Annie Hill, 27 Donaghendry Road, Stewartstown, Dungannon, Co Tyrone, BT71 5PW

Annie Hill is a detached two-storey house built around 1820, located at the end of a short concreted access drive to the south of Donaghendry Road, Stewartstown, in the townland of Drumagullion, County Tyrone. It was once a distinctive example of an early 19th-century farmhouse of uncommon form, but extensive alterations and loss of historic fabric have so severely compromised its character that it is no longer considered to be of special architectural or historic interest. It was delisted on 21 August 2008.

Form and Layout

The main block is largely rectangular in plan, with a hipped and pitched roof, and features a rounded central projection to the front north-western elevation and a further rounded projection to the side south-western elevation. To the rear north-east, a two-storey hipped return runs parallel to the main house. A two-storey linking porch extension to the north connects the main block to this hipped return; the roof of the porch extension slopes inward to form a butterfly roof with the return. Directly abutting the hipped return to the north-east is a further two-storey elongated pitched return. Together with the various outbuildings described below, these returns form the north-eastern and south-eastern edges of an enclosed rear yard.

Front and Side Elevations

The front north-western elevation is three bays wide. The central bay features the rounded projection. Windows to both ground and first floor are square-headed with timber casement frames set on painted cut-stone sills. The side north-eastern elevation is partially obscured by the two-storey link block to the left; it also has a rounded projection with square-headed windows on painted cut-stone sills. Classical proportions reduce toward the upper level, though the house is not otherwise Classical in style. The side south-western elevation similarly has a rounded projection with two windows of the same type.

Rear Elevation

The rear south-eastern elevation is stepped, projecting to the left and recessed to the right. There is a square-headed timber sheeted door to the right. Windows are an assortment of painted timber casement frames.

Materials and Roof

The main house has a pitched roof covered in natural slate. Chimneys are simple replacement brick with profiled stepped concrete cappings. Rainwater goods are cast iron. The roofs have overhanging eaves and verges. External walls are roughcast render to the front section and plain render to the rear, all resting on a painted rendered plinth.

Porch Extension

The porch extension is located to the north-west, joining the main front block to the two-storey hipped return. It has a square-headed door to the north-west and square-headed timber casement windows matching those on the main house.

Two-Storey Hipped Return

Located to the rear north, parallel to the main block and adjacent to the porch extension, the hipped return has square-headed timber casement windows. Its roof is pitched with natural slate. Chimneys are simple brick with profiled stepped concrete cappings. Rainwater goods are cast iron.

Two-Storey Elongated Pitched Return

This return directly abuts the hipped return. The north-eastern elevation has square-headed timber casement windows to the ground floor and diamond-shaped windows to the first floor. The south-western elevation, which faces the yard, has a mixture of square-headed windows and doors, with some windows integral with doors. Walls are plain painted render to the left and dry dash render to the right. The roof is pitched with natural slate. There is a simple brick chimney to the north and a rooflight to the south pitch.

Single-Storey Outbuilding

Adjoining the two-storey elongated return, this single-storey outbuilding has a large timber casement window to the left and a large square-headed opening to the right fitted with a metal door. The roof is pitched with corrugated metal.

Outbuilding to the South-Eastern Boundary of the Yard

This outbuilding forms the south-eastern boundary of the rear yard. To the left is a large elliptical-headed coach arch; to the centre is a large square-headed opening; to the right is a square-headed timber casement window. External steps leading to an adjacent perpendicular two-storey outbuilding abut the elevation to the right. The south-facing walls are dry dash render with a dentilled stone course to the eaves. The north-facing walls are brick and snecked stone. The roof is pitched with natural slate. There is a square-headed window to the north gable and a further single-storey lean-to to the north.

Outbuildings to the South-Western Boundary of the Yard

To the left of the south-western boundary is a two-storey outbuilding with a cut-stone external stair leading to the first floor. The first floor has a square-headed door with a timber sheeted door. There is a further square-headed door to the ground floor. To the right is a two-storey stepped outbuilding with a mixture of square-headed windows and doors; windows are timber casement and doors are a mixture of timber sheeted and half-doors. Adjacent to the house and to the right of this is a small single-storey lean-to with a corrugated flat roof, a square-headed timber sheeted door to the south, and dry-dashed external walls with a stepped render base.

Setting

The house sits at the end of a short access drive to the south of Donaghendry Road, overlooking extensive fields to the west. To the east and south is a large clustered arrangement of returns and outbuildings. A crossroads lies to the north-west, at the junction of Donaghendry Road.

Historical Background

A house is shown on the site of the main front block on the Ordnance Survey plan of 1833–34. In the first valuation of around 1835, the building is recorded as an "old" house measuring 48ft × 23½ft × 20½ft, with a return of 42½ft × 20½ft × 11ft, and outbuildings measuring 27½ × 20½ × 8½ft, 105 × 19½ × 8ft (thatched), 21 × 14½ × 7½ft (thatched), 10½ × 10½ × 11ft, and 10½ × 10½ × 11ft. The occupant at that time was a Mrs Holmes, and the rateable value was a respectable £12-1-0. It is probable that this structure forms the core of the present dwelling, though it is also probable that the building was extended and possibly remodelled shortly afterwards, perhaps around 1840. The house appears on the revised Ordnance Survey map of 1853–57 under the name "Annie Hill", with the return to the north shown. By the second valuation of 1858, it was recorded as the home of a James Weugh, with John Little Esq. as immediate lessor and a rateable value of £15. In 1864 a William H. Dean became the occupant, followed by William G. Armstrong in 1879, and Henry Henderson in 1892. Henderson appears to have carried out renovation work to the property in 1899 and acquired the freehold in 1914. In 1918 a James Glendinning is listed as owner, succeeded by Robert Glendinning in 1946, who was still in residence in 1957.