40 Loughbrickland Road, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34 5AF

This is a single-storey, two-bay direct-entry vernacular house situated on the south side of Loughbrickland Road, Rathfriland. Constructed around 1916, the house is relatively late in date and does not possess exceptional architectural or historical interest.

The house faces north and sits on a sloping site. The front section of the roof is covered with natural slate, while the rear is clad in artificial slate. Metal rainwater goods are fitted, and each gable features a coped brick chimney, with a television mast on the right-hand one. The walls are of random granite rubble, heavily pointed with cement, and have stepped brick dressings around the window and door openings. A projecting brick eaves course runs along the top of the walls. The principle elevation faces east towards the road, presenting a symmetrical façade with a central entrance. The entrance is within a modern, glazed and timber open porch, covered with a monopitched corrugated plastic roof and plastic rainwater goods. There are single vertically divided sash windows (2/2, with horns and painted granite sills) on either side of the main block. The left gable is blank.

The rear elevation features a monopitched annex to the left bay and a gabled return to the right bay. A section of the main block on the extreme left is cement rendered. The annex has a monopitched corrugated metal roof and smooth cement rendered walls with plastic rainwater goods, and a modern casement window on its left cheek, and a 1/1 top-hung timber window on its west face. The return has a pitched artificial slate roof, smooth lined cement walls, and is abutted by the annex. A lower shed, also with a monopitched corrugated metal roof and walls, abuts the west-facing gable. A small annex on the west face contains a toilet, featuring a cistern painted pink and inscribed “Magic ‘C’ / A. Sheills & Co Ltd / Newry” with a small tap logo. A blank and smooth cement rendered right gable completes the main block.

The front garden slopes to a roadside hedge, and a concrete path with four steps leads to the front entrance door. According to the Valuation revision book, an earlier house existed on this site.