Survey Data
Reg No
40909918
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Historical
Previous Name
Mill View House
Original Use
Mill manager's house
In Use As
House
Date
1860 - 1900
Coordinates
192429, 371845
Date Recorded
13/11/2007
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached three-bay single-storey house or former mill manager’s house with attic level and basement, built c. 1870, having central projecting breakfront to the main elevation (west) with canted-bay window, and central single-bay two-storey over basement return to the rear (east). Now in use as a private house with modern extension to the rear. Pitched natural slate roof with overhanging eaves and with catslide roof to rear return. Two rendered chimneystacks, one offset to the south side of centre and one located close to the north gable end. Cement rendered walls having cement rendered eaves course and recessed cement rendered plinth to base. Hipped natural slate roof to canted-bay window. Square-headed window openings with replacement timber casement windows. Some surviving six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows to the rear (east); square-headed window with cast-iron lattice glazing bars survives to basement. Square-headed door opening at ground floor level to the north face of rear return having replacement timber panelled door and with overlight with geometric glazing bars. Wrought-iron security bars to some window openings at basement level. Cast-iron railings adjacent to doorway having fluer-de-lys finials over; cast-iron platform over basement level serving doorway. Set back from road to the west of remains of former flour mill (see 40909916) and former corn mill (see 40909915) and to the north of Ballintra. Rubble stone boundary walls to site.
Appraisal
This interesting and unusual house, which dates to the second half of the nineteenth-century, retains much of its early character and form despite some modern alterations. The form of this building, having central breakfront with canted bay window, suggests a conscious architectural design on behalf of the original builders. The loss of the original fittings to the openings detracts some its visual expression and appeal, but suitable modern replacements could be easily re-instated. The retention of a cast-iron lattice window and the overlight to the doorway with geometric glazing bars are interesting survivals that provide an insight into the original appearance of this building. This building was probably originally built as a miller’s house or mill manager’s residence associated with the now derelict Coxtown Mills (see 40909915 and 40909916) adjacent to the east. The associated mill was possibly originally built at the expense of the Hamilton family of nearby Coxtown Manor (see 40909913) who built and ran mills somewhere around this area c. 1840 (record of Hamilton, Alexander and Andrew, Millers, Coxtown Mills, in 1846). Griffith’s Valuation of 1857 records that a William Armstrong was the miller here at this time, when the holding was described as consisting of a ‘house and land, flour mill, house, office and yard’ with a rateable value of £98 and 10s, and a ‘house, corn mill and kiln’ with a rateable value of £38 and 15s. This house was probably later the home of an Isabella Armstrong (Mill View House, Bridgetown) in 1894 (Slater’s Directory). This unusual building forms part of a group of related structures along with the adjacent mill, and is a modest addition to the built heritage and social history of the local area.