The Manor House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A freestanding, largely symmetrical two-storey with basement pedimented Georgian house, five-openings wide and built in 1835. Rectangular on plan with a two-storey canted bay to the east elevation and a similar rectangular projection to the west. Substantial modern additions abutting to the eastern and southern sides (of no interest). A row of outbuildings abuts to the west, dating from around 1900; one freestanding to the west dates from the construction of the main house. Located within extensive grounds to the southern eastern side of Bridge Street, with the south elevation overlooking the ‘Washing Lough’ and golf course.

Double-hipped slate roof with grey stone ridge tiles, half-round cast iron rainwater goods on projected eaves with sheeted soffits. Two painted off-centre chimneys to east and west walls with multiple, octagonal terracotta pots; central pediment above eaves course supported on two giant plain pilasters; pilasters to each corner of main and rear elevations. Walling is stuccoed with banded rustication to the ground floor of north elevation. Windows are 6/6 timber sashes throughout; plain reveals and sills; slightly projecting stucco architraves to main elevation, those to ground floor with plain entablature.

Principal elevation faces north and is five windows wide, centre openings contained within shallow pedimented breakfront framed by plainly detailed giant pilasters. Lugs to first floor central architrave only; round-headed opening to central porch having archivolt rising from impost mouldings, all embraced by half-engaged Doric portico with heavy entablature. Double-leaf round-headed six-panelled timber door accessed by three wide stone steps. Cheeks lit by narrow round-headed leaded-lattice windows.

West elevation has a canted bay lit by three windows to first floor, one window to ground floor (remainder blocked), otherwise abutted by modern flat-roof additions (of no interest).

Rear (south) elevation has five windows to first floor; abutting two-tiered heavily glazed modern extension (of no interest) advances from basement and ground floor levels and extends to the east; original walls of main house are now internal; doors and windows generally retained.

East elevation is blank except for central round-headed window to first floor of advancing bay; two occuli to left side on first and ground floor level. A row of three-adjoining outbuildings (dating from around 1900) abut at ground floor and basement level; 18-pane window and door at ground floor of original building are subsequently now internal. Further flat roof additions (of no interest) abut to south-east re-entrant angle.

Row of abutting two-storey, gable-ended outbuildings have pitched-slate roofs of varying heights, with uPVC rainwater goods. Walling is stuccoed; replacement timber sash windows with generally with stepped surrounds, some timber casements; painted stone sills; a combination of replacement timber panelled and modern timber doors. Large proportion of rear abutted by one and two-storey flat-roof extensions, which advance south (of no interest).

Setting
The house is set within a substantial mature wood, overlooking a golf-course and lough to the south; a grassed area and houses are sited to the north and east. A number of outbuildings are located to the west and the main house has a number of substantial extensions to the south, east and west. The front entrance is accessed via a tree and wall-lined drive way leading from the south side of Bridge Street to a car park at the front of the house; a secondary section of the drive leads south to a gravel car park to the west of the building group. The main entrance door is accessed via modern concrete steps or universal access ramp. A gravel and tarmac path circles the perimeter of the entire building group.

Freestanding three-bay, hipped-roof outbuilding to west, of coursed and square rubble construction, dating from the mid 19th century; uPVC rainwater goods; generally timber sash windows, rendered stepped surrounds; modern timber doors with plain glass transoms. North bay has central double height segmental headed arch now blocked up; south bay has an extension in traditional style along western elevation comprising a lean-to timber and glass entrance porch. Higher two-storey central bay with two metal frame windows to west elevation; east elevation comprises an advancing mono-pitched structure of timber, masonry and glass which contains a concrete/masonry stair to door on first floor.

Roof: Slate
RWG: Cast iron
Walling: Stucco-coursed ashlar beneath
Windows: Timber sash

Historical information

Constructed c.1832-35 as the residence of the Agent to the Mercers’ Company, the building designs were prepared by London architect William Barnes (Curl).

In Plantation times, during the colonisation of Ulster, the Worshipful Company of Mercers’ (a principal Livery Company of the City of London), directly controlled a proportion of land within County Londonderry. The estate of 33.5 sq miles was located around the district of Kilrea and Movanagher. By the mid 17th century the Mercers’ estate was let to nominated individual/s, many of whom were absentee landlords, and subsequently the estate fell into severe decline. With the death of the final tenant, Alexander Stewart, in 1831, the Mercers’ took repossession of and direct control over the estate. Kilrea was now the capital of the proportion and in the ensuing decades the Company instigated an ambitious scheme of improvements intended to raise productivity, general welfare and the overall appearance of the estate with particular focus placed on Kilrea town. An architect to the Mercer’s Company was appointed (George Smith and William Barnes) and a cohesive design plan for the development of Kilrea was generated which carefully regulated the style and proportion of all new buildings (Curl).

