60 Cahard Road, Drumgiven, Ballynahinch, Co Down, BT24 8YD

60 Cahard Road, Drumgiven, Ballynahinch

This single-storey, three-bay direct entry thatched house dates from 1820–1839 and stands on the west side of the road running south from Saintfield to the Ballynahinch/Crossgar Road, approximately three miles from Saintfield. The house faces south-east.

The walls are of rendered and plastered stone, whitened in finish. The thatched roof extends to cover the gables with square-cut eaves that rise slightly over the entrance at the front. The ridge is decorated with scollops, which do not appear at the eaves. Three plain chimneystacks with single pots are positioned one on each gable and one over the kitchen hearth position.

The front elevation features a timber-sheeted entrance door flanked by two vertically sliding windows to the south-west and one to the north-east. These windows have single vertical divisions, sash stops, and sills of traditional depths. The former byre, now incorporated into the dwelling, is set back at the north-east end of the façade and is lit by a similar window. This unit has a natural slate roof and cast iron rainwater goods. A corresponding window appears on the gable of this room. The south-east gable is blank.

A rear extension with pitched natural slate roof contains vertically sliding windows matching the main house style, a timber-sheeted door, and cast iron rainwater goods. The rear elevation has one window to the north-east side and two to the south-west. The extension roof is finished with a concrete coping, as is the former byre section at the front. A plain chimneystack with single pot serves this extension.

The building appeared on the 1834 Ordnance Survey map but was not recorded in the contemporary valuation. By 1861, it was occupied by William Donnan and leased from William A. Shaw, with a rateable value of £1–10–0. The property was leased from the Crawford Estate from 1883 onwards. A blacksmith occupied the house from 1913 to 1940.

The house belonged to the "thatch under tin" variety and underwent restoration approved by the Environment and Heritage Service. The early roof structure was retained during this work and is of high interest. External wall finish, windows, and the kitchen fireplace were restored in traditional form using new materials. The building was listed in 1998 following completion of these restoration recommendations.