10 Lodge Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-bay three-storey-with-attic mid-terrace former dwelling, now commercial premises; built 1880 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 1/1 timber sash with horns in stop-end chamfered reveals with projecting painted sills (unless otherwise stated). Timber-sheeted dormer window to attic, with plain bargeboards, finial and tripartite timber window.

The principal elevation faces southwest and is three openings wide at each floor. Entrance to ground floor left is accessed via a sandstone step and comprises bolection-moulded four-panelled timber door with plain transom light in a stop-end chamfered reveal. Entrance is flanked by pilasters and surmounted by plain entablature with an ovolo-moulded cornice; stepped piers over entrance. Moulded plaque between upper floors has painted lettering reading “NIRVANA”.

The northwest elevation is abutted by adjoining building (HB03/17/003D).

The northeast elevation (rear) was not viewed.

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

Setting:

Situated to the east side of Lodge Road in Coleraine town centre. Set back from the street with small yard to front, laid with square cement paving and enclosed by a rendered wall with a contrasting plinth and painted coping stones. Tarmacadamed alley to northwest of terrace leads to car-park at east. Yard to rear enclosed by a terraced two-storey outbuilding. Outbuilding is painted smooth render with slated roof and rendered chimneystacks; northeast elevation has two modern windows at first floor over modern shop-front with metal roller shutter, vented timber door to boiler and timber-sheeted entrance door with plain transom light at right.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Painted smooth render
Windows: 1/1 timber sash with horns
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The current dwelling dates from 1880 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 10-16), of which the current dwelling is part, was inserted into valuation records in 1880. The present house was originally named ‘Elisa Villa’ and this name is recorded on the large-scale maps and in valuation records, although the name plaque on the house currently bears the name ‘Nirvana’. 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 numbers 26 to 32 (Mullin).

The house, offices, yard and small garden was initially valued at £26, occupied by John Stewart (1880) and leased from Robert Ferris, who was most likely the developer. At the time of the 1901 census the occupier was James Hay, a clerk of petty sessions, who lived with his wife and two children and kept a general domestic servant. Hay was followed by Charles C Johnston (1905) and Walter Weir who is recorded in the 1911 census as a retired customs officer living with his wife and who also kept a general domestic (1911 census). The next occupier was Jane Moore in 1915 followed by Samuel Stewart Fullerton in 1921, James Quigley (1924), Henry Leadbetter (1929) Alex Duff (1939) and Margaret McKenna who remained 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, return, open shed and WC 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, became a health and beauty studio in 1984 and was converted to offices in 1994. In recent years a chiropractor has used the offices but the building currently lies vacant (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/12A/5/11-13 Valuer’s Notes 1900-1912
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/9A-N Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
8. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/4 First General Revaluation 1933-57
9. PRONI VAL/3/D/6/2/H/23-24 First General Revaluation 1933-57
10. HB file – 03/17/003A-P
11. 1901/1911 census online

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

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
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 mid-terrace former dwelling, now commercial premises; built 1880 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(HB03/17/003A-P), situated in the heart of Coleraine. Coleraine is largely characterised by its development within the Victorian era, and the terrace is one of the best preserved examples of mid-to-late-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.