Vernacular House, 25 Creevy Road, Castlederg, BT81 7PW

Vernacular House, 25 Creevy Road, Castlederg

A large three-bay vernacular thatched house, likely dating from the early eighteenth century, containing unusual architectural features and rare intact details despite its partially ruinous condition. The building is a significant example of a large tenant farmer's house that has remained largely unextended from its original construction.

The house is a storey-and-a-half structure with a bed outshot, aligned north-west to south-east and facing north-east towards the remains of a yard and a long straight entrance drive. The walls are of rubble stone with remains of lime render and whitewash finish. The thatch roof survives largely intact beneath a corrugated metal covering. The main entrance elevation is notably tall compared to most vernacular houses of this type.

The building comprises three structural bays entered directly. The main entrance to the central bay sits near the cross wall opposite the fire, with a window opening without cill lighting this space. A second door near the gable enters the south-east bay, with its frame raised on cut stones above ground level. A single window without cill lights the north-west bay. Two chimneys sit at ridge level: one on the north-west gable and one on the cross wall between the central and south-east bays, this latter chimney having a slight angle on the side back into the central bay. The south-east gable is blank with no building adjacent. Window and door openings remain, though frames survive only to the doors.

The ground floor plan form includes recesses for storage. A scullery shelf made from a stone slab remains in situ. Surviving historical plaster is evident throughout, and the corbelled top to the now-removed wickerwork chimney is a particularly noteworthy surviving detail.

To the north-west, a small stone outbuilding abuts the house and connects to a range of sheds perpendicular to it. The entrance lane is parallel to the surviving sheds and enters the courtyard at their corner. A former range of barns opposite once formed a small courtyard in front of the house. The rear of the building is protected from the elements by a small sheugh along the rear wall and trees. A small stone-walled vegetable garden extends ten metres to the rear.

The rear elevation contains a number of openings. To the south-east gable is a window of standard size. A large bed outshot projects from the central bay. The north-west bay has a small window and then a window of standard size near the gable.

The house stands on lands of the former Abercorn estate in the manor of Derrygoon, approximately two miles south-west of Baronscourt, the seat of the estate. An estate map dated 1720–1750 indicates a collection of six houses in this townland, of which this building was likely part, as suggested by early vernacular features such as the wickerwork chimney construction. A detailed map of 1777 clearly shows the cottage on the part of the estate leased to David Brown. William Aiken, who married a daughter of Brown, is documented in the 1830 valuation as one of four householders on the townland. Rent books for the manor from 1795 record John Eakin and subsequently William Eakin paying rent for the house until 1811. The tithe applotment book of Ardstraw Parish records William Aiken in the house in 1834. The Griffith's Valuation of 1858 records Joseph Aiken as leaseholder, succeeded in 1881 by his daughter Mary, who married John Cassidy. Four children are recorded in the 1901 census. Ownership passed to the tenants during this period due to the land reform acts. The Cassidy family occupied the house into the twentieth century until the farm was purchased by the present owner in the mid-1960s. The building has remained unoccupied from the mid-1970s. The fireplace, stairs and first floor were removed in the early 1980s to facilitate storage of hay.

The original dimensions of the house are recorded as 49.6 feet in length, 21.6 feet in breadth, and 9.0 feet in height, these dimensions remaining unchanged today. Two associated offices are also recorded with dimensions of 37 by 17 by 7 feet and 10 by 13 by 6 feet.