Drummond Hotel

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Built on a site at the east of Ballykelly and adjacent to the Presbyterian church. It is described as follows in the O S memoirs ’Drummond, a commodious house built in 1828 by the Fishmongers’ Company for the residence of their agent: the expense, with office houses, amounted to £4,000.00. It is situated near to the village, to the south side of the high road on a slight eminence, and commands a very favourable view of lough Foyle with Binevenagh and the Inishowen Mountains, leaving for the foreground a rich and well cultivated country and the graceful parish church. The architect was Richard Suitor, London, the builder James Turnbull, Ballykelly’

The former agent house is now an hotel and while the main part of the house has retained its external form it’s
setting has been upset by inappropriate hotel extensions. The 2 storey house is 3 bays wide, symmetrically composed with a central doorway and projecting neo classical portico with 2 no. columns of the Tuscan order supporting a frieze and cornice with flat roof. All the windows have segmental heads with typical Suitor flat stone architraves. However all the sashes have been substituted with PVC casements and top hung vents, and on the side one window has been removed and double French doors inserted. The corners of the house are defined with clasping pilasters and under the eaves a simple frieze band. The walls which are finished in smooth render painted, have a plinth which lines with the grounds floor window cills. The asbestos slated roof is a double pile, each hipped. There is a centre valley and the roof overhang forms a generous eaves.

Historical information

In 1821 Suitor produced designs for the agent’s house. These were altered several times and approved in 1824. Building did not commenced until 1826 and completed 1828. The small scale parties was added by Turnbull in 1832.

References:
O S Memoirs of Ireland Vol 25
J S Curl, The Londonderry Plantation 1609 - 1914

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Late Georgian neo-classical house, the original of pleasing proprotions but now unsympathically extended destroying the origional setting. Also the interior has been altered unsympathetically . Within is a fine sculptured piece of the Fishmonger's coat of arms which originally adorned the entrance to the dispensary at the west end of the village.