Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB10/03/009

Address :
Vernacular House 25 Creevy Road Castlederg Co. Tyrone BT81 7PW

Townland:
Creevy

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Survey 2:
Record Only

Date of Listing:

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
House

Former Use
Thatched House

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
Yes

Thatched:
Yes

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
103/14NE

IG Ref:
H3008 8108

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

Three structural bay, direct entry, storey and a half vernacular house with bed outshot. Historic thatch under corrugated metal roof. Rubble stone walling with remains of lime render and white wash finish. Building aligns north west to south east and faces north east to remains of a yard and a long straight entrance drive. The main entrance elevation is quite tall relative to most vernacular houses. Window and door openings only remain with the exception of frames to the doors. The main entrance to the central bay is near the cross wall opposite the fire. A window opening without cill lights this space. A second door near the gable enters the south east bay. This door frame is raised on cut stones above ground level. A single window without cill lights the north west bay. At ridge level there are two chimneys, one on the north west gable one on the cross wall between the central and south east bays. This chimney has a slight angle on the side back into the central bay. No building abuts the south east gable which is blank. To the north west a small stone out house abuts and this is connected to a range of sheds perpendicular to the house. There is a window at first floor level in the gable. At a former period another range of barns opposite formed a small court yard in front of the house. The entrance lane is parallel to the surviving sheds and enters the courtyard at their corner. The rear of the building is protected from the elements by a small sheugh along the rear wall and some trees. There is a small stone walled (Vegetable) garden extending 10 metres to the rear. There are a number of openings along this elevation. To the south east gable a window of standard size. A large bed out shot sits out from the central bay. The north west bay has a small window and then a window of the standard size near the gable.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

This building is located on the lands of the former Abercorn estate in the manor of Derrygoon. Baronscourt, the seat of this estate lies to the other side of the hill upon which the cottage is constructed and is approximately two miles to the north east. An estate map dated 1720-1750 indicates a collection of six houses in this townland. Early vernacular features of the house such as the construction of a wickerwork chimney, suggest that this building was part of this group. A more detailed map of 1777 clearly shows the cottage which was in the part of the state leased to a David Brown. A William Aiken was married to a daughter of this man. Rent books for the manor existent from 1795 record a John Eakin (a different spelling of the same name) and than a William Eakin paying rent for the house until 1811. William Aiken is recorded as one of four house holders on the townland in the 1830 valuation. The dimensions of the house 49.6ft length, 21.6ft breadth, and 9.0 height are unchanged today. Two ‘offices’ are also recorded dimensions 37 x 17 x 7 and 10 x 13 x 6.0. The tithe applotment book of Ardstraw Parish records William Aiken in the house in 1834. The Griffiths valuation of 1858 records Joseph Aiken as leaseholder. He was succeeded in 1881 by him daughter Mary who married a John Cassidy. Four children are recorded in the 1901 census. Ownership would have passed to the tenant’s during this period due to the land reform acts. In the twentieth century Cassidy's lived in the house until the farm was bought by the present owner in the mid 1960’s. The building has been unoccupied from the mid 1970’s, fireplace, stairs and first floor were removed in the early 1980’s to facilitate storage of hay. References Primary Sources: PRONI ref D/623/D/1/7/8 Map of Creevy 1720-50 PRONI ref D/623/D/1/16/64 Map of Creevy 1777 PRONI ref D/623/D/1/7/8 Rent Book of the Manor of Derrygoon 1795 PRONI ref VAL/1B/637/C 1830 Valuation of townland http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/-tyrone/parishes/tithe – applotment/t-a-ardstraw.html. Record of Tithe Applotment book of Ardstraw Parish 1834 Griffith Valuation 1858 PRONI ref D/623/C/9/32A 1901 census of Ireland Secondary sources: Current owners (2002)

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form F. Structural System H-. Alterations detracting from building

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest Z. Rarity

Evaluation

A relatively large, three structural bay, direct entry, vernacular thatched house containing some unusual features. The building is likely to date from the early part of the eighteenth century and though partially ruinous,enough remain to make it of special architectural and historic interest. In particular the largely intact thatched roof under a tin covering, the ground floor plan form with recesses for storage, the scullery shelf made from a stone slab, surviving historical plaster, and the corbeled top to the (now removed) wickerwork chimney. The building is a rare example of a large tenant farmers house largely unextended from its original construction.

General Comments

Date of Survey

18 June 2002