Camus House, 27 Curragh Road, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, BT51 3RY

Camus House is a symmetrical two-storey, three-bay detached farmhouse with a range of outbuildings, predating 1830 and possibly of 17th-century origin. It is built on the site of the former Camus monastery, to the west side of Curragh Road, south of Coleraine, on the west bank of the River Bann. The name Camus derives from the Gaelic for "river bend", a reference to a nearby bend in the Bann. The house is of Georgian appearance, with its original proportions and architectural detailing largely intact, and makes an important contribution to the historic landscape of the district.

ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION

The plan comprises a rectangular main block abutted to the rear by a two-storey lean-to extension and a lower perpendicular rectangular block. The pitched roof is covered in natural slate with leaded ridges and replacement red-brick chimneystacks to the gables, each with two tall clay pots. Rainwater goods are cast-iron half-round on drive-in brackets, with cast-iron hoppers and downpipes. The main elevation is finished in beach-pebbledash; all other elevations are roughcast rendered.

Windows throughout the main block are timber sash with horns and projecting painted sills: 6/3 lights at first floor and 6/6 lights at ground floor. The rear block has replacement timber-framed multi-paned casement windows.

The principal elevation faces northwest and is five openings wide, symmetrically arranged about an elliptical-headed central doorcase. The door itself is a replacement four-panelled timber door fitted with a bronze knocker bearing an Egyptian head. Above it sits the original timber spider-web fanlight. The door is flanked by replacement leaded lattice and stained glass sidelights set within moulded panels with scalloped detailing, and is approached by a step laid with modern black square tiles.

The northeast gable of the main block has a single window at first-floor level on the left. The southeast (rear) elevation is almost entirely concealed by the lean-to extension; the small exposed section to the left is blank. The lean-to extension has, at its left cheek, a sixteen-paned casement window at first floor and a four-paned window at ground floor; the right cheek has a four-paned window at first floor. The lean-to is fully abutted by the perpendicular rectangular block, which has been altered with enlarged openings and replacement fenestration throughout. A replacement timber-sheeted entrance door is located to the northeast gable of this block, accessed via a modern tiled step at ground-floor level on the right. The southwest gable has a window at first-floor level on the right.

OUTBUILDINGS AND SETTING

The house stands on a mature site in an unspoiled rural setting. The entrance from Curragh Road to the east leads past the burial ground to a large gravelled yard to the side of the house, flanked to the north and south by a range of outbuildings with corrugated tin roofs.

Directly to the northeast of the house, running at a ninety-degree angle, is a two-storey two-bay gabled servants' quarter block, detailed in a similar style to the main house. It has a corrugated tin roof, a central replacement red-brick chimneystack, and cast-iron half-round rainwater goods. Fenestration consists of a variety of timber casement windows; there is a timber-sheeted entrance door to the northeast elevation and a further timber-sheeted door at the southeast gable. The interior is divided into two rooms at both ground and first floor, covered with a tin roof on sawn timber purlins and rafters. Walls are plastered and painted. The ground floor has concrete flooring and the first floor is sheeted in plywood timber. Access to the first floor is by a replacement set of timber steps running up the northeast wall upon entry. There is an open hearth to the southwest wall of the kitchen, with a projecting flue at first-floor level.

To the south of the yard is a red-brick outbuilding with metal casement windows and timber-sheeted doors to large openings, abutted at its east gable by a lower slated extension. To the north side of the yard is a roughcast rendered stable block containing five timber-sheeted half-doors with cast-iron strap hinges and four six-paned timber casement windows, with a modern garage opening at the left. To the southwest of the house is a refurbished two-storey roughcast rendered barn with a corrugated tin roof.

A lawned garden to the front of the house contains a variety of mature trees and is enclosed to the east by a painted rubblestone garden wall with a round-headed cast-iron latch gate. An original wrought-iron latch gate, supported on a sand-lime square pier, stands to the south. To the west are two wrought-iron farm gates giving access to adjoining farmland, one supported on a single rubblestone round pier.

The burial ground to the east of the entrance contains a portion of an early medieval high cross, said to depict the twelve apostles and probably dating from the late 9th to early 10th centuries. The graveyard also contains the family resting places of the Hemphills and McFarlands, along with several other tombs and gravestones. The earliest tombstone recorded in the 1830s was that of John Hunter, inscribed 1693.

HISTORY

The site is of considerable antiquity. A Christian community is said to have been established here in the 6th century, not long after Christianity was introduced to Ireland in the early 5th century. A Cistercian abbey was founded here by the O'Cahans, chieftains of the lands now known as Londonderry, in around 1218. This was succeeded by a medieval parish church and graveyard; the church ceased to be used when services were transferred to Macosquin in the early 17th century. By the 1830s, part of the foundation of the eastern gable of the old church still survived on the site.

According to the Ordnance Survey Memoirs, the present house was originally built in 1685 by James Hemphill, who resided there for many years. The house and outbuildings are shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1830, with the ruins of a church captioned nearby. By the second edition of 1849–50, the dwelling is captioned "Camus House" and a graveyard is also noted. In 1777, a descendant also named James Hemphill was resident there, at which time only two roads of approach to the monastery and church were in existence: one a bridle path along the bank of the River Bann, the other commencing at the south gate of the graveyard (not the present one) and leading nearly due south to the townland of Ballintaggart.

The house was subsequently repaired and enlarged by other members of the Hemphill family. By the 1830s the occupier was James McFarland, who operated a bleaching partnership with the Hemphills and Hunters. The graveyard was used by various local families, including one Catholic family, the McCarrons, well into the 19th century.

The Townland Valuation of 1828–40 values the house at £15. Griffith's Valuation lists the occupier as the Reverend John Martin, who leased the property from Thomas Bennett; the house and outbuildings were valued at £18. In 1875 the occupiers were Robert and John Nelson, followed in 1877 by William Black, with the valuation of the farmhouse dropping to £15 that same year. By 1898, the valuation had been further reduced to £9 owing to the dilapidated condition of the house and outbuildings.

At the time of the 1901 census, the occupier was Edward D. Smyth, a farmer who lived with his wife and employed a man of 73 as an agricultural labourer. The seven-room house was designated first class. By 1911, the occupier was Samuel Nimock and his sister, who employed a farm servant of 33.

In 1914 the farm was purchased by John McKee. In 1922 he erected two new outbuildings for pigs towards the east of the site, which later added £5 to the valuation. Further outbuildings were put up in the 1930s. Valuation records from this period give a plan of the farm and associated structures showing stabling, a cart house, hayshed, piggery, and cattle shed. The accommodation at that time comprised, on the ground floor: two reception rooms, a breakfast room, kitchen, scullery, and pantry; and on the first floor: four bedrooms and a maid's room. Water was obtained from a pump in the yard.

In 1952 the house passed to John McKee's son-in-law, James C. King, who built the fieldstone fireplace in the living room. The house was listed in 1977 and renovated in the early 1980s. It continues to be used as a family home.