Widgeon Lodge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A one and a half storey double pile 3 bay wide house with similar height projecting porch block. It has smooth rendered walls, sliding sash 12 pane windows, wavy decorative bargeboards, large plastered quoins, cast iron ogee gutters and downpipes. Chimneys puctuate most gables with tall hexagonal straw coloured pots and ridge lines vary in height to make a lively composition. The rear pile is 1 storey with attic so that it is separated from the main roof by a low level valley gutter. It is unfortunate that in recent renovations the roofs acquired asbestos slates.

Beyond the house on either side of the access road is a range of outhouses. Across the small kitchen garden there is the original coach house with 3 pointed low archways. The west and south sides have pleasant lawns, trees and shrubs.

Historical information

The house is indicated on the 1830 O S map and was originally a hunting lodge of Henry O’Hara who built his tower house on the rocky promontory overlooking Portstewart. When the lodge was built the Ballykelly and Ballymacran banks were not constructed and the lough Foyle waters reached to the road at Widgeon lodge. The lessor of the land was James Ogilby and in 1858 Samuel McDonnell held the property, the great grandfather of the present occupier, James MacDonnell. The rear portion of the house was added c 1900 thus reducing the courtyard in front of the coach house arch and the entrance door rearranged. The present owner carried out renovations in the 1970s. It is thought that Revett, engineer for the embankment, occupied the house c1837.

References: Griffith Valuation 1858 property value £7.10.0
Owner (1997)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Interesting early Victorian hunting lodge later converted to farmhouse, with former coach house immediately behind. Well kept with good garden. Preceded the erection of the embankment c1840s. Alterations and modernisation have altered character to the extent that listing is not appropriate.