83 Low Road, Gransha, Islandmagee, Larne, Co Antrim, BT40 3RD

A single storey gabled cottage with vernacular appeal, dating from the early 19th century (1820-1839) and appearing on the Ordnance Survey map of 1831. The building stands in a rural elevated location near Gransha on Islandmagee, set back from the main road and reached by a narrow lane through a gateway of rubble stone piers and screen walls, now much patched with cement and in poor condition.

The cottage has harled and whitewashed rubble stone walls, formerly thatched but now roofed with corrugated asbestos sheets (replaced since 1990). The site slopes from end to end, with an attached gabled outbuilding of higher ridge line on the east gable and two further detached outbuildings to the south.

The entrance elevation faces south and is four openings wide. It contains two timber sliding sash windows to the left of a projecting porch, both vertically hung with horns and glazing bars (2 over 2), with concrete cills. To the right is a similar window but 6 over 3, with a rotting window head, fractured concrete cill, and creeper growth. The door is of ledged timber with a door knob and iron latch, set within a plain projecting porch covered by the main roof swept over it, with a concrete door step. The roof is finished with cement coping to the left gable and overhanging eaves, with a small sheet of corrugated perspex over the porch and no guttering. Two chimneys are present: one on the left gable in red brick with cement render in poor repair and no pot; one in the central ridge position in rustic brick with a red terracotta pot. A large projecting basalt boulder emerges from the front wall above ground level to the left of the porch.

The west gable is harled and whitened, with several large basalt stones projecting from the surface. A timber sliding sash loft window (1 over 1, vertically hung with horns) is present but the upper pane is missing and the window is in poor overall condition.

The rear elevation has the same asbestos roof and harled walls with recent patches of cement render repair work and large projecting boulders. Three windows are positioned to the right of a low projecting gabled return: a pair of coupled sliding sash windows (vertically hung without horns, each 4 over 4 with a central mullion) and two fixed lights each with one horizontal glazing bar, all with wooden window heads and in poor repair. The return has a gabled roof matching the cottage, smooth cement rendered walls, a four-light metal casement window in its west side, and a single broken timber fixed light in the gable.

Attached to the left side of the cottage is a gabled outbuilding with basalt rubble walls, harled and whitened on the south front with traces on the rear. Red brick quoins and dressings surround four doorways on the south side. The interior has earthen floors and is in a derelict state. The roof is uncovered at the west end with exposed rafters, and repairs are underway at the east end using Bangor blue slates.

Two detached outbuildings stand to the south of the cottage. The eastern outbuilding is gabled with rubble walls as the attached building, a roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses, and a red brick chimney to the gable at the south end. The western outbuilding is similar but without a chimney and has a segmental arched double garage door of ledged timber in its east gable. Square harled piers and low rubble stone walls enclose a garden on the south side.

The building retains most original elements despite the loss of its original thatch and deteriorated condition. The cottage, outbuildings and associated walling, gate posts and gate screen are all included in the listing.