Rathfad Cottage, 94 Aghanloo Road, Rathfad, Limavady, Co Londonderry, BT49 OHY

Rathfad Cottage is a vernacular farm dwelling, likely dating from between 1820 and 1839. It shares several similarities with Rose Cottage, located 70 metres to the south, including a steeply pitched roof, matching chimney details, and a similar interior layout featuring an entrance corridor with a view to the kitchen. Rathfad Cottage is three structural bays long, whereas Rose Cottage has four. The building's informal elevation demonstrates its vernacular character. It was originally thatched but the roof was replaced with asbestos slate in 1955 and is shown on an Ordnance Survey map of 1831. The cottage is parallel to Aghanloo Road and faces east. The front elevation features a centrally positioned entrance door with a square fanlight, two large two-pane sash windows to the south, and three smaller windows to the north, following the upward slope of the road. There are three chimneys on the ridge of the asbestos slate roof, one on each gable and one to the right of the door, with a high-level window on each gable. A scullery lean-to, with a roof at a different pitch to the main roof, extends from the back of the house, continuing the wall of the south gable. A chimney rises from the junction of the two roofs. The lean-to continues along half of the rear (west) elevation. The scullery contains a metal mullioned window and a smaller two-pane window to the stairs. A back door is situated in the north gable of the lean-to. A row of barns behind the cottage, angled slightly to form a ‘street’, completes the setting. The building’s occupants have been the same family for many generations. The current owners intend to demolish the cottage after consulting with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and construct a replacement dwelling.