7 Lower Main Street, Dungiven, Co Londonderry, BT47 4LD

This is a well-maintained, two-storey, two-bay, end-of-terrace house with a basement, dating from approximately 1840 to 1859 and situated at the western entrance to Dungiven. The house is built in a simple Georgian style and contributes significantly to the character of the street.

The north-western facing front elevation is set directly at the edge of the footpath, without a front garden. Four steps, running parallel to the street, lead to a raised platform at the front door, which is accompanied by a simple wrought iron handrail. The door itself has a segmental headed fanlight and is framed by a plain plaster architrave with a projecting head. A stone stringcourse, which serves as a cill for the first-floor windows, runs along the front elevation. The unadorned four-pane sliding sash windows on the first floor align with a larger but similarly treated window on the ground floor. The house has cast iron rainwater goods and a natural slated roof. A rainwater pipe is located on the shared boundary with the neighbouring property at number 11 (listed separately), and the stone stringcourse does not extend across the adjacent fence. The south-western facing gable has no openings and is topped by a large chimney with five pots. The ground level at the rear of the house falls steeply.

The south-eastern facing rear elevation features two twelve-pane sliding sash windows at first floor level, along with a tripartite window and a four-pane sash at ground level. Further windows include a smaller tripartite, four-pane sash, and a single-storey return at basement level. The basement opens out onto the rear garden. The garden extends to the rear and around the side of the house onto Main Street, where the remnants of outbuildings are located.

According to historical records, it is uncertain whether the building shown on the 1832 Ordnance Survey map corresponds to number 7. However, Griffith’s Valuation of 1858 identifies the occupant as Mary McCullough and the lessor as William Deane, with a rateable value of £1-10-0. The 1832 Ordnance Survey map of Londonderry (sheet 24) was revised in 1856. The building displays architectural merit in its style, proportions, and the restraint of ornamentation, and contributes to the group value of the streetscape. It also holds local historical interest.