hezlett house

Hezlett House

The house was built around 1691 as the rectory for the Archdeacon of Derry, the Vuenerable Roger Forde. Over the next 70 years it was the home of the four rectors who succeeded him. It was then purchased by Isaac Hezlett and subsequent generations of the family lived in the house for 215 years.

The house is best known for its important cruck truss construction which can be seen from a viewing gallery where additional interpretive material is provided.

The oak crucks, act as upright posts to form the skeleton of the house with the walls infilled with earth and rubble. The house is thatched with wheat straw, while the gazebo in the charming small garden is heather thatched.

The cottage is furnished in mid-Victorian style though some of the furniture is considerably older. An open peat fire burns in the kitchen and the traditional crane and cooking pots can be seen.