47 Aghanloo Road, Dowland, Limavady, Co Londonderry, BT49 OHX

A picturesque group of buildings set in a tree-lined area at a bend in Aghanloo Road, comprising a former country cottage, post office, and farm buildings.

The main house is a single-storey structure with a steeply pitched clay tile roof, originally thatched until the 1950s. The building is whitewashed with sand cement to the rear wall and dry dash to other sides. Three brick chimneys sit on the ridge, one at each gable and one off-centre. The front elevation follows the vernacular tradition of a direct entry dwelling, with the front door positioned equidistant from the centre. The modern panelled door features an integral semi-circular light with a rectangular fanlight above, set within a concrete architrave with classical moulding. Three large casement windows (approximately 1.2 by 1.8 metres), much enlarged from their original vernacular predecessors, are arranged one to the north-west of the door and two to the south-east. Each window has two mullions and one high-level transom, with smooth concrete painted architraves. The north-west gable has no openings.

A lean-to return extends to the rear, covering two-thirds of the building's length with the roof continuing uninterrupted over the extension. The eaves at the north-west end are higher than the front. The lean-to is lit by two two-pane sash windows in its interior and three two-pane sashes distributed irregularly along its length, with a further two-pane sash in the south-east gable. The back door is situated in the north-west gable of the lean-to.

To the south-east, a two-storey barn block constructed of stone runs perpendicular to the house, presenting a hipped roof to Aghanloo Road. It is slated and whitewashed. To the rear and north-west stand a number of small whitewashed brick and tin outbuildings.

Adjacent to the house at its north-west gable is Aghanloo Post Office. Both the cottage and post office are separated from the road by a low whitewashed wall, with the carriageway sitting 300 millimetres above the garden level. Across the road, a strap metal gate with circular stone pillars provides access to the remainder of the farm.

The building is indicated on the 1831 Ordnance Survey map. It was originally constructed with mud walls, which were demolished during a complete renovation in the late 1960s because they were bulging dangerously; however, the stone gable walls were retained and the house was rebuilt on its original plan. The renovation incorporated a hall arrangement rather than preserving the original direct entry or adding a corridor. Climate differences between the front and rear of the house have resulted in the back tiles being replaced due to frost action, while the front tiles remain unchanged.

The post office was operated by the owner's sister from the 1950s onwards. Historical records, including the Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland, document that many mud houses existed in the Aghanloo area, built either entirely from mud or sods, or constructed partly with stone and lime with clay gables. The survival of vernacular houses near the old church appears substantial when comparing the 1831 map with the present day. Other nearby examples may include Rose Cottage and Rathfad Cottage, located 350 metres further along Aghanloo Road, which may also incorporate partial mud construction.