Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB16/06/080

Address :
34 Kilbroney Road Rostrevor Newry BT34 3BJ

Townland:
Kilbroney

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
10/08/2022 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
House

Former Use
House

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
Yes

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
277-11

IG Ref:
J1849 1908

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Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

GENERAL DESCRIPTION Small, low two-storey semi-detached house of c.1870, broadly vernacular in appearance but with relatively uniform fenestration, and a single-storey return that appears to have been modified in the mid to later 20th century. SETTING The house is set on the E side of Kilbroney Road on the northern outskirts of Rostrevor, about 0.9km NE of the centre of the settlement, with a large garden / field to the S and a small garden to the road-facing front bounded by a low timber ‘picket’ fence. The attached property to the N was presumably originally similar to its neighbour, but having undergone considerable alteration in relatively recent decades, is now contrastingly modern. FRONT ELEVATION Three openings wide to the ground floor with slightly left of centre entrance with timber-sheeted door and a window either side with timber sash (six over six) frames with broad boxes. Directly over these are two smaller upper-level windows with two over two timber sash frames set within small ‘quarter’ gabled dormers with timber bargeboards. The window to left is surrounded by a slightly convoluted downspout arrangement and has lost a section of bargeboard. S ELEVATION Blank gable to right with S side of single-storey return to left and set back to far left, a small outside toilet extension. Return has right of centre window with modern timber frame, and the toilet has a timber sheeted door. REAR (W) ELEVATION Main body of house has two windows as ground floor front with a much smaller upper-level to right set close to the eaves, with a timber casement frame. Rear end of return and toilet to right with timber sheeted door, doorway on return with door as previous. N ELEVATION Return only with window as S side. WALL FINISH The façade of the main section is largely finished in limewash. The return appears to be in part cement rendered, whilst the toilet is roughcast, the walls here are finished in limewash also. ROOF The main roof is gabled and slated, with some of the slate covered in pitch. There is a single rendered chimneystack. The return has a shallow single-pitch roof which appears to be covered in asphalt with timber fascia boards. The toilet also has a single-pitch roof but with a corrugated plastic covering. WALLS: roughcast lime render,limewashed in white ROOF: natura slate with some 'pitch' applied; hardwood painted barges RWGS: cast iron, painted WINDOWS: timber sliding sash multi-pane as described above to front elevation, casement and modern timber replacement to rear

Architects

Historical Information

Rostrevor is situated between the Rostrevor and Ghann Rivers at the junction of Kllbroney Valley and Carlingford Lough. Christian settlement in the area dates back to the sixth century with the establishment of a religious community by St Bronach, who gave her name to the lacal parish - Kilbroney. The name Rostrevor first occurs in 1618. Until the 17th century. the settlement was called Castle Rory or Castle Roe after Rory Magennis who built a castle there. Previous to that, it has been referred to as Carrickavraghard, because of its possible associations with malting or brewing. In 1752 the village consisted of a few cottages. The earliest settiement as we know it today centred on Water Street which consisted of an hotel and inn together with dwellings for the local residents. By the start of the 19th century, it had developed some of its present form with a tree-lined square and a quay half-a-mile distant. Because of its pleasant climate and scenic environment, Rostrevor had become a fashionable resort by the early 19th century as evidenced by the number of large houses in spacious grounds in the vicinity of the village. There was a steady growth In populatlon in the late 19th century partly as a result of the arrival of the tramway from Warrenpoint in 1876, and the building of the Rostrevor Hotel in 1876. This site is shown undeveloped on the OS map of 1859, with the present house and its attached neighbour (today’s no.36) both shown on that 1901-02. In the valuation of c.1861 the wider plot (ref.51 Kilbroney TD as labelled by the valuers) is noted as having four dwellings within it, occupied by James Caulfield, Elizabeth Caulfield, Patrick Caulfield and John Hanratty respectively. At least two of these houses would appear to be shown on the the aforementioned 1859 map, but the remaining two houses cannot easily be accounted for and therefore may have been built between this date and c.1862. It would appear more likely, however, that the present no.34 and its similarly sized (and probably originally largely identical) attached neighbour are the two dwellings of the same rateable value first recorded in the valuation book within this plot in 1874. A date stone in the lobby inscribed 'JS 1861', indicates that this this is the most likely date of construction. The building appears to have been little altered over the years, apart from the return which map evidence suggests was enlarged at some point in the mid 20th century. The first occupant is recorded as Bernard McCreanor, followed by John Millar in 1887, Elizabeth Reid c.1890, Patrick Breen 1893, Agnes Trainor c.1900, John Parr 1903, John Martin 1909, Daniel Fearon 1914, Hugh McAleavey 1915, Samuel Martin 1917, John Martin Jnr 1919, Anne Mullery 1920, [E? P?] Delahunt 1922 and Elizabeth Parr in 1924. The house remained in possession of a member of the Parr family until c.2015. In the 1901 census, Agnes Trainor. A 52yr-old widow, is noted as living here by herself, with the house recorded as a ‘2nd class’ dwelling with four rooms in use. The 1911 lists the then householder, John Martin as a 70yr-old farmer, living here with his son and daughter-in-law, Robert and Annie Martin, and a grandson, George Lynas. References - Primary sources 1 OS Map, Co. Down sheet 54 - 1859, 1901-02, 1919 2 PRONI VAL2B/3/61C (1861) 3 PRONI VAL12B/19/21A-F (1865-1929) 4 Census of Ireland, 1901, 1911 [http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie, accessed 2020.11.10] Secondary sources 5 Information from owner [June 2022] 6 Rostrevor Conservation Area - Depertment of the Environment for Northern Ireland, February 1979

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion D. Plan Form H-. Alterations detracting from building I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting

Historic Interest

R. Age S. Authenticity Z. Rarity X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A small, low, two-storey semi-detached house of c.1870, broadly vernacular in appearance but with relatively uniform fenestration, 34 Kilbroney Road is located just outside Rostrevor on the Kilbroney Road heading towards Hilltown. The building is a rare example of a semi-detached vernacular dwelling which seems to be original both outside and in. Though its 'other half' has been modernised, the builidng meets a wide variety of listing criteria. Nestled in its semi-rural, essentially original setting, this dwelling is largely intact, it's historic character contributing in particular to the approach into the Rostrevor Conservation Area.

General Comments

Date of Survey

18 May 2022