House in Ardaravan

Detached three-bay two-storey house, built c. 1910, having central projecting porch to the centre of the main elevation (west) flanked to either side by gable-fronted two-storey projections. Single-bay single-storey box bay window to the north elevation having cornice coping over. Hipped sprocketed natural slate roof with red brick chimneystacks and with surviving sections of cast-iron rainwater goods. Pitched natural slate roof with gable-fronted bays. flat-roof to porch hidden behind raised parapet with triangular projection over doorway. Smooth rendered walls with moulded render stringcourse forming coping to porch. Pilasters with inset panels between openings to front face of porch (west). Square-headed and paired square-headed window openings having render architraved surrounds, and with two-over-two pane timber sliding sash windows having horizontal glazing bars. Square-headed doorway to front face of porch having timber panelled door; inner glazed timber door with glazed surround. Square-headed window openings to front face of porch having two-over-two pane timber sliding sash windows with horizontal glazing bars. Set back from road in corner site to the west of the centre of Buncrana. Mature trees and gardens to site. Site bounded to the north boundary by roughcast rendered boundary wall and to the west boundary by rubble stone boundary wall with wrought-iron railings over having cast-iron finials. Vehicular gateway to the north-east of site comprising a pair of roughcast rendered gate piers (on square-plan) and a pair of wrought-iron gate with cast-iron finials over. Pedestrian gateway to the north-west boundary of site having roughcast rendered gate piers (on square-plan) and wrought-iron gate with cast-iron finials over.

This well-maintained two-storey Edwardian house, of early-twentieth century date, retains its early form and character. Its visual expression is enhanced by the retention of salient fabric such as the natural slate roof, timber panelled door and the timber sliding sash windows with distinctive horizontal glazing bars. The front elevation with central projecting porch flanked to either side by gable-fronted box bay windows creates a handsome composition that is characteristic of many buildings of its type and date in Ireland. The main elevations are enlivened by the render cornice over the ground floor openings that forms the coping over the porch and the box bay window to the north elevation, and by the detailing to the porch. This building originally dates from the period when Buncrana was a popular seaside resort, frequented by the middle classes of Derry, particularly following the opening of the railway line to the town in 1864. Its forms part of an interesting group of substantial houses and villas built to the west and south-west of Buncrana during the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century. This building is an integral element of the architectural heritage of Buncrana, and is an attractive feature in the streetscape to the west of the town centre. The simple rendered boundary walls and gateways add to the setting and complete this composition.