In what is believed to be one of the largest such demolitions for a road scheme in Northern Ireland, Tom and Lil Fletcher have lost the dream home that they built two decades ago.

Twenty years ago the couple and their children moved into the 7,000sq ft property, which the family had constructed using select materials salvaged from from old churches and mills, on a site that enjoys luscious views of the surrounding countryside.

Craftsmen built all aspects of the house on-site over a three-year period.

The Fletchers' home had also been a well-respected venue for private swimming lessons for some 15 years. Adults and children travelled from across the border, and from as far as Banbridge and Portadown to its indoor pool for expert tuition for many years.

A joiner who spent almost three years working on the house witnessed it being pulled down on Friday.

"There were three or four joiners building it and it was quite a unique house," said neighbour Eugene Woods.

"It was a landmark to people around here and I was sorry to see it go, especially after the length of time I spent working at it."

Mr Woods captured some shots of the demolition on his mobile phone.

"I always put my name somewhere on things I work at and I had a phone call from Tom a while back. While moving out he had pulled a piece of wood out of the ceiling with my name on it and the date 18-6-89," he said.

"He asked me around but didn't say why. When I got there he showed me the piece of wood with my name and we reminisced about the building of the house."

Increasing demand for good communications between Belfast and Dublin have necessitated the upgrade of the A1 dual carriageway, which in parts has changed little since the time of the horse and cart despite being an international route linking two capitals.

The new road, which will be built almost to motorway standard, is cutting across the countryside and inevitably some houses had to be pulled down.

The demolition of the house was long delayed, in part because the scenes the Fletchers enjoyed from their kitchen window for decades were hiding sites of archeological interest.

Roads Service contractors were obliged to slow work for several months while experts came in to check for artefacts.

The Fletchers lived in parts of the house while dismantling work on it began, and only finally moved out a few weeks ago.