Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB03/07/002

Address :
Corrstown House 155 Hopefield Road Portrush Co. Londonderry BT56 8NZ

Townland:
Corrstown

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
22/06/1977 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:
Partially

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OS Map No:
6-14

IG Ref:
C8662 3869

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Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

A symmetrical two-storey-with-attic, three-bay Georgian farmhouse and outbuildings, pre-dating 1830 and situated on a large secluded site at the junction of Hopefield Road and Magheraboy Road south of Portrush town centre. Rectangular on plan; Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and four rendered chimneystacks. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods on projecting eaves course. Walling is painted ruled-and-lined render. Windows are timber-framed sash without glazing (several boarded or with concrete block infill), surmounted by label moulds and with projecting painted sills. The principal elevation faces west and is symmetrically arranged with three openings at each floor. To centre at ground floor is an elliptical-headed doorcase with fanlight and sidelights (all boarded). The north gable has a window to centre at attic. The east (rear) elevation has three irregularly spaced windows to each floor; ground floor has door opening (with modern metal door) and diminutive window opening to left of centre. Left side of building is partially cement rendered with evidence of a former two-storey extension. The south gable has a window to centre at attic. To ground floor is evidence of a former single-storey extension. Range of harled and whitewashed outbuildings to rear enclosing yard. Long range to north is partially of red-brick (to upper section) and has exposed stonework to rear; roof structure gone. South face has a number of door openings (without doors) and oculi with radial iron light. West gable has collapsed. To east of yard are two single-storey outbuildings with gables facing main house; that to south has M-profile corrugated tin roof; west gables have window opening to left with horizontal metal bars and doorway (without door) at right. Setting: Situated on a large mature corner site in an unspoiled rural
setting south of Portrush town centre. The house is vacant and the site is over-grown with long grass to front; bounded with mature trees and hedgerow. Former entrance to west, at Hopefield Road, is overgrown but a harled and whitewashed Ulster pier with pointed caps remains. Entrance at Magheraboy Road to south has replacement cement piers with metal farm-gate and corrugated tin sheeting; to either side of entrance are low harled and whitewashed walls. Block paving to front yard is enclosed by harled and whitewashed wall with round piers. Gate pier also attached to south wall of outbuilding to north of yard; leads to associated farmland to east. Red brick well to yard. Roof: Natural slate Walling: Ruled-and-lined render Windows: Timber sash (vestigial) RWG: Cast-iron

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

Corrstown House, a two-storey Georgian farmhouse located in the townland of Corrstown, was constructed prior to 1830 as the house was depicted on the first edition of the Ordnance Survey map in that year; the map also noted that the northernmost outbuilding had been constructed by that time. The farmhouse was not included in the contemporary Townland Valuations (c. 1830) as the building as not worth the minimum £5 required for inclusion. The small ruined outbuilding to the north-east of the farmhouse was constructed between 1830 and c. 1860, first depicted on the second edition of the Ordnance Survey map. The contemporary Griffith’s Valuation (1856) recorded that Corrstown House was valued at £4 10s. and was owned and occupied by Isaac Hunter, a local farmer. Isaac Hunter was an active local figure, having contributed much of the information contained in the Ordnance Survey Memoirs for the area which also noted that he contributed to the local schools by means of subscriptions (OSM, p. 42; pp 45-7; p. 50). Isaac Hunter continued to reside at Corrstown House until 1897 when a Mr. Hugh McNeill came into possession of the site, purchasing the lease at an annual cost of £25. The 1901 Census notes that McNeill (46, Presbyterian) was also a local farmer who resided at Corrstown House with his wife Bessie (29), their two infant children and a number of servants who worked the farm; the census building return described the farmhouse as a 1st class dwelling that consisted of 11 rooms and possessed a stable, two cow houses, a dairy, boiling house and barn amongst its many out offices, located in the outbuildings to the north and north-east of the house. Between c. 1860 and the third edition of the Ordnance Survey map in 1904 there was no alteration to the layout of the house, however the small single-storey outbuilding to the east of the site had been constructed by the latter year. The 1911 Census downgraded McNeill’s farmhouse to a 2nd class dwelling for unknown reasons; however there were few other changes to the site by the end of the Annual Revisions which were cancelled in 1929. Hugh McNeill continued to reside at Corrstown House until his death in 1931 at which time ownership of the site passed to his son John Alexander McNeill (PRONI Wills). In 1972 Girvan described Corrstown House as ‘a three-bay, two-storey cement rendered late Georgian farmhouse [possessing notable features such as a] segmental fanlight and Georgian fanlight’ (Girvan, p. 39). The property was listed in 1977 and continued to be occupied into the late-20th century, however in recent years Corrstown House has lain vacant and has fallen into a state of disrepair with the loss of many original features noted by Girvan. All of the surrounding outbuildings have fallen into a similar state. References Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/5/3/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1830 2. PRONI OS/6/5/3/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map c. 1860 3. PRONI OS/6/5/3/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1904 4. PRONI OS/6/5/3/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1922-32 5. PRONI VAL/1/A/5/3 – Townland Valuation Map c. 1830 6. PRONI VAL/1/B/ 541A-C – Townland Valuation c. 1830 7. PRONI VAL/2/B/5/15B – Griffith’s Valuation 1856 8. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/4A – Annual Revisions 1862-1864 9. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/4B – Annual Revisions 1865-1880 10. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/4C – Annual Revisions 1881-1889 11. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/4D – Annual Revisions 1890-1898 12. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/4E – Annual Revisions 1899-1910 13. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/4F – Annual Revisions 1911-1929 14. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/17G – Annual Revisions 1918-1929 15. PRONI Wills Catalogue (1 Feb 1931) 16. Ordnance Survey Memoirs, Co. Londonderry, Vol. 33 No. XII (1835) 17. Census of Ireland (1901 / 1911) 18. Ordnance Survey Map – 6-14 (1966) 19. First Survey Record – HB03/07/002 (1973) 20. First Survey Image – HB03/07/002 (1973) Secondary Sources 1. Girvan, W. D., ‘Historic Buildings in Coleraine and Portstewart’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1972.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation J. Setting

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest R. Age S. Authenticity

Evaluation

Corrstown House is a symmetrical two-storey-with-attic three-bay Georgian farmhouse and outbuildings, pre-dating 1830 and situated on a large secluded site at the junction of Hopefield Road and Magheraboy Road south of Portrush town centre. A good example of a pre-1830s Georgian farmhouse with a range of vernacular outbuildings in traditional grouping around a central yard. The building is vacant and has fallen into a state of disrepair, which has compromised the original character and resulted in the loss of historic material and setting quality. Despite this, the building remains of special architectural and historic interest and is an important surviving example of its type in the area. The outbuildings, although dilapidated, are also of significant interest and along with the harled and whitewashed walls and Ulster piers, add to the historic integrity of the site.

General Comments

Listing Criteria R - Age and S - Authenticity also apply.

Date of Survey

26 July 2012