Woodbank Cottage

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached symmetrical three-bay one-and-a-half-storey rendered house; built c.1830 and situated on a large mature site, formerly within the grounds of Woodbank House (HB03/02/014). Rectangular plan with single-storey flat-roof extension to northeast and two-storey return to rear.

Hipped natural slate roof with rounded blue/black tiles to hips and ridges; leaded ridges to rear return. Two roughcast rendered chimneystacks to centre of ridgeline, having sandstone caps and two tall clay pots; roughcast rendered chimneystacks with three tall clay pots to rear return. Plastic rainwater goods to main facade, on overhanging eaves with timber soffits; cast-iron half-round rainwater goods to remainder, on boxed eaves; cast-iron hopper and downpipes. Walling is painted roughcast render. Windows are original timber sash with horns, having projecting painted sills; 3/6 at first floor in gabled dormers detailed with plain bargeboards breaking eaves line; 6/6 windows at ground floor (unless otherwise stated).

The principal elevation faces southeast, is symmetrically arranged about an elliptical-headed doorcase and is three openings wide at each floor. Doorcase comprises replacement six-panelled timber door with brass door furniture; flanked by pilaster jambs and ornate half-panelled timber sidelights, surmounted by timber spider-web fanlight and with geometric square tiles laid to front. Replacement small four-light timber window at first floor over door.

The southwest elevation has gabled dormer to centre and two windows at ground floor.

The northwest (rear) elevation is abutted at right by the two-storey return and higher two-storey addition to re-entrant angle. Northwest gable of return is abutted at ground-floor by a slated lean-to; small 1/1 window and timber casement window at first floor. The southwest elevation of return is three bays wide; right bay has wall-head dormer window at first floor centre; tripartite 1/1 timber mullioned window at ground floor right and two-panelled glazed timber door at left. Left bays each have replacement four-paned timber-casement window at first floor and paired 4/4 windows at ground floor. Return has gabled projection (higher) to left at northeast elevation, lit by three 1/1 windows at first floor (that to left is diminutive) and small 1/1 window and panelled-and-glazed timber door at ground floor. Remainder of northeast elevation is two-bays wide; left bay has wall-head dormer window and large window at ground floor (both with replacement glazing). Right bay has tripartite 4/4 timber mullioned window and timber-sheeted door.

The northeast elevation has gabled dormer to centre and is abutted by the flat-roof extension containing two 6/6 windows; 6/6 window to left at southeast elevation.

Setting:

Situated on a large mature site to the south of Woodbank House (HB03/02/014) and sharing access from Mettican Road to southeast by a long tarmacadamed avenue. Entrance to Woodbank Cottage at southeast has a pair of painted smooth rendered square piers with square caps (gate missing). Bounded to west by a modern timber fence and barbed wire fence. To northwest of the house is an L-shaped single-storey roughcast rendered cottage with extension to south gable. Pitched fibre cement tiles slate roof, rendered chimneystacks and plastic rainwater goods throughout. Windows are multi-paned timber casements with projecting masonry sills; two replacement glazed timber doors. Modern flat-roof garage to northwest gable, abutting a two-storey slated rubble-stone outbuilding with enlarged opening to southeast and abutted at south gable by a concrete block lean-to with tin roof. To garden at west is a polygonal red-brick dovecote having slated roof with gablet dormer openings, timber-sheeted latch door and four-light windows. Garden has a variety of mature plantings and species of mature trees; to front of house is a rubblestone garden wall with stone steps. Tall rubblestone garden wall runs to northwest of house; to west side of it is a rubblestone shed with slate roof, opening to south with a round-headed timber-sheeted door with red-brick voussoirs.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Painted roughcast render
Windows Timber sash with horns
RWG: Plastic & cast-iron

Historical information

‘‘Woodbank Cottage’ was in progress in 1836 and was built by Robert Ogilby, also the builder of nearby ‘Woodbank House’ (dating from 1822-3). (OS Memoirs) The house and return, with outbuilding to the rear, are first shown on the second edition OS map of 1849-53 and the plan form remains virtually unaltered to the present day.

