Truscot Lodge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached two-bay single-storey stone former lodge, built c.1864, to the designs of Richard Williamson. Rectangular on plan facing south and set within an enclosed cemetery of earlier origins on the north side of Letterkenny Road. There is no remaining roof to the lodge.

Roof collapsed with moulded ashlar coping to both gable ends on moulded kneeler stones. Tall chimneystack obscured by ivy growth. Uncoursed squared schist walling with mostly cement pointing, tooled sandstone quoins and chamfered trim to projecting schist plinth course. Tudoresque shouldered window surrounds formed in chamfered ashlar sandstone with remnants of latticed iron casement windows (mostly blocked up with concrete block).

Gabled principal south elevation abutted to the east by gabled entrance bay. Paired windows to the principal gable with central mullion and carved stone roundel to the gable depicting plaque with circular banner staging; 'ROSE / GOVERNOR / TRUSCOTT / DEP / GOVERNOR'. Tudoresque shouldered door opening formed in chamfered ashlar sandstone with remains of timber doorframe (now blocked up with concrete block), opening onto sandstone threshold step and two concrete steps. Further stone plaque over entrance in quatrefoil pattern and shield with lettering; 'IHS'.

Two-bay west side elevation with symmetrically-placed shouldered window openings.

Gabled north elevation with single window opening at attic level, obscured by ivy growth.

East side elevation abutted by lean-to rubblestone accretion and further concrete block addition. All now roofless and overgrown.

Setting:

Located to the south of an enclosed graveyard on the north side of Letterkenny Road. Site laid out in lawns with mature trees and several upstanding grave-markers and some tombs enclosed by iron railings. Grave-markers date from the early eighteenth-century to the present day and a mound of earth to the NE, now covered in graves, is purported to be the site of the now demolished pre-Reformation Church with the entire site enclosed by rubblestone walls that follow an octagonal plan form to the N, allegedly following an older circular enclosure (LDY 013:001). The entrance is demarked by a pair of replacement iron gates hung on stop-chamfered sandstone ashlar pillars with pyramidal capstones surmounted by stone finials.

Roof Collapsed (originally slate)
RWG None
Windows Latticed iron
Walling Uncoursed squared schist

Historical information

Truscot Lodge, a single-storey stone and sandstone cottage located in the graveyard of Killea, was constructed in 1864 to designs by Richard Williamson. The Ordnance Survey Memoirs and Lewis’ Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (both 1837) records that Killea Graveyard was the site of the old church of Killea, one of five chapels of ease to Templemore Church at Derry. The church had been constructed shortly before the Siege of Derry (1688-89) when it was destroyed by King James II’s army. The short-lived church was never repaired but its foundations remained until the 19th century. The memoir writer recorded the following dimensions of the church and its graveyard: ‘It was of an oblong form and measured 60ft by 30ft; the graveyard, which is still used by the peasantry of the vicinity, is surrounded by an excellent stone wall, 7ft high, which appears to be of equal antiquity with the ruined church.’ Lewis differed somewhat in his description, noting that the church ‘was cruciform and consisted of a nave and transept; the walls are still entire, except at the western end.’ The Townland Valuations (c. 1834) noted that the graveyard comprised two roods and seven perches (OSM, p. 215; p. 234; Lewis).

Dept of Environment Historic Environment Division holds an SMR record for the 17th century Church and Graveyard as an Ecclesiastical Site (LDY 013:001) that pre-dates the Reformation.

The site appears on the second edition Ordnance Survey Map (1853) which shows that the church was located at the centre of the graveyard and depicted a building at the Letterkenny Road entrance. The contemporary Griffith’s Valuation (1857) recorded that the building was a superintendent’s residence, valued at 15 shillings and leased to a Mr. William Mason by The Honourable The Irish Society. This building was demolished and replaced with the current lodge in 1864. The Gothic building was constructed of locally-quarried Derry Schist and Scottish Giffnock sandstone and was designed by Richard Williamson (d. 1874), County Surveyor for Derry and surveyor to the Irish Society. The building, which is commonly referred to as Killea Mortuary Chapel, was constructed on the site of the original lodge as a new residence for the caretaker of the burial ground. The dwelling bears the arms of The Irish Society and possesses a bell cote above its main entrance. The Annual Revisions set the value of the new caretaker’s lodge as £3 and noted that William Mason continued to reside at the site until his death in c. 1869 (Curl, p. 414; DIA; NSD).

