Dunboe House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached three-storey-with-basement, three bay Georgian-style former Glebe house, built c.1774 by Michael Shanahan and extensively restored and repaired in 1821. Facing south, rectangular on plan with full height advancing central stair-bay to north (rear) and a single-storey pitched return to west, c.1890, abutting to former single-storey outbuildings c.1840, which have largely been converted and refurbished. Further detached outbuildings are located to the west, c.1830.

Pitched slate roof with black/grey roll-moulded ridge-tiles; two brick gable chimneys having five octagonal decorative clay pots; replacement uPVC rainwater goods mounted on plain timber fascia; timber sheeted overhanging boxed eaves. Walling is painted ruled-and-lined rendered. Regular square-headed window openings (reduced in height on upper floor) having projecting painted tooled-stone sills and plain reveals; windows are generally 6/6 original timber sashes, without horns and 3/6 to basement and second floor levels (unless otherwise stated).

Symmetrical principal elevation faces south, five openings wide with recessed round-arch doorway to centre containing replacement six-panelled (raised and fielded) timber door, flanked by plain pilasters on plinths, rising to scrolled and foliated console brackets carrying projecting moulded cornice; plain glass fanlight over.

West elevation is blank; partial area of painted cement rendering to left; right-side recently replastered in lime, ruled-and-lined rendered.

North elevation is three openings wide with single windows vertically aligned on each floor. Square-plan full-height advancing bay to centre having hipped roof; windows at half-landing level; right-cheek is blank; left-cheek has single timber casement to ground floor with frosted glass insert (reportedly the former entrance doorway). Diminutive oculus and four-paned casement window to immediate left of central stair bay, on first floor. Lower window to far right-side of main elevation has no sill and a painted timber lower section. According to the owner the window can be opened and the panel lowered to create a doorway.

East elevation is blank except for ground floor which is abutted by pitched single-storey extension, c.1890, detailed as main house, which abuts to and links a line of former outbuildings to the east, c.1840. Single window to right-cheek; triple opening to left-cheek containing replacement, full-height sashes with twelve-pane door to centre. Abutting to right-side is south facing gable of east outbuilding (see below), containing a matching window and door arrangement.

East outbuilding range is rough-cast single-storey, four-bays wide; pitched slate roof; two brick chimneys, one plain to centre-ridge and tall one along eastern wall. uPVC rainwater goods on plain timber fascia; small squared, irregular window openings generally having original multi-pane casements (some replacements) and replacement timber door with six-paned glazing panel. North gable is blank and south gable is detailed in above paragraph; west elevation has a low window and upper opening is timber sheeted; east elevation has three replacement casements to higher level and large ten-paned casement with stone sill to low level; two doors, that to right-side is a timber-sheeted and braced half-door.

Outbuildings to west are similarly detailed as above; west elevation of main gabled structure comprises two 1/1 timber casements and a modern metal garage door to right-of-centre and a large double-leafed timber-sheeted sliding doors to the left; remaining elevations are blank except for ventilation holes to east-side. Small, mono-pitched outbuilding to west has no rainwater goods; brick chimney; three doors are timber sheeted with original iron mongery; 6/6 original sash to north elevation, a diminutive four-pane original casement to north and south elevations.

Setting
Located in a rural farmland
setting to the south-side of Quilly Road, between Castlerock and Coleraine. The house is situated on a mature, elevated site, overlooking lawned gardens and bounded by extensive woodland. The south facing entrance is accessed via replacement stone wall and piers leading to a gravel path which sweeps westward, terminating in an expansive forecourt. Sandstone steps to main entrance door, extend over basement chanel below, flanked by curved and capped painted dwarf walls. Original entrance reputed to have been on north elevation via the lower level of the projecting central bay, with steps ascending into the main hallway. A combination of rubblestone and roughcast screen walls to the east and west of house commonly have rounded archways with decorative wrought or cast iron gates. The eastern yard is fully concreted but all remaining paths are gravel. The remnants of a previous range of outbuildings form the eastern wall of the east yard.

Roof Slate
RWG uPVC
Walling Ruled-and-lined painted render
Windows Timber sash

Historical information

Dunboe House was designed by Michael Shanahan, architect to the Earl Bishop of Derry, and built in 1774 at a cost of £700 as a residence for the Archdeacons of the diocese. The house is shown, uncaptioned, on the first edition OS map of 1830.

The building was almost a ruin in 1821 but was repaired after the arrival of Archdeacon Monsell. OS Memoirs reports ‘He has made great improvements about it and rendered the house a good family residence’. (OS Memoirs Vol 11) Rowan suggests that the flanking office wings behind the house show that the entrance was once on the North front (Rowan) while Girvan notes that the alterations in the 1820s also affected the interior on the ground floor, where the internal doors are of the early nineteenth century (Girvan). In the mid-nineteenth century alterations were made to the drawing-room to the west, a marble fire-place added and it is thought one of the outbuildings was incorporated into the main body of the house (Girvan).

The first occupant was Archdeacon John Stanley Monck who is commemorated by a tablet in the parish church of Drumachose, Limavady. Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) records the occupier as the Venerable Archdeacon A W Edwards who had the freehold of the house, steward’s house, office and over 52 acres of land with buildings valued at £28. The house then passed to the next Archdeacon, Charles Galwey but following disestablishment was sold, John Steen becoming the occupier in 1876. By 1886 the valuation had fallen to £15. The 1901 census lists the dwelling under three separate occupiers, nine rooms being occupied by John Steen JP, retired farmer and his wife; three rooms by widow Mary Anne Watson and her son a dental surgeon born in County Westmeath; and three rooms by unmarried woman Isabella Kerr and her sister who lived from the income on their savings. In 1921 the house was taken over by Major James A Willington of the Willingtons of Tipperary (http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie) who had perhaps left his estates in the south of Ireland in anticipation of partition.

The house was listed in 1977 and in the late 1980s renovations took place to the exterior. Further work was carried out to the roof and windows in 2007-8 (HB file)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/5/7/1 First Edition OS Map 1830
2. PRONI OS/6/5/7/2 Second Edition OS map 1849-50
3. PRONI OS/6/5/7/3 Third Edition OS Map 1904
4. PRONI OS/6/5/7/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1923
5. PRONI OS/6/5/7/5 Fifth Edition OS Map 1949
6. PRONI VAL/1/B/55B Townland Valuation (1828-40)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/5A-F Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
8. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/2 First General Revaluation 1933-57
9. Griffith’s Valuation online
10. HB file – 03/13/010

Secondary Sources

1. Day, A., P. McWilliams, eds. “OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of County Londonderry III, 1831-5, Vol. 11.” Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1991.
2. Girvan, W D “Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Areas of Architectural Importance in North Derry including Limavady, Ballykelly, Castlerock, Downhill and Magilligan” Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1975
3. http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie
4. Rowan, A “The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster” Penguin, 1979

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
V. Authorship
R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance

Evaluation

A detached and symmetrical three-storey-with-basement Georgian-style former Glebe House erected in 1774 and substantially restored in 1821. This large, grand house is governed by symmetrical, balanced proportioning and by the austere and plain detailing, characteristic of late 18th and early 19th century architectural principles. The main house's interest is increased by the adjacent outbuildings and unspoiled setting. Dunboe House displays evidence of physical evolution over the centuries of use, thus reflecting the changes in domestic living arrangements over the past 200 years.

General comments

Listing Criteria R - Age; S - Authenticity and T - Historic Importance also apply.