41 Kilvergan Road, Aghacommon, Lurgan, BT66 6LF

Important Conservation Note: In early January 2022, prior to listing, this building was stripped of significant original fabric and detailing. Timber sliding sash window frames, a substantial amount of the natural slate roof covering, and internal features including joinery and staircase were removed. This was confirmed at a Historic Environment Division site visit on 11th January 2022. The description below records the buildings as they stood at the initial survey in October 2021.

The Buildings

Laurelmount is a large dwelling on Kilvergan Road in Aghacommon Townland, situated between Derrymacash (close to the southern shore of Lough Neagh) and the northern side of Craigavon, approximately 2.5 miles west of Lurgan town centre. The house comprises two attached buildings: an earlier linear, two-storey dwelling running south-west to north-east dating from before the 1830s (referred to here as Block 1), and a later Victorian-era house of 1889 (Block 2) added to the south-west gable of Block 1. Block 2 faces south-west and is approached via a curved formal driveway with an entrance to the south-west of the site.

The property has a farmyard on its north-east and north sides containing various 20th-century farm buildings, and an L-shaped, mainly roofless and ruinous pebble-dashed over stone and brick outbuilding which bounds Kilvergan Road. The site lies immediately north of Tannaghmore Gardens (Historic Parks, Gardens and Demesnes Reference: A-007).

A two-storey pitched-roof return links the rear (north-west) elevation of Block 1 with a single-storey outbuilding on the north-west side. A flat-roofed infill section connects this two-storey return with the rear (north-east) elevation of Block 2.

Block 1: The Earlier Dwelling

Block 1 is a linear, painted pebble-dashed, low two-storey dwelling facing south-east onto Kilvergan Road, with a pitched natural slate roof and clay ridge tiles. The south-western half remained in use as a dwelling, while the north-eastern half served as a farm store.

Front (South-East) Elevation

The front elevation is set back from the road behind a low pebble-dashed wall with piers and a path leading to the front door. Two chimneys are present: one at the north-east end of the dwelling section and another approximately halfway along the block. Both are of painted stone with chamfered coping and no pots. A plain painted rendered plinth runs along the base. The dwelling section has metal guttering, while the store section has plastic guttering. No downpipes are visible.

From left to right on the ground floor: two window openings; a wide recessed door opening with replacement timber front door flanked by painted rendered blank walls; two more window openings; a tall boundary wall with arched head and metal gate separating the dwelling section from the store section; a boarded-up window opening (with the path rising by a step at this point); a single door opening with replacement flush timber door; and a blank wall with modern metal gate leading into the farmyard.

All windows are timber sliding sash, one-over-one configuration, single-glazed (containing no historic glass) with plain narrow rendered band surrounds and painted stone cills. The ground rises towards the north-east, so first floor rooms exist only in the dwelling section.

From left to right on the first floor: four window openings aligned with those below, plus a single window opening to the right. All windows match the ground floor specification except that the upper sash is smaller.

Gable Elevation (North-East)

A wide opening has been formed in the gable with modern metal and glazed double doors providing access to the store.

Rear Elevation (North-West)

From left to right: the store section has irregularly placed window openings fitted with replacement uPVC windows; a concrete ramp leads to a replacement flush timber door, with steps to a further door opening and a window opening containing a metal window. The dwelling section has a wide window opening followed by a smaller window opening, both with metal windows. At first floor level, identical openings and windows are aligned with those below. Metal rainwater goods serve this elevation.

Gable Elevation (South-West)

This gable is fully abutted by the rear (north-east) elevation of the two-storey Victorian-era house (Block 2).

Block 1 Materials

Windows: Timber sliding sash, single-glazed; metal windows to rear
Walls: Pebble-dashed walls; painted rendered bands to window openings
Roof: Natural slate with clay ridge tiles
Rainwater goods: Metal and PVC

Block 2: The Victorian-Era Villa

Block 2 is a two-storey, three-bay, double-fronted, lined and ruled painted render Victorian-era villa with a hipped roof, built in 1889. It attaches to the south-west end of Block 1 and faces south-west over gardens and a formal curved driveway accessed through large granite piers and rendered wing walls.

