61 Acton Road, Druminargal, Scarva, County Armagh, BT63 6LF

A single-storey vernacular house with attic, of probable pre-1835 construction, formalised around 1900s. The building is located 2.6km north-northwest of Poyntzpass, County Armagh, on the east side of Acton Road, 900 metres north-northwest of Acton village, in a rural setting that slopes down towards the east towards Newry Canal.

The house itself has walls of rubble stone with brick reveals and openings, rendered throughout with dry dash and coloured glass. The exterior features smooth rendered quoins, window and door surrounds, plinth, and corner bands to the porch. Three windows are present on both the east and west elevations at ground floor level, with two windows on the rear porch. All windows are 1/1 timber single-glazed putty-fronted sliding sashes with corded weights. A single attic window appears on both north and south gables. The entrance door to the porch is modern multi-panelled stained hardwood. The roof is covered throughout with plain blue natural slate with matching ridge and includes two metal rooflights on the east pitch. Two chimneys of imperial smooth red clay brick with simple corbelled banding and plain clay pots are present.

The outbuildings form a range in line with the dwelling, running south-southeast to north-northwest, parallel to and at a lower level than Acton Road. The outbuilding walls are of random rubble with a mixture of wet dash render and limewash, painted to match the dwelling. The east wall is partly block built and may have originally been an open equipment shed. This range includes four braced and sheeted timber doors to the east elevation and a single window opening. The roof covering is plain blue natural slate throughout with matching ridge.

A perimeter wall, rendered to match the dwelling, surrounds hardstanding to the north and east, with ornate wrought iron entrance gates from the roadway and matching single pedestrian gates to the north and east. A formal orchard is situated to the southeast, a garden to the northeast with a barn beyond, and animal pens to the northwest. Access to the dwelling and outbuildings is from the east (rear) elevation.

Materials include rubble stone walls with brick reveals and openings, rendered or limewashed throughout. The roof is plain blue natural slate with matching ridge. Windows are timber single-glazed putty-fronted sliding sashes. Rainwater goods are 1/2 round upvc with matching downpipes.

Historical records suggest a similar building shown on the 1835 Ordnance Survey map may correspond to the present house and outbuildings. While the property does not appear on the 1836 valuation map, it is possibly identifiable with a 'not new' thatched dwelling noted in the valuation book as belonging to John Boyd, described as measuring 39½ feet by 18½ feet by 7 feet, with associated barn and store house. By the second valuation of circa 1863, the building was in possession of William Boyce, leasing from the Manchester (Tandragee Castle) estate, and was rated at £1-10-0, indicating a modest single-storey vernacular dwelling. A verifiable John Boyce became occupant in 1870. In the 1901 census, a 73-year-old farmer named John Boyce lived here with his wife Jane, son and daughter-in-law William and Elizabeth, their infant daughter, and a 14-year-old farmhand Thomas Heeney. The house was then recorded as a 'second class' dwelling with a thatched roof, three windows in front, and three rooms in use. By 1925, the rateable value had increased to £3-10-0, indicating recent upgrading. It is highly likely that the building's formalised appearance, including the upper-level rooms, porch, slate roof, and interior detailing all date from this period. Members of the Boyce family occupied the property until at least 1972, with the property appearing to have been last occupied around 2000.

The dwelling and outbuildings are currently in a state of dereliction. No evidence of thatch remained during survey. The footprint of the building suggests that much original walling fabric may have been retained, although some walls have relatively little depth, suggesting at least some rebuilding has occurred. The building does not retain sufficient remaining original historic fabric and detailing to meet the criteria for listing.