Survey Data
Reg No
31209007
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic, Historical, Social
Original Use
House
In Use As
House
Date
1840 - 1895
Coordinates
114370, 290082
Date Recorded
05/07/2011
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached three-bay (two-bay deep) two-storey house, extant 1895, on a T-shaped plan centred on single-bay full-height gabled breakfront; two-bay two-storey rear (south) elevation. Reroofed. For sale, 2012. Replacement hipped artificial slate roof on a T-shaped plan centred on pitched (gabled) artificial slate roof with part crested terracotta ridge tiles, paired cement rendered central chimney stacks having stepped capping supporting terracotta pots, timber bargeboards to part timber boarded gable with wrought iron weathervane finial to apex, and uPVC rainwater goods on timber eaves boards on box eaves. Roughcast walls bellcast over rendered plinth. Paired square-headed window openings centred on pointed segmental-headed window opening (first floor) with concrete sills[?], and concealed dressings framing one-over-one timber sash windows centred on two-over-two timber sash windows. Set in landscaped grounds on a slightly elevated site with drag edged rusticated limestone ashlar piers to perimeter having "Cyma Recta"- or "Cyma Reversa"-detailed stringcourses below shallow pyramidal capping supporting cast-iron double gates.
Appraisal
A house representing an integral component of the late nineteenth-century domestic built heritage of Castlebar with the architectural value of the composition confirmed by such attributes as the deliberate alignment maximising on panoramic vistas overlooking a rolling landscape with a mountainous backdrop in the distance; the compact symmetrical footprint centred on a shallow breakfront; and the slight diminishing in scale of the coupled openings on each floor producing a feint graduated visual impression with the principal "apartments" defined by handsome bay windows. Having been well maintained, the elementary form and massing survive intact together with substantial quantities of the original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior where contemporary joinery; Classical-style chimneypieces; and plasterwork enrichments, all highlight the artistic potential of the composition. Furthermore, adjacent outbuildings (extant 1917) continue to contribute positively to the group and setting values of a neat self-contained ensemble making a pleasing visual statement in the streetscape.