Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB10/12/033

Address :
'Cloneen' 34 Derry Road Strabane Co Tyrone BT82 8DX

Townland:
Town Parks of Strabane

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Survey 2:
Record Only

Date of Listing:

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
House

Former Use
House

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
72-4NW

IG Ref:
H3475 9868

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Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

Detached three-bay two-storey house, built c.1920, located to the west side of Derry Road, Strabane. Rectangular-on-plan with two-storey projecting gabled bay at east and hipped at south; adjoining single-storey hipped garage at north. Roof is hipped natural slate; angled terracotta ridge tiles; two party-wall corbelled roughcast rendered chimneystacks with terracotta pots. Plain timber bargeboards and ogee profile cast-iron rainwater goods supported exposed roof timbers; dipartite timber sliding-sash dormer at west. Walls are roughcast rendered; windows are square-headed timber framed 1/1 sliding sashes; all with projecting masonry cills unless otherwise stated. Principal elevation faces east and contains a two-storey projecting gabled bay at centre (eaves line slightly lower than eaves line of main block); exposed section at right contains window at each floor, that at ground floor is tripartite; exposed section at left contains two windows at ground floor, single window at first floor. Central bay east gable contains principal entrance at left, tripartite window at right, three windows at first floor (central contained within round-arched-headed recessed panel). Left cheek is blank, right cheek contains single window at ground floor. Left (south) elevation is half-hipped and abutted at right by two-storey hipped return also built c.1920 and detailed as main block. Exposed section at right at abutted by a veranda at first floor; single-leaf timber door (12 glazed panes) at ground floor, single window at first and attic floor (that at attic diminished). Return south elevation contains tripartite window at each floor. Left cheek contains door at ground floor (detailed as south exposed section), first floor is overgrown with ivy and any window openings are not visible. Rear (west) elevation contains timber framed bay window at right, tripartite window at centre and two windows at left. At first floor three central windows flanked by tripartite windows at left and right. Right (north) elevation is abutted at left by single-storey hipped extension containing garage. Exposed section at ground floor is not visible (but containing back door), enclosed by high boundary wall; three windows at first floor (left diminished). Set within unspoiled landscape with expansive garden to all sides; the house is accessed from road to east, accessed via alcoved entrance with square plan roughcast rendered piers and timber gates. Roof Natural slate Walling Roughcast render Windows Square-headed timber framed 1/1 sliding sashes, all with projecting masonry cills unless otherwise stated. RWG Ogee profile cast-iron

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

The house dates from c.1920 and first appears on the fourth edition Ordnance Survey map of 1951, captioned ‘Cloneen’. The house is not listed in Annual Revision records (1860-1931). In 1933 the occupier is W. B. Smyth in fee, but this is amended to Mabel Smyth and then to Hugh Lane who leases it from W.D. Smyth (undated changes). The valuation is reduced on appeal from £83 to £75 in 1935. It comprises a kitchen, scullery, porch, three rooms, store room, maid’s room, pantry, cloaks with partition W.C. downstairs and upstairs are four bedrooms, a dressing room, bath, W.C. and four attic rooms. Outside are a m[otor?] house, fuel store, coal store and outside W.C. A plan and dimensions are given showing a bay window to the west and a porch to the east. An ‘open porch’ is shown to the south. The valuer comments in 1935, “Large detached house in excellent order…Well planned. Good light rooms. Erected about 15 years or so ago at a cost of about £10,000 (figure from appellant’s solicitor). Electric light throughout, previously own plant, now Electricity Board NI light. House is absolutely modern, good floor, staircase &c. Excellent repair throughout. Let to owner’s sister.” Robert Smyth and Son operated a successful milling business in buildings in Canal Street (10LQ038) from c.1880. They appear to have continued in business until the 1980s. Cox comments in his history of farming families in the Strabane area, “Oats was the main cereal crop, providing food and bedding for horses and cattle and on occasion barley and wheat might be grown. The surplus grain was sold to merchants or to Smyth’s mill in Strabane”. (Cox, p.62) W.B. Smyth appears to be a son of Robert Smyth’s, the family being the owners of several properties in and around Strabane. W.B. Smyth was a keen golfer and the first captain of Strabane Golf club on its foundation in 1909. In 1913 he was recommended for a place on the Finance and Business Committee of the Provisional Government that Edward Carson had promised to establish in Ulster if Home Rule were introduced. References: Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/6/5/3 – Third Edition OS Map (1906) 2. PRONI OS/6/6/5/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map (1951) 3. PRONI VAL/12/B/42/31A-M– Annual Revision Records (1860-1931) 4.PRONI D1414/14 – Letter from R. Dawson Bates to W.B. Smyth (1st September 1913) 5. PRONI VAL/3/D/7/9A/8 – Valuers’ RV Binder (1933-57) 6. Strabane Chronicle “Strabane Golf Club: A Century’s Reflection” (April 16th 2009) Secondary Sources Cox, M. “Overlooking the River Mourne: Four Centuries of Family Farms in Edymore and Cavanalee in County Tyrone” Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation, 2006

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

Not listed

Historic Interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An intact three-bay two-storey house built c.1920 in a vaguely Arts and Crafts style with some classical elements; located to the west side of Derry Road, Strabane. Despite the house being vacant for a considerable time and slight alteration to the interior detailing, the plan layout and exterior proportions and characteristics remain intact icluding original fenestration with internal linings and fine doorcases. The extensive landscaped setting which now screens the house from the road is an important element of the charm of the house. Whilst of some local interest this relatively recent house is of insufficient architectural and historic interest to consider listing.

General Comments

Listed query HB10/LQ042

Date of Survey

13 August 2009