According to OS Memoirs, Robert Ogilby built Woodbank Cottage in the grounds of Woodbank House as a residence for his own use. Woodbank House itself was let to William Orr (who later lived at St Margaret’s) in the 1830s. The site is described as ‘remarkably well chosen, being on a commanding bank clothed with a natural growth of oak and birch. The grounds are not extensive but have been planted with much taste by Mr Ogilby.’ (OS Memoirs)

The property subsequently passed to the McCausland family who appear to have been relatives of the Ogilbys, and in Griffith’s Valuation of 1856-64 it is Martha McCausland who is listed as resident. The house and offices, leased from Mary Anne McCausland, are valued at £14 and situated in about two acres of land. The house passed down through the McCausland family, to Oliver P McCausland in 1878 and Lieutenant Colonel Redmond Conyngham Samuel McCausland in 1897. Although the valuation books record Lt Col McCausland as resident in Woodbank Cottage, it is clear from Street Directories that his main residence was in fact Woodbank House and that the cottage was occupied by various members of his family, principally his three sisters.

Lt Col McCausland lived at Woodbank House until his death in 1935 and his obituary recalls that he was a prominent local figure and had a ‘brilliant’ career in the Indian army. He was educated at Haileybury College and Sandhurst and served in the Afghan War (1879-80) when he was awarded the Ali Nusjid medal and was mentioned in dispatches. Owing to ill health, he stepped back from active service after the Afghan campaign and became Cantonment magistrate to stations in the Punjab until his retirement. (http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com)

McCausland’s son Oliver joined the Royal Irish Rifles during the First World War and was killed in action on May 9th 1915 at the age of 19. His daughter, Dorothea, became a noted philanthropist and was a nurse in the Voluntary Aid Detachment during the War. She saw service in Mesopotamia and was torpedoed aboard the RNSP Aragon in the Mediterranean, receiving the Croix de Guerre with Palm and a mention in dispatches. She founded the first branch of the Women’s Institute in Ireland at Garvagh in 1932. (Lt Col McCausland obituary - http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com; Garvagh Heritage Trail leaflet) Lt Col McCausland was of Scottish ancestry and it was said that a piper of the clan McCausland came annually from Scotland to Woodbank, to pipe round the grounds and present Colonel McCausland with an eagle’s feather, acknowledging his claim to headship of the clan. (Lt Col McCausland obituary (http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com)

Street Directories show that Woodbank Cottage was inhabited by the ‘Misses McCausland’ from at least 1901. The three sisters of Lt Col McCausland were Mary Hannah, who died in 1913, Edith Jane, who helped to found Coleraine Cottage Hospital and was the first woman member of Coleraine Rural Council and Florence Letitia who died in 1932. The sisters lived at the house with a small staff comprising a housemaid and a cook. The eight-room house was designated first-class and is listed as thatched in 1901, perhaps in error, as it is recorded as slated in 1911.

Valuation records of the 1930s give a plan of the house and outbuildings showing that the range to the rear of the house consisted of a ‘yardman’s’ house (still present) held on a service tenancy which had been rebuilt and was ‘in A1 repair’ together with an adjoining garage. A further house (still present) also on a service tenancy was situated at the far end of this range of buildings. The accommodation of the main house comprised, on the ground floor: three receptions, a kitchen, scullery, pantry, store, servants’ hall, workshop and coal store and on the first floor: four bedrooms, two maids’ bedrooms, a bathroom and WC.

Woodbank Cottage was listed in 1977 and repairs and renovations were carried out in the 1990s and in 2008/9. (HB file)

References:

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/12/B/30/12A-F Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
6. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/2 First General Revaluation 1933-57
7. PRONI VAL/3/D/6/3/K/1 First General Revaluation 1933-57
8. Griffith’s Valuation online
9. 1901/ 1911 census online
10. HB file – 03/02/015

Secondary Sources

1. Day, A., P. McWilliams, English L., eds. “OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of County Londonderry VIII, 1830, 1833-7, 1839, Vol. 27.” Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1994.
2. http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com
3. Garvagh Heritage Trail leaflet

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Woodbank Cottage is a detached symmetrical three-bay, one-and-a-half-storey rendered house; built c1830 and situated on a large mature site, formerly within the grounds of Woodbank House (HB03/02/014) with which it has group value. Displaying proportions and detailing typical of the period, much of the original character is intact, making this a fine example of a small early-Victorian country house. The setting is largely unspoiled and includes a number of subsidiary structures, all of which add to the quality of the setting.

General comments

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