House, Tirmacoy Road, Barnakilly, Ballykelly, Limavady, Co Londonderry

This is a derelict, storey-and-a-half vernacular house located on Tirmacoy Road, Barnakilly, near Ballykelly, Limavady, in County Londonderry. The building, dating to the mid-19th century, aligns northeast to southwest with its entrance facade facing northwest. It is sited perpendicular to Tirmacoy Road.

The exterior is characterized by unpainted harling render and a natural slate roof. A single brick chimney is located on the southwest gable closest to the road. A single-storey barn with whitewashed walls and a corrugated metal roof is attached to the northeast gable. The main facade has three openings: a central door flanked by two windows. The windows are metal casements designed to resemble sash windows and are subdivided into twenty small panes, with eight panes in the top-opening light and twelve in the lower fixed section. The southwest gable contains two high-level openings, while the northeast gable has one high-level opening to the rear. The southeast elevation is blank due to its adjacency to a steep wooded slope. A small stream flows perpendicular to the house to the northeast, where a hydraulic ram is situated on its bank. Previously located in a field further northeast was a standing stone (Historic Monuments Ref: Ldy 9:1).

The house was shown on the 1848 Ordnance Survey map and was occupied by Marcus Hutchinson in 1858, being leased from the Fishmongers’ Company with a value of 15 shillings. It is believed to be one of several houses built by the company for tenants as part of estate improvements in the mid-19th century. The unusual metal casement windows are also found at Carrickhugh Stables, 700 metres to the north, suggesting a connection between the two buildings. The stream flowing past the house previously powered mills. The staircase descending into the living room is notable, resembling those found in mills rather than houses, similar in construction to that at Ardmore Flour Mill.