Courtyard Buildings

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

The courtyard buildings consists of three blocks or ranges of stone buildings grouped around a cobbled courtyard to the NNW and rear of Bellarena House They are detached from the main house but the courtyard is totally enclosed with boundary walls filling in the gaps between the buildings. Entrance to the courtyard is through a gateway in the north range under the steepled clock tower.

The west range, six bays long, almost symmetrically composed, built of random rubble basalt, has two centrally placed segmental arched coach doors, with single pedestrian flat headed door on one side with another segmental arched coach door beyond. Over the single door there is a semi-circular blank opening. On the other sidethere are two single pedestrian flat headed doors with semi-circular blank openings above. The range is is gabled with recently slated roof punctuated. At the south end it is linked to the main house by a high basalt wall with side doorway and an even higher segmental arched gateway with piers on either side crowned with sandstone spheres. All the openings in the range are trimmed with red brick. Guttering and downpipes, metal painted black matching those in house. Neat decorative metal gates fill the gateway and side gate.

The north range, symmetrically composed, built of random rubble basalt, consists of centrally placed two storey block, five bays wide, with pedimented breakfront, through which passes the segmental arched access to the courtyard from the rear avenue. On either side of the breakfront there are pairs of segmental double doorways a little narrower than the central access and each fitted with wooden doors. There are no doors or gates to the central access. At first floor level there are three sliding windows, nine panes each, positioned centrally over the openings below. Above the cental pediment and rising out of the roof ridge there is a squattish clock tower, painted white with simple capping edge. Each face has a rounded recess with the north and south containing clock dials.. Above the clock tower there is an eight sided steeple, faced with copper and terminating in a weathervane.

On either side of the two storey block, are single storey wings with two single doorways. Each doorway has single sashed 12 pane windows on either side. All openings are trimmed with brick arches, roofs slated and hipped. On the north elevation there is only the main access opening to the courtyard and another single double doorway to the east of it.

The east range is linked to the north range by a longish single storey, stone built and slated building with lower eaves. The east range compliments the west range in length, is two storeys high, stone built, slated but half hipped at one end and has a varied array of windows, some single sliding sashes, some tripartite sashes and several doors, one with side lights. There are two chimneys.

Each range is not at right angles to the other, but the courtyard being expansive this firregularity is not readily apparent. The east range is connected to the main house by a high boundary wall against which are some lean to structures. Placed off centre in the courtyard is a planted pond.

Historical information

Situated within the parish of Ardmagilligan alias Tamlaghtard, the land of the Bellarena Estate was leased from the Bishop of Derry in 1603 by William Gage followed by John Gage and remained in this family though names changed through marriage to Heygates in 1851. The 4th Baronet died in 1976, and shortly after that the property and contents were sold. The present owners acquired the place in c 1990. The amount of land has been greatly reduced and apart from the major outbuildings, main gate lodge and the dispensary all other parts of the estate and tenants building including Bellarena School, have been acquired by others.

The Ordnance Survey Memoirs in 1835 record ‘Bellarena, the residence of Conolly Gage - the present dwelling house has been erected at two different periods: one part being built in 1797 and the other in 1822. The demesne is kept in the most exact order and with great taste. The garden and orchard consists of two acres and is in the highest state of cultivation and abounds with all kinds of fruits and flowers with extensive hothouses for grapes’. The work of 1797 was carried out by Marcus McCausland, son of the heiress of Bellarena, who changed his name to Gage. Conolly Gage created the library and manipulated the third floor at the rear of the house in 1822. In the late 1830s Charles Lanyon (1812-89) remodelled the hall, created the billiard room bay and remodelled the main reception rooms and added the projecting porch. All this at the request of Conolly Gage’s wife Henrietta whose sister Marianne, married to Marcus McCausland, had engaged the same Lanyon to rebuild Drenagh. The daughter of Conolly Gage, another Marianne, married Sir Frederick Heygate in 1851.

The clock tower, steeple and associated buildings are not indicated on the Ordnance Survey Sheet of 1831 nor are the outlying barn and byres nor cart shed. The rear entrance gate lodge (HB02/09/004) was built c1860 while the main gate lodge at Seacoast Road (HB02/09/002E)is around 1920 replacing a pair of gate lodges of 1797. The gates and railings were probably updated at this time. The land steward’s house, walled garden and viewing gazebo (now not within the present estate) are all pre 1831.

Sir John Heygate, 4th Bar’t was a novelist and journalist who married first Hon Evelyn, daughter of the Lord Burghclere who was first wife of Evelyn Waugh, writer.

References:

The Civil Survey 1654-56 Simington
Ordnance Survey Memoirs Vol. 11 p.85
A Guide to Irish Lodges of Ulster
Victorian Architecture Dixon & Muthesius
Buildings of North Derry by Girvan
Occupier (1997)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
D. Plan Form
H+. Alterations enhancing the building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

An interesting group of mid 19th century out buildings, consisting of coach houses, stables, stores and staff accommodation, architecturally composed with a most striking clock tower and steeple forming an imposing centrepiece viewed across the courtyard from the main house.