Church Hill House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Churchill is directly across the main road from the Presbyterian church and it is not often that an architect in the North of Ireland has had the opportunity to design 2 buildings in such a relationship. Suitor produced an admirable composition in this edifice which is so much a complement to the church. The Fishmongers desired to erect a model farm building as encouragement to farmers to emulate. It was designed in 1823 for a John Campbell, generously set well back from the road on a flat site and consists of a centre 2 storey block built of stone with slated double pile hipped roofs and linked in almost the same plane to two single storey smaller blocks, one on each side, by high random rubble walls.

The centre block built of ashlar sandstone, has a projecting porch with side entry and a round headed recess with a further recessed panel below the window cill. A neat cornice and plain frieze runs round the porch walls. The other windows are all square headed, with sliding timber sashes and 12 panes on the ground floor, 9 on the upper floor. The rafters are exposed at the generous eaves. The end chimney stacks have been rebuilt in redbrick but with tall round pots.

The end blocks, to contrast with the centre, have their gable walls to the main facade, built of ashlar sandstone, and each neatly punched with a large round headed recess with a complementary window inset. The slated and hipped roofs have been raised in redbrick (1990) by 750mm to allow another floor to be added.

Churchill has now been incorporated into a private hospital and its internal arrangement has been completely changed. The new hospital part has been sensitively added and cannot be observed from the main road The whole is a very good example of successful change of use and adaptation. The grounds are excellently presented with retention of existing mature trees.

Historical information

Churchill was designed in 1823 by R Suitor and built by Hugh Wright and the stonework is Dungiven sandstone. The porch to the house was added in 1832 by Turnbull.

Adaptation work of 1990 architects Kieran Mullan of G M Designs. Builder direct labour

References:

J S Curl, The Plantation of Londonderry 1611-1914
GM Design

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
E. Spatial Organisation

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Late Georgian neo-classical house in the Palladian manner with lateral pavillions and co;nnecting walls. The pavilions have been raised in height recently but this does not take away significantlyl from the composition. Well sited with fine expanse of lawn and grounds to front with boundary wall.