Gate Lodge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A small single storey stone built gate lodge 1 bay wide by 3 bays long with steep pitched slated roofs. The polygonal bay/gable, facing the avenue, has 3, 2 pane s/s windows in 3 facets dressed around with ashlar sandstone and a pyramidal slated roof terminating in a tall decorative metal finial. The bay returns as far as the entrance door which occurs on a stepped gabled offset. The square headed doorway is shouldered in ashlar work with timber door having one glazed panel. Centred on the gable a single 2 pane s/s window and above it a small oculus lighting the roofspace.

There is another small setback with a single 2 pane s/s window the wall of which continues to form part of a flat roofed extension but probably originally enclosed a yard or formed a screen.

On the opposite long wall there is a slight projection after the polygonal bay and another stepped gable with similar fenestration. The flat roof extension encloses the original wall. Walls are built of rockfaced partially snecked sandstone similar to Thornhill House. All the roofs are slated with Bangor Blue slates with plain ridge tiles. There is a single tall chimney stack in smooth rendering but retaining its moulding. The apex of each stepped gable has a neat small stone sphere. The roofs have no overhangs and the ogee C.I. gutters project from a plain chamfered string course. The bottom of the walls have a chamfered plinth. Downpipes are in C.I. The flat roof extension has roughcast plastered walls and a mineral felt roof.

The lodge is adjacent to the avenue and main gates with well kept lawn. To the rear of the lodge a small hedge enclosed garden. The wrought iron gates are set between 2 tall square pillars with moulded coping rising in a pyramid and topped with a sphere. On either side of the pillars there is a run of moulded balustrading which turns outwards for a short distance in a shallow curve. At the turn there are further lower pillars and similar at the end of the curved balustrading. A low random rubble wall continues along the roadside and bounding the convent property. Six low blocks of masonry capped with spheres guide the carriageway to the gates. The pillars and balustrading are now painted a striking cream colour. Presumably underneath the paint is ashlar sandstone.
As the random rubble wall proceeds northwards forming the road verge it rises to a height of approximately 3.0 metres where it forms one side of the former walled garden.

Historical information

There was a previous gate lodge as shown on the 1856 O.S. Map. The present one is contemporary with the house. The flat roof extension was added in the post war years probably c1960. Dean gives the date of the present lodge as 1885 and describes its style as ‘Scot Baronial manner’ and states that Turner was “more at home in the handling of Picturesque outline of small buildings”. Turner and Babington were the architects.

Primary Sources
1. UAFP O.S. Map 1832 Co Londonderry No.13
2. UAFP O.S. Map 1st Rev. 1856 Co Londonderry No. 13
3. Convent of Mercy

Secondary Sources
1. A Rowan: Buildings of Ireland, North West Ulster pp 402,403/2
2. J.A.K. Dean The Gate Lodges of Ulster p121

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A picturesque if somewhat harshly detailed small gate lodge. Its materials and detailing in sympathy with main house. Well sited and well kept as is also the adjoining gates, pillars and balustrading and the whole composition makes an imposing approach to the entrance avenue.