The Hut, 348 Glassdrumman Rd, Annalong, Newry, Co Down, BT34 4QN

This is an attractive and unusual single-storey holiday home, likely constructed between 1880 and 1899. It sits on the left bank of Spences River in the townland of Glasdrumman, near Annalong, County Down. The building’s unique character derives from its construction and plan form, with interiors exhibiting a cohesive design.

The structure is timber-framed and aligned north-south, featuring a felted wooden roof of segmental profile. This roof overhangs on the east, north, and west sides to create a veranda supported by timber posts. The veranda eaves are decorated with vertical tongue and groove boarding where alternate boards project and are cut to a point for decorative effect. The walls are sheeted with horizontal tongue and groove boarding and have a horizontal skirting. The front (east) elevation has five unequally spaced French windows, each comprising two timber leaves with four rectangular panels of crown glass and decorative architraves. The rear (west) elevation features three French windows, a door, and two small windows. A kitchen extension, outshot under the veranda, is located at the right end of this façade and has modern top-hung windows, a door, and a side light, all clad in horizontal tongue and groove boarding. The north (gable) elevation features a single sliding sash window, while the south side has a more recent sun porch constructed from stained timber.

According to the occupant of Glasdrumman Cottage (listed as HB16/01/004), the building is just over a century old and was built by members of the Shaw Brown family, who owned a weaving factory at Edenderry, south of Belfast. A building, possibly this one, is shown on the 1901 Ordnance Survey map (not present on the 1859 edition). The valuation revision books do not offer further specifics about its construction date. The listing also includes the building's gates. Extensions, including the kitchen and sun porch, likely date from the post-war period and detract somewhat from the building's original unity.