20 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 1887 and located to the east side of Lodge Road in Coleraine. Square on plan with two-storey gabled return to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and rendered chimneystack. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods on moulded eaves. Walling is painted smooth render with plain eaves band and continuous sill course at first floor. Windows are 1/1 timber sash with horns in chamfered stop-end reveals with projecting painted sills; 2/2 to northeast elevation.

The principal elevation faces southwest and is three openings wide at each floor. Entrance at ground floor right comprises bolection moulded four-panel timber door with plain transom light in a moulded reveal. Entrance is flanked by panelled pilasters with carved console brackets supporting corniced canopy; accessed via a single concrete step.

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

The northeast elevation was only partially viewed; window at landing level at left over two-storey gabled return; window to second floor right.

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

Setting:

Situated to the east side of Lodge Road in Coleraine town centre. Set back from the street with concrete yard to front bounded by hedges; rendered wall with coping topped by modern metal railings and square gate piers to front entrance. Yard to rear enclosed by a terraced two-storey outbuilding. Outbuilding is painted roughcast render with a slated roof; northeast elevation has a 2/2 window to first floor left and a large square-headed entrance to ground floor with timber-sheeted gates.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Painted smooth render
Windows: Timber sash
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The current dwelling dates from 1887 and is part of a development of sixteen houses built between c1859 and c1888 to provide accommodation for the rising middle-classes of the local area. The terrace is first shown in its complete form on the third edition OS map of 1904 and the current house was one of the last in the terrace to be built, being inserted into valuation records in 1887 as a vacant, newly-built dwelling. 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 £24, occupied by Mrs Sarah Barr (1889) and leased from James McMullen who was most likely the developer. At the time of the 1911 census the occupier was recorded as widow Sarah Jane Barr who lived with her niece and employed a general domestic servant (1911 census). In 1920 the house was taken over by Rev Thomas Doey and then in 1924 by William Henry, the Henry family remaining resident until at least the 1950s.

Valuer’s notes of the 1930s list the accommodation as, on the ground floor, reception, kitchen, scullery and pantry, on the first floor, one reception, two bedrooms, bathroom and on the second floor, two bedrooms 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 and closet in the yard and an outbuilding at the bottom of the yard that is still present. In 1956 a lean-to greenhouse and a coal shed were added in the rear yard causing a rise of £2 in the valuation.

The house was listed in 1977 and by the late 1990s had been taken over as office accommodation by the Saramaritans. Repairs and renovations were undertaken in 2011/12 (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
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 mid-terrace former dwelling, now commercial premises; built 1887 and located to the east side of Lodge Road in Coleraine. Plainly detailed with some architectural detailing typical of the mid-Victorian period, number 20 forms part of an important and prominent terrace situated in the heart of Coleraine. Coleraine is a town largely characterised by its development during the Victorian era and this group (HB03/17/003A-P) is one of the best preserved examples of mid-to-late-nineteenth century terraced architecture in the town. Making an important contribution to the architectural character of Coleraine town centre, the terrace is of significant local interest.

General comments

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