-storey five-bay house, built c.1840, facing south and located to the east side of Main Street, Straid. Despite some remodelling, the original plan form and external ornamentation survive. Centrally located within Straid village and preserved in its original setting, the house is representative of early commercial development here. However, the loss of the original windows detracts significantly from its character and it is a common type of which there are better examples.