Cenotaph

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A free-standing Neo-Egyptian/Neo-Classical ashlar sandstone pyramid, erected during the mid 19th century by Lord Garvagh. The pyramid is located on an elevated, wooded site within Garvagh Forest, to the south of Garvagh town and west of the Balinameen Bridge and the forest car park.

Square on plan with four elevations and constructed of coursed local sandstone blocks the pyramid is devoid of any markings or carvings save for some angled tooling marks along the base course. Originally having a square-headed doorway to the south-west side, which is now blocked up and rendered over. Erected on a raised, square platform of stone flags which terminates along the former doorway on the south-west elevation. The upper section of the exterior stonework has been rendered over in recent decades. Entrance is from a path to the north east and the small, elevated site is paved with stone flags and boarded by a low course of chamferred stone blocks.

Setting

The pyramid is situated within a mature wood on an elevated site, to the south end of Garvagh town, in land which previously formed part of Lord Garvagh’s estate. The forest car park is located a short distance to the west as is the Ballinameen Bridge which crosses the Agivey River. The parish church of St Paul’s (HB03/02/001) is sited to the north-east.

Roof None
RWG None
Walling Sandstone, ashlar
Windows None

Historical information

The Neo-Egyptian stone pyramid, located within Garvagh Forest first appears captioned ‘Cenotaph’ on the second edition OS map (1849-53). The structure was erected as a mausoleum for the Lord Garvagh during the mid-19th century, sited within the wooded grounds of his demesne. The somewhat unusual form was inspired by Lord Garvagh’s excursion to Egypt, as part of his Grand Tour.

At the time of construction the “wood” of Lady Garvagh was listed in Griffith’s Valuation (1856) valued at £88.50; however there is no mention of the pyramid structure in any of the valuation records, nor in the OS Memoirs, written c1830-39. The wood increased to a value of £106 in the Annual Revisions (1860-63) and by 1923, it had passed into the ownership of Edward Strange, following the departure of the Canning family (Lord Garvagh’s descendants) from Garvagh in 1920.

Despite having an access doorway to the south-west side, the pyramid was never utilised as a burial chamber and the door has since been blocked up. The cenotaph was restored in the 1970s and areas have been rendered over.

Resources

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/5/18/1 – First Edition OS map (1832)
2. PRONI OS/6/5/18/2 – Second Edition OS map (1849-53)
3. PRONI OS/6/5/18/3 – Third Edition OS map (1904-5)
4. PRONI OS/6/5/18/4 – Fourth Edition OS map (1924-33)
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/5/6A – Griffith’s Valuation (1856)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/12A - Annual Revisions (1860-63)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/12E - Annual Revisions (1896-1910)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/12F - Annual Revisions (1911-30)
9. HB File (HB.03.02.002)

Secondary Sources

1. Garvagh Museum (http://www.garvaghmuseum.com)
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)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
U. Historic Associations
Z. Rarity
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

An unusal example of a mausoleum structure (not used), the design of which was influenced by Lord Garvagh’s excursion to Egypt during his Grand Tour. Although it has been rendered over in parts and some sandstone blocks have been damaged the structure is a unique example of a mausoleum. The unusal form benefits from the picturesque siting within Garvagh Forest.

General comments

Listing Criteria R - Age; S - Authenticity and U - Historic Associations also apply.