The Mason family continued to reside at the lodge which was restored (along with the graveyard) in 1893. In that year ownership of the cottage passed to the Board of Guardians. The Census of Ireland records that James Mason (described as a stone mason) resided at the lodge in 1901. In that year the census building return described the building as a 2nd class dwelling that consisted of three rooms. The lodge was occupied by a Mr. Victor Boyd by the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) which increased the value of the lodge to £5 and 10 shillings. In 1952 the lodge was occupied by Alexander King who remained there until at least the 1970s. By the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) the value of the caretaker’s lodge stood at £8.

The caretaker’s lodge, which became known as ‘Truscot Lodge,’ was listed in 1979. The NIEA HB Records note that the building was occupied as a private dwelling until the 1970s. The building began to fall into a state of dereliction during the 1980s and was included in The Buildings at Risk Register in 1997. (NIEA HB Records; BARNI).

Although the roof is now gone, the first survey photograph, taken Sept 1991 show that it originally was slated with black clay crested ridge tiles and an ashlar sandstone tapered chimney stack.

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/5/20/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1830)
2. PRONI OS/6/5/20/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1853)
3. PRONI VAL/1/A/5/20 – Townland Valuation Map (c. 1830)
4. PRONI VAL/1/B/547A-F – Townland Valuation (c. 1834)
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/5/16A – Griffith’s Valuation (1857)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/32/10A-10G – Annual Revisions (1860-1929)
7. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/9 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
8. PRONI VAL/4/B/5/22 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
9. Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Londonderry (1837)
10. Lewis’ Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837)
11. Ulster Town Directories (1852-1943)
12. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
13. First Survey Record – HB01/12/003 (1972)
14. DOE:HED HB Records – HB01/12/003
15.DOE:HED Sites and Monuments Records - SMR LDY 013:001 Church and Graveyard: Killea

Secondary Sources
1. ‘Buildings at Risk: Vol. 4’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1997.
2. ‘Buildings at Rick: Vol. 8’ Belfats: Ulster Archietctural Heritage Society, 2008.
3. Calley, D., ‘City of Derry: An historical gazetteer to the buildings of Londonderry’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2013 (includes 1899 Valuation Map).
4. Curl, J. S., ‘The Londonderry Plantation 1609-1914’ Sussex, Phillimore & Co. Ltd., 1986.
5. Rowan, A. J., ‘The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster’ London: Yale University Press, 2003.

Online Resources
1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie/
2. Natural Stone Database - http://www.stonedatabase.com//buildings.cfm?bk=1953

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

U. Historic Associations
V. Authorship
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance

Evaluation

Detached two-bay single-storey stone former caretaker’s lodge, built c1864, to the designs of Richard Williamson for The Honourable The Irish Society on the site of a former 17th century church and burial ground, located SW of the city of Derry. Although now demolished and covered in modern gravestones, traces of the original church remain on the site in the form of a mound together with the rubble schist stone boundary wall, purported to reflect an older enclosure (LDY 013:001). Currently roofless and derelict, the original footprint survives and its gabled form with corbelled kneelers, shouldered bell-cote, tudoresque openings and overall good proportions make this a worthy example of a mid-Victorian lodge that has retained much of its architectural style. The intricately carved plaques and other more robust stone detailing add significant character and the quality of its setting is further enhanced by the ashlar stone gate pillars and ornate cast iron gates at the entrance.

General comments

Principle former use was a residence for the caretaker of the burial ground but the building is commonly referred to as Killea Mortuary Chapel.