17 Boghill Road, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, BT52 2NT

17 Boghill Road, Coleraine

A detached single-storey vernacular house built prior to 1830, situated in a rural farmland setting to the north-east of Coleraine. The building originally formed one half of a pair of cottages and is shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1830.

The house is rectangular on plan, comprising four bays to the east with an additional outthouse and outdoor toilet abutting to the west. A small timber-framed outbuilding stands to the north. The structure is constructed of random rubble-stone walling with large coursed and squared corner blocks, rendered and limewashed. The pitched slate roof has blue and black roll-moulded ridge tiles, raised verges, and rendered chimneystacks to the gables, with the western stack tarred and the eastern stack whitewashed. Partial remains of an east ridge stack survive. Small vestiges of diminutive metal-framed skylights are visible on the south side. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods are wall-mounted to projecting eaves, with uPVC fittings to the south side.

The principal elevation faces south and is arranged about a central doorway. A late 20th-century timber-panelled and glazed door is positioned left of centre, with two casement windows and a plain timber door to the right. Two 2/2 timber sashes with angled horns and painted reveals occupy the far left. A similarly detailed bay to the far left is roofed in corrugated metal with a single braced timber-sheeted door. The western gable is abutted by a small mono-pitched timber structure clad in corrugated metal with a timber-sheeted door to the south. Window openings are generally square-headed with plain reveals and no cills, featuring a combination of 2/2 timber sashes or replacement timber casements. Generally replacement timber doors are located on the south side only. The remaining elevation is blank and heavily concealed beneath ivy growth.

The north elevation contains six openings, including a diminutive plain-glass frameless window to the far right, a 1/1 casement, and a late 20th-century side-hung casement. A single-pane casement to the far left has adjacent infilled openings. The east gable features a single-pane casement with a whitewashed projecting masonry sill.

The building was originally thatched, as confirmed by the 1911 census which records a two-room thatched dwelling. It has been incrementally modernised over the years with alterations to internal and external fabric and minor changes to layout. The house retains gas lamp fittings in the main sitting rooms.

Historical context

The cottages pre-date 1830 and were shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1830. They were not listed in the Townland Valuation of 1828-40 as they fell below the valuation threshold. At the time of Griffith's Valuation (1856-64), the two dwellings, each valued at 15 shillings, were occupied by William Sinclair and William Campbell respectively, leased from John Black, a local farmer. The absence of associated land suggests both occupants were agricultural labourers rather than farmers. By 1886 both houses were vacant, remaining so until 1907 and 1910 when they were taken over by James Leighton and Mrs Hickison. The cottages subsequently passed through rapid succession of tenants. The 1911 census identifies one cottage as occupied by farm labourer King Crawford, resident with his wife and three children. The building remains in domestic use.

Setting

The house is situated in a rural farmland setting to the north-east of Coleraine town, accessed via a gravel drive with iron gates supported on square metal posts on the west side of Boghill Road. The site perimeter is planted with hedges and mature trees. A garden is located to the north and east, with surrounding fields. The main door is accessed via a small gravel path and gate in the southern hedge; the path extends to the privy on the west gable. The immediate base of the building is lined with grass or flower beds. A timber and corrugated metal outbuilding stands to the north.