Castlerea

Detached six-bay two-storey house on T-shaped plan, built c. 1780, having three-bay two-storey return to rear (south). Single-storey lean-to and single-storey flat-roofed extensions to rear (north). Possibly incorporating fabric of earlier house. Pitched natural slate roof with four rendered chimneystacks, one to either gable end (east and west) and two offset towards the centre Painted smooth rendered walls over painted smooth rendered plinth course. Square-headed window openings with plain smooth render surrounds, painted stone sills, and having diminishing timber sliding sash windows, three-over-six pane to first floor, six-over-six to ground floor. Round-headed door opening offset to the centre of the main elevation (south) with timber panelled door, c. 1860, and overlight set in painted dressed stone surround with prominent keystone and imposts. Timber window shutters to interior. Set back from road in extensive mature grounds to the west/southwest of Ardagh. Complex of single-storey outbuildings arranged around a yard to the rear (north) of house having random rubble limestone construction, pitched corrugated-metal (buildings to north) and slate (building to east of yard) roofs, and square-headed openings with remains of timber fittings. Ashlar limestone bellcote to west gable end of outbuilding to north having cut limestone coping and cut limestone string course. Main gateway (13401926) to the southwest of house. Gateway to the west comprising a pair of rendered gate piers (on square-plan) having double leaf wrought-iron flat bar gates. Remains of tower house (LF019-061----) to southeast.

This substantial if plain house/farmhouse retains much of its early character and form. Its front elevation is enlivened by the simple cut stone doorcase, which retains a mid-to-late nineteenth century timber panelled door. The layout of the asymmetrical façade suggests that this structure was formerly a more modest four-bay farmhouse, later extended by two bays to the east end. The narrow plan of this building, and the T-shaped from on early map (Ordnance Survey first edition six-inch map 1838), suggests that it may be of considerable antiquity, perhaps dating to the mid-eighteenth century. This building forms the centrepiece of a group of related structures along with the outbuildings to the rear and the gateway (13401926) to the southwest, which was probably added during the second half of the nineteenth century. The cut stone bellcote to the gable end of one of the buildings is an interesting feature that helps give this particularly outbuilding a strong character above its modest size, and also indicates that this was a prosperous farm at the time of construction. Castlerea was the home of a Ambrose Bole (1758 – 1805) and later a John Bole (1784 – 1847), Esq. and Justice of the Peace, in 1846 (Slater’s Directory). The Bole family had a further seat at Park House to the south, now demolished. Castlerea was reputedly built by an Isaac Bole (local information), and may have been leased by the Bole family from the Jessop and/or Montford families, who are both mentioned in wills\deeds with relation to Castlerea or Castlereagh. This house, and associated structures, is an integral part of the built heritage of the Ardagh area.