Derelict cottage

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Long, linear, single storey gabled vernacular dwelling, with outhouses, set right on the roadside to the W of the Killinchy Road, just over a mile S of Comber. This building has been derelict for some considerable time and is in poor order.
The building is set on the slight slope which rises to the S and W. Because of this the property is in three sections, rising slightly to the S. The large central section contains the dwelling house, with outbuildings to N and S.

The front façade faces E. The front of the central (house) section has a right of centre timber sheeted door. To the left of this are two widely spaced sash windows with horizontal glazing bars. To the right of the door are two similar windows, arranged much closer together. The windows have simple smooth render surrounds. The front façade of the smaller outbuilding to the S has a timber sheeted door to the right and a small window with timber boarding. The longer outbuilding to the N has a broad timber sheeted stable door to the left and a narrower timber sheeted door to the right. The entire front façade is finished in rough cast and painted.

The S gable (which is largely set into the hillside and is only partly visible), is blank. The S gable has a small opening near the apex and a slightly larger one at ground level, both without covering of any kind. The N gable is finished in much dilapidated rough cast, whilst that to the S is unrendered (revealing basalt rubble construction).

To the left at the rear of the S outbuilding there is a long, low level, piggery-like extension with a mono-pitched roof and various brick dressing square openings to the S side. To the immediate right of this (on the main outbuilding rear façade) is a timber sheeted door and, to the far right, is a small, brick dressed, window opening, without frame. At the rear of the central house section is a further gabled section with an odd uneven pitch to its roof, suggesting the rear (W) portion of it was added in lean to-like fashion at some stage. To the N gable of this section rises a chimney breast, with a boarded up window to its left and a dilapidated timber sheeted door to the right. To the rear façade is a single small window, without frame, and to the S gable there is at least one window (at the left), with much of this gable covered in greenery. The rear façade of the outbuilding to the S is largely set into the hillside, and appears to be blank. The rear façade of the entire building is unrendered.

The roof is mainly covered in Bangor blue slates apart from the section to the rear of the S outbuilding which sports a combination of corrugated asbestos and corrugated iron sheeting. Some rendered parapets. Three chimney stacks to house roof, two brick ones to the main roof and a part rendered stack to the rear gabled section. Remnants of cast iron rw goods.

Historical information

A building is shown on this site on the OS maps of 1834, 1858 and 1901 which matches the plan of the present (though minus the ‘piggery’ on the 1834 version). The property was not of rateable value at the time of the first valuation survey (c.1833) and is therefore not recorded, and the absence of the map to accompany the second (1863) valuation means that we know nothing of it at this stage either. The uniformity of the window openings to the front of the house, as well as their frames, suggest that the property was renovated c.1900 of slightly after. According to locals the building was abandoned during the 1960s.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL 1B/316A 1st valuation, Comber.
2 PRONI OS/1/3/10 OS maps 1st ed. 1834, Down 10.
3 PRONI OS/6/3/10/3 OS map, 1st rev. 1858, Down 10.
4 PRONI 2nd valuation, Comber. [The map to accompany the 2nd valuation for this area was never deposited at PRONI, making it impossible to ascertain the details of many properties at this date.]
5 PRONI OS/2/3/10 OS map, 2nd ed. 1901, Down 10.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Long, linear vernacular dwelling with outhouses, of probable pre 1834 origin. The uniformity of the window openings to the front suggest the building was renovated somewhat around 1900. The property was abandoned c.1960s and is now derelict.