3 Deramore (Derrymore) Terrace, Bessbrook, Co.Armagh

Three Deramore Terrace, Bessbrook

A two-storey, two-bay late-Victorian end terraced house built around 1892 to designs by an unknown architect. The building forms part of a row of ten similar mill workers' dwellings set back from Derrymore Road on its north-east side, leading to Bessbrook Village.

The rectangular plan building faces south-west and is constructed from random-coursed rock-faced local Newry Granodiorite stone walling with stepped red brick dressings to the jambs and square-headed gauged brick door and window openings. The pitched natural slate roof is finished with angled black clay ridge tiles. Two chimneys of rectangular-section red brick are present: the north-west chimney (rebuilt) carries three terracotta clay pots, while the south-east chimney bears three buff clay pots. The eaves are flush, detailed with separate red and buff brick courses and an alternating red and buff brick corbel course above. Cast iron rainwater goods serve the front elevation, with uPVC goods to the rear. Half-round guttering discharges to circular section downpipes.

The front elevation faces south-west and is near symmetrical with regular fenestration. Two windows are positioned at first-floor level aligned above ground-floor openings, all windows being double hung 1/1 sliding timber sash windows with horns and margin panes. The ground floor has a window to the north-west side of the entrance door. The door is four-panelled painted timber with black iron furniture and a square-headed fanlight above, fronted by a modern light fitting. A quarry tile path leads from a foot gate (hung on circular section cast iron posts to the south-east) to the door. The modest front garden is set to lawn and enclosed by dwarf stone walling topped with vertical painted metal railings with pointed finials.

On the north-west side, the building is adjoined to No. 2 Deramore Terrace. The south-east side is attached to No. 4 Deramore Terrace. A two-storey pitched roof rear return was added around 1997, projecting north-east from the south-east end of the building into an enclosed L-shaped yard. This return features smooth cement render and a three-part uPVC window at ground-floor level. The rear elevation, where visible, shows original stone walling at the north-west of ground-floor level with a uPVC casement window. The yard is now covered with a corrugated Perspex roof. The rear yard boundary walling to the north-east has painted smooth cement render finish, with a painted sheeted timber door to the north-west providing access from a shared rear access route. A separate covered yard occupies the rear.

The rear gardens of the terrace typically remain enclosed by random-coursed rubble stone walling, with square-headed door openings onto a wide shared rear access route oriented north-west to south-east, accessed at both ends of the terrace. No. 3's rear garden is gravelled with painted sheeted timber fencing to the boundary. The terrace overlooks parkland associated with Derrymore House to the south-west, with stone roadside walling and mature trees in the setting.