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Arthur
Cottage
Cullybackey
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Arthur
Cottage,
Ancestral Home of Chester Alan Arthur,
21st President of the United States
of America commands a spectacular
view of the rich agricultural land
around Cullybackey from its elevated
position on Gourley’s Hill.
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"Arthur
Cottage" Photographs by
kind permission of the Michael
Dalton Collection
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It
is construct with local materials
and is in perfect harmony with its
rustic surroundings. Its walls are
some twenty inches thick, and are
built of local stone; bog oak beams
support the thatched roof of local
flax. Inside the earthen-floored cottage,
a turf fire burns on a cobble –stoned
hearth.
| "Traditional
open fire in Arthur Cottage"
Photographs by kind permission
of the Michael Dalton Collection
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The
simple rectangular cottage consists
of two rooms, each the full width
of the building. The principle room
serves as both living room and kitchen.
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The
milk churn used for making butter,
a typical feature of most homes
of the period.
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Off
this room there is a low chamber furnished
as a bedroom and above this a loft
is located where children may have
slept. It is accessed by a ladder.
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To
enhance the picture of authentic
19th century Irish
life, local women dressed in period
costume demonstrate traditional
crafts on selected days. These
crafts include baking, lace making
and patchwork quilting. |
Latter
additions to the building have been
removed to restore the cottage to
its original condition. For display
purposes some additional artefacts
have been introduced to illustrate
the lifestyle of bygone times.
ARTHUR
COTTAGE OPENING TIMES
The
Cottage is open May through September
from:
Monday
until Friday 10.30am – 5pm
Saturday
10.30am – 4pm
Tel:
01266 880781 (May through September)
for information.
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Interior
of Living Room with the typical
dresser and china.
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An
"Irish Evening" at
the Cottage with musicians,
story tellers, etc, one of many
wonderfully atmospheric events
staged at the venue throughout
the season.
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