The building was erected as the home of the Mercers’ appointed Agent, William Henry Holmes, who was the chief representative of the Company and was tasked with managing the estate. The ‘Manor House’ is first shown captioned on the second edition OS map (1857) and sited within extensive ornamental, wooded grounds to the east of Bridge Street and north of the ‘Washing Lough’. Prior to construction the site was undeveloped; the OS Memoirs (1830-39) indicates the Lough obtained this title due to the softness of the water.

George Bicknell superseded Holmes as agent to the Company and in Griffith’s Valuation (1856) the buildings were first listed at £55. At this time the extensive accommodation provided within the house and associated outbuildings included a kitchen, basement, laundry, offices, stables, a coach house, a garden house and gate lodge, as well as a farm. The valuer noted “This is a very elegant mansion; well built and furnished and beautifully situated near a lake.”

Built to the designs of the architect to the Mercers’ Company, William Barnes, the house was completed in 1835 at a cost of £4,000; the clerk of works was noted as James Turnbull, a local surveyor and builder who worked with Barnes on a number of projects including the schoolhouse at Movanagher (HB03/01/026). The original designs for the building were quite modest and restrained but the Company deemed it necessary to have a building of suitable scale and grandeur “In order to establish the Agent as a Person of Quality”. Although the front porch was not conceived as part of the original design, it was erected in conjunction with the house to designs prepared by Barnes (Curl).

Robert Dolling took-over from Bicknell, who was superseded in 1878 by Sir William Holmes; during this period the Annual Revisions (1864-78) record the value of the buildings had increased to £57. By 1887 the occupier was a James Fisher and three other houses were included within the listing; each valuing around £1 10s, two of which were the gate lodges located along Bridge Street (Annual Revisions 1879-94). A doctor and M.P, James Lennox occupied the eighteen rooms of the house during the early 20th century and according to the 1911 Census, there was fifteen associated outbuildings but the valuation remained largely unaltered.

The house remained under the ownership of the Mercers’ Company until the early 20th century but by 1935 the First General Revision (1935) shows the buildings and land were occupied by the St Anne’s Convent of Mercy. The three small houses continued to be occupied until the mid-late 20th century and a Public Elementary School operated by the convent was also situated within the grounds, in a former stable/coach-house. The convent continued to occupy the buildings until the mid to late 20th century. The buildings have been remodeled and expanded in recent decades and now function as a golf club and hotel.

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/5/27/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey map (1830)
2. PRONI OS/6/5/27/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey map (1853)
3. PRONI OS/6/5/27/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey map (1905)
4. PRONI OS/6/5/27/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey map (1925-33)
5. PRONI OS/10/5/27/5/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey County map (1905)
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/5/6A – Griffith’s Valuation (1856)
7. PRONI VAL/2/D/5/5 – Griffith’s Valuation Map (1859)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/29/3A – Annual Revisions (1864)
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/29/3B – Annual Revisions (1865-78)
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/29/2C – Annual Revisions (1879-85)
11. PRONI VAL/12/B/29/2D – Annual Revisions (1886-94)
12. PRONI VAL/12/B/29/2E – Annual Revisions (1895-1910)
13. PRONI VAL/12/B/29/2F – Annual Revisions (1911-29)
14. PRONI VAL/3/B/6/2 – First General Revaluations (1935)
15. PRONI VAL/4/B/5/5 – Second General Revaluations (1956-72)

16. Census Records (1901-1911)

Secondary Sources

1. Lewis, Samuel ‘A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland’ S. Lewis & Co, London (1837)
2. ‘Ordnance Survey Memoirs; The Parishes of Co. Londonderry, VIII [Vol. 27] - Desertoghill, Errigal, Killelagh and Kilrea, 1830-39’ Institute of Irish Studies, Queen’s University, Belfast (1994)
3. Curl, James. S. ‘The Londonderry Plantation 1609-1914’ Phillimore & Co, Chichester (1986)
4. Kernohan, J.W. ‘The Parishes of Kilrea and Tamlaght O'Crilly A sketch of their history, with an account of the Boveedy Congregation’ Coleraine, (1912)
5. Dictionary of Irish Architects (http://dia.ie/)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
U. Historic Associations
X. Local Interest
V. Authorship

Evaluation

The Manor House is a freestanding, symmetrical two-storey rectangular plan Georgian style building constructed c. 1832-35 as a residence for an agent to the Mercers’ Company. The building has evolved throughout a number of different uses with a series of extensive additions and outbuildings now connected to the original house, obscuring the original structure. Situated on the eastern edge of Kilrea the building is much enhanced by the extensive woodland setting; which overlooks the golf course and ‘Washing Lough’ from the south elevation. Characterised by the expansive mature setting, the grand scale, elegant proportions and restrained detailing, the building is representative of the Georgian-style. Of significant social interest, the building is an important local landmark in the area.

General comments

Additional listing criteria apply- R-Age, U- Historic Associations.