108 Drone Hill, Cappagh, Banbridge, Co Down, BT32 3SW

A two-storey three-bay farmhouse predating 1833, located at the junction of Dronehill Road and Derrylough Hill, approximately 1.5 miles south-east of Banbridge. The building dates from around 1820-1839 and appears on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1833.

The house is rectangular in plan with a pitched natural slate roof and clay ridge tiles. The chimneys have been removed. Lime rendered walling has been partially removed to expose rubble masonry beneath. Rainwater goods are uPVC replacements. Cement skews are present.

The front elevation faces north and is asymmetrically arranged with a centrally positioned door and a window to either side. Three first-floor windows are present, with the central window positioned left of centre. The left gable contains a single infilled attic window at the apex. The rear elevation has been completely altered and now comprises modern double-height shed doors with cement rendering (scratch coat). The right gable is blank. Ground-floor and first-floor openings have been infilled with concrete blocks.

The property is prominently located at a crossroads. The front is bounded by a wrought-iron railing with cast-iron terminals and a rubble masonry wall. Agricultural units and yard lie to the rear.

The building has significant historical interest as a former public house. Contemporary Townland Valuations from around 1830 record it was originally utilised as a public house, valued at £5 8 shillings, and was occupied by William Russell. A storehouse abutted the west side of the building at that time. By the 1860s, according to Griffith's Valuation, it had ceased to be used as a public house and was described simply as a house and offices. The property was valued at £12 and occupied by Alexander Russell, likely William Russell's son, who remained there until his death in 1869. Occupation subsequently passed to Robert Russell. The farm changed hands in the mid-1870s and was briefly occupied by several tenants. By 1886 its value had fallen to £8 5 shillings due to the building's dilapidated condition. Andrew Jelly, a local farmer, acquired the site by 1896 and restored the farmhouse. The 1901 Census described it as a first-class dwelling consisting of 10 rooms with a stable, cow house, two piggeries and a barn among its outbuildings. Jelly purchased the farm outright in 1907 and resided there until his death in 1915. His relative James Jelly took possession by 1918 and continued as occupant through 1929.

The farmhouse is the only surviving remnant of the original farm complex. A building that once abutted the west side was demolished sometime after the 1975 Ordnance Survey map. A return or outbuilding that abutted the rear, shown on earlier editions of the Ordnance Survey maps, has also been demolished after 1975. All remaining outbuildings on the site are modern corrugated-iron structures.

The building has been vacant and in a state of disrepair since the 1970s. Although serious loss of fabric has compromised its architectural interest, its historical significance as a public house on a prominent crossroads is noteworthy.