84 Highlands Road, Ballykelly, Co Londonderry, BT49 9LY

84 Highlands Road, Ballykelly, is a former late Georgian rural cottage of considerable charm, much enhanced and sympathetically adapted during the 20th century. The house, garden, and avenue together create a setting of genuine character and ambience.

The building is set well back from the road, accessed via a tree-lined avenue and laneway, making it invisible from the public highway. The approach passes between hedges creating a secluded location, leading to a gravelled forecourt in front of the house. The long outhouse that once stood to the front has been cleared away, and the space replaced with a broad expanse of lawn bounded by hedges.

The house is a one-and-a-half storey structure of five bays, built in the late Georgian period. The owner stated it was built around 1805 (the time of the Battle of Trafalgar), and Griffith's Valuation of 1858 names Mary Ann Moore as occupant and James Ogilby as landlord. The building is thought to have been constructed by a Mr Anderson. The walls are of smooth rendered construction with quoins at the corners. The roof is of natural slate with three plastered chimneys rising from the gables; a fourth chimney has been removed. The roof pitch is interrupted by gabled dormer windows that project boldly through the eaves, each with plain timber barges and finials. There is a small two-storey back return to the house.

The principal façade is symmetrical in composition. The asymmetrically placed entrance door is flanked by shallow Doric pilasters supporting a frieze, cornice, and dentil moulding. The windows are regular and well-proportioned, each with a plastered moulded architrave, cill, and neat corbelled brackets beneath. The dormer windows receive identical treatment. There are three windows on one side of the door and one on the other. The eight sash windows on the front elevation contain four panes each; these appear to be replacements for the original small Georgian panes, examples of which remain visible on the rear elevation. The entrance door is six-panelled and appears to be a later replacement. Simple ridge tiles and red clay chimney posts are used, with iron half-round gutters and downpipes. The walls are painted pale lemon colour with a slightly textured finish, while the windows are painted white, creating an overall pleasing composition.

The house was substantially improved in 1924 by the present owner's grandfather, when the gabled dormers were formed, the house re-roofed, a gable outhouse was converted into a room, and a new avenue with gate piers and gates was created. In 1987, further improvements were undertaken, consisting mainly of internal work, exterior redecoration, removal of the outhouses from the front of the house, and creation of the expansive lawn that now dominates the approach.

Although much of the original Georgian window detail has been altered, the character and charm of the house have been retained. The execution of the exterior decoration has been tasteful throughout. The well-executed additional bay and the tree-lined avenue enhance the overall composition. The retention of small Georgian panes throughout would have been of considerable architectural asset, but the 20th-century improvements have been carried out with sensitivity. The house and garden walls have been properly maintained.

The extent of listing comprises the house, the entrance gate piers and gates, and the wing walls.