Front Elevation (South-West)

Two-storey canted bays flank each side of a square-plan central entrance porch, with a single window opening featuring a decorative plaster surround aligned above the porch. All windows are timber one-over-one sliding sash with historic single-glazing glass and painted stone cills.

The front porch projects from the main façade and is reached by two concrete steps. The door opening contains a replacement timber doorscreen with a central timber door and glazed side panels, flanked by engaged pilasters. A flat roof sits behind a parapet above a moulded cornice, with a single window opening in each cheek of the porch.

The ground floor features painted rendered toothed vermiculated quoins to both sides, with plain painted rendered quoins at first floor level. A plain painted rendered plinth runs along the base, and a moulded plaster string course separates the first and second floors.

The natural slate hipped roof has clay ridge tiles to the main ridge, with other valleys and ridges finished in lead. Plaster corbelled dentils embellish the eaves. Original cast iron rainwater goods remain in place. Two tall painted rendered chimneys stand on the ridge with moulded caps, each carrying two clay pots.

Side Elevation (South-East)

Single window openings appear on both ground and first floor levels in the centre of the façade, matching the specification of the front elevation windows. The ground floor window has a decorative plaster surround, and a plain painted plaster string course runs between first and second floors. Toothed vermiculated quoins feature on both sides of the ground floor level, with plain painted quoins at first floor. A plain painted rendered plinth is present. Eaves and roof details match the front (south-west) façade.

Rear Elevation (North-East)

This elevation abuts the south-west elevation of Block 1. An exposed triangular section closest to Kilvergan Road displays plain plastered toothed quoins and eaves detail matching the other elevations. A tall rendered chimney with moulded cap and two modern clay pots is located at the bottom of the rear roof slope, close to the ridge of Block 1.

The rear elevation of the two-storey pitched-roofed return, which abuts the flat-roofed infill, contains a door opening to the ground floor on the far left with a 20th-century timber door, and window openings to both ground and first floors fitted with uPVC windows.

Side Elevation (North-West)

The front section matches the side elevation (south-east). A two-storey flat-roofed pebble-dashed infill section extends towards the north-east and has wide window openings to both ground and first floors fitted with uPVC windows. PVC rainwater goods, soffit and fascia are present.

A pitched-roofed two-storey return continues towards the north-east and is abutted on its north-west side by a single-storey outbuilding. A single window opening with uPVC fixed pane window appears on the south-west side of the outbuilding, with a matching window on the first floor of the north-east side, though this one has a curved head. A chimney on the gable lacks a capping stone and has a single plastic pot.

The single-storey outbuilding with natural slate roof and clay ridge tiles abuts the gable of the two-storey section and runs towards the north-west. It contains a window opening with metal window and a door opening with temporary timber door, and abuts a modern outbuilding on its north-west side.

Block 2 Materials

Windows: Timber sliding sash, single-glazed; metal; PVC
Walls: Painted lined and ruled render; pebble-dash
Roof: Natural slate with clay ridge tiles and lead valleys and ridges
Rainwater goods: Cast iron; metal; PVC

Setting

Laurelmount is located on Kilvergan Road, Aghacommon, between Derrymacash (close to the southern shore of Lough Neagh) and the northern side of Craigavon, approximately 2.5 miles west of Lurgan town centre. The house has a farmyard on its north-east and north sides containing various 20th-century farm buildings leading to farmland. An L-shaped, mainly roofless and ruinous pebble-dashed over stone and brick outbuilding bounds Kilvergan Road.

Block 1 is bounded on Kilvergan Road by a pebble-dashed (over brick) wall with painted concrete coping stones and plain painted rendered plinth. Piers flanking the pedestrian pathway are pebble-dashed with painted rendered edges and pyramidal concrete caps.

Block 2 is accessed through large granite piers with pyramidal caps, with painted rendered lined and ruled curved wing walls featuring concrete capping stones leading to the driveway off Kilvergan Road. Metal railings are no longer extant.