2 Lodge Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-bay three-storey-with-attic end-terrace former dwelling, now commercial premises; built 1879 and located to the east side of Lodge Road in Coleraine. Square on plan with two-and-a-half-storey return and single-storey lean-to extension to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and rendered chimneystack to gable, having moulded cap. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods on bracketted eaves. Walling is painted smooth render on a contrasting plinth with moulded string course between ground and first floor, continuous sill course at first floor and moulded platband under eaves. Windows are 2/2 timber sash with horns in stop-end chamfered reveals with projecting painted sills and sandstone sill to rear (unless otherwise stated). Tripartite timber-sheeted gabled dormer to attic, having round-headed window openings and decorative bargeboards with trefoil detailing and finial.

The principal elevation faces southwest and is three openings wide at each floor. Entrance to ground floor right comprises bolection-moulded four-panelled timber door with plain transom light in a stop-end chamfered reveal. Entrance is flanked by pilasters surmounted by plain entablature with an ovolo-moulded cornice; moulded panel with piers between floors over entrance. Moulded plaque between upper floors is shared with number 4 (HB03/17/003B), reads “WOODVILLE”.

The northwest gable has a 1/1 window to centre at all floors.

The northeast (rear) elevation has, at left, 2/2 window over two-and-a-half-storey return. To right is a 1/1 window and 2/2 window over slated lean-to extension, having 2/2 window and modern glazed timber door; 1/1 window to right cheek. Return has 2/2 window to landing level and 1/1 window at ground floor; diminutive 2/2 window to northwest elevation.

The southeast elevation is abutted by adjoining building (HB03/17/003B).

Setting:

Situated to the east side of Lodge Road in Coleraine town centre. Set back from the street with a small yard to front laid in modern paving and enclosed by rendered wall with saddleback coping, square piers having pointed caps and supporting replacement cast-iron latch-gate. Tarmacadamed alley to northwest leads to a rear yard, and gives access to car-park at east. Bounded by rubblestone wall at north. Outbuilding to rear forms part of a terrace and comprises two-storey roughcast cement rendered building with slated roof and rendered chimneystack. Four timber-casement windows to southwest elevation with an off-centre timber-sheeted door at ground floor; northwest gable is blank; northeast elevation has two evenly-spaced timber casement windows at first floor over square-headed timber sheeted garage doors and window.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Painted smooth render
Windows: 2/2 timber sash with horns
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The current dwelling dates from 1879 and is part of a terrace of sixteen houses built between c1859 and c1888 for Coleraine's rising middle classes. The terrace is first shown on the large scale map of Coleraine dating from 1882 and the group of four houses (numbers 2-8), of which the current dwelling is the end terrace, was inserted into valuation records in 1879. Numbers 2 and 4 Lodge Road were named ‘Woodville’ and this is recorded on the large-scale maps, in valuation records and on a plaque that appears on the buildings themselves. The terrace was considered to be on the best, because sunniest, side of Lodge Road and was occupied largely by middle-class merchants and professionals who kept at least one servant. Lodge Road was laid out between 1833 and 1845, being first shown on O’Hagan’s map of Coleraine dating from 1845 and is named after ‘The Lodge’, a dwelling house at the southern end (now replaced by a hotel). The closing decades of the nineteenth century saw a building boom of terraces and villas in Coleraine of which local people were extremely proud. The boom is said to have begun in the late 1850s when Thomas Boyd built Waterford Terrace at the Coleraine end of Lodge Road (Mullin).

The house, offices, yard and small garden was valued at £24.10s and was initially occupied by Mrs McReynolds (1879) and leased from Alexander Higgins, who was most likely the developer. The next residents were W J Smith in 1881 and James G Fyvie in 1882. At the time of the 1901 census the occupier was Catherine Fyvie, a married woman living on a private income with her daughter who had been born in Australia and her young son who subsequently studied at Magee College. The thirteen-room house was designated first class (1901 census). The Fyvie family remained resident at the house until at least the 1950s.

Valuer’s notes of the 1930s list the accommodation as, on the ground floor, a reception, kitchen, scullery and pantry, on the first floor, a reception and two bedrooms, on the second floor, two bedrooms and a bathroom and on the third floor two attic bedrooms. The house had water laid on and gas lighting at this time and a plan is given showing the house, single-storey and double-height returns, coal house and closet in the yard to the rear and an outbuilding at the bottom of the yard that is still present.

The house was listed in 1977 and renovations took place in the 1980s including re-roofing and repairs to plasterwork (HB file). The building is currently partially laid out as offices and is no longer in domestic use.

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/12/B/30/9A-N Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
7. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/4 First General Revaluation 1933-57
8. PRONI VAL/3/D/6/2/H/23-24 First General Revaluation 1933-57
9. HB file – 03/17/003A-P

Secondary Sources

1. Girvan, W D “Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Areas of Architectural Importance in Coleraine and Portstewart” Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1971-2
2. Mullin, Rev T H “Coleraine in Modern Times” Belfast: Century Services Ltd, 1979
3. www.dia.ie

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

X. Local Interest
R. Age
S. Authenticity

Evaluation

A two-bay three-storey-with-attic end-terrace former dwelling, now commercial premises; built 1879 and located to the east side of Lodge Road in Coleraine. Architectural detailing is largely intact and the building forms part of an important and prominent terrace, situated in the heart of Coleraine (HB03/17/003A-P). Coleraine is largely characterised by its development within the Victorian era, and the terrace is one of the best preserved examples of mid-nineteenth century terraced architecture, displaying proportions and details typical of the period. Making an important contribution to the architectural character of Coleraine town centre the terrace is also of significant local interest.

General comments

Additional listing criteria apply - R - Age, S- Authenticity.