’The Long Thatch’

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Greatly extended and modernised single storey house set on a slight rise (in ‘stepped’ formation) the W side of the Ballymorran Road less than half a mile SE of the village of Killinchy. This house is undoubtedly of pre 1834 origin and was probably a typically example of a tradition Irish linear dwelling(s), however it now looks sharp and modern, with perhaps only the haphazard arrangement of the front facade giving any indication of its former appearance.

Front N facade is in three ‘stepped’ sections. The mid section contains the entrance which consists of a timber sheeted stable door. To the right of this is a square window with modern four pane frame, with a larger window with similar frame to the right of this.
To the right (W) of this portion is another portion set at a slightly higher level whose front facade contains a similar door with windows roughly as before to either side. To the left (E) side is the lowest of the sections which has a timber sheeted door with a window, as before, to the right and a squat modern window set at a high level, to the left.

The E gable of this original section of the house now has a very large modern fixed light modern window.

The original W gable is blank.

The rear of this building has been altered beyond recognition in recent times. To the E and W are gabled returns and between these the original rear facade has been extended in the form of an almost totally glazed flat roofed corridor. The gabled return to the E also has a large flat roofed section attached. The windows throughout all of these extensions are modern and extremely large.

The entire facade is finished in plain render and painted. The roof of the original section has concrete tiles and an overhang, but no chimneys. There is a tall chimney stack to the flat roofed section at the rear. PVC rw goods.

Locally this house is still referred to as ‘The Long Thatch’, but this title is now somewhat ironic.

Historical information

A building is shown on this site on the OS maps of 1834 and 1859-60 which undoubtedly corresponds to the original section of the present house. The building is not mentioned in the first valuation returns of c.1835 (presumably because it was below rateable value), but in 1861 it was leased by Andrew Morrow (of near by Summerhill House) from John Cleland (of Stormont). The owner stated that the building contained two dwellings at some point, a suggestion supported by the arrangement of the front facade.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS maps 1st ed. 1834, Co. Down 17.
2 PRONI VAL 1B/335 pp.6-7 (28-29), Killinchy parish, Ballymorran td., c.1835.
3 PRONI OS maps 1st rev. 1859-60, Co. Down 17.
4 PRONI 2nd valuation, Killinchy parish, Ballymorran td., 1861.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Modern looking, sprawling single storey house based around what was a simple linear dwelling of probable pre 1834 origin, with only the haphazard arrangement of the front facade and the ‘stepped’ formation of the roof revealing something of this buildings considerable age.