26 Lodge Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-bay three-storey-over-basement mid-terrace townhouse with attic; built c. 1860 and located to the east side of Lodge Road in Coleraine town centre. Square on plan with two-storey modern extension to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and rendered chimneystack. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods on moulded eaves over plain frieze. Walling is painted smooth render. Windows are 1/1 timber sash without horns to upper floors and basement; 6/6 timber sash without horns to ground floor, all in plain reveals with projecting painted sills.

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

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

The northeast (rear) elevation is fully abutted by modern two-storey extension (of no interest), incorporating an original two-storey outbuilding.

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

Setting:

Situated to the east side of Lodge Road in Coleraine town centre. Set back from the street with concrete yard to front enclosed by hedge to south and smooth rendered wall with painted coping stones to north and southwest. Square piers with painted caps to entrance. Tarmacadamed alley to northwest and southeast of terrace leads to car-park at east. Outbuilding to rear forms part of a terrace and is painted roughcast render with slate roof and plastic rainwater goods; northeast elevation has replacement timber window at first floor and modern timber-sheeted door to left of centre at ground floor.

Roof: Natural slate roof
Walling: Roughcast render
Windows: 1/1 and 6/6 timber sash without horns
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The current dwelling dates from c1860 and is part of a development 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 26-32), of which the current dwelling forms part was the first section of the terrace to be built, being inserted into valuation records c1860. These four houses are named ‘Waterford Terrace’ on the large-scale and valuation maps of the 1880s and differ from the later houses in the terrace, all having been built with basement storeys. 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 when Thomas Boyd, builder and elder in New Row Presbyterian church, built Waterford Terrace, which was named after the Marquess of Waterford who owned much land locally. The houses were all let by December 1859. (Mullin)

The present house, offices, yard and small garden was initially valued at £24 and £1 for the garden, and occupied by Thomas Boyd who was also the developer. At the time of the 1901 census the occupier was Margret Boyd, a widow of 78 years living on a private income. By 1911 the house had been taken over by James Foulis, a caretaker who lived with his wife, two children and two boarders, a National School teacher and a Dublin barrister and magistrate (1901/11 census). The house passed to Robert Hunter in 1919, William Henry in 1920 and W Evans MD in 1924. Dr J W Sloan took over the house in 1953.

Valuer’s notes of the 1930s list the accommodation as, in the basement a kitchen and scullery, on the ground floor, reception, surgery, kitchen, scullery, wash house, on the first floor, one reception, onebedroom, a dispensary and a 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, wash house, coal house and closet in the yard and an outbuilding at the bottom of the yard that is still present.

The house was listed in 1977 and in the 1980s was altered and extended to become an RUC recreation and social club, servicing the police station opposite. In 2009 the building was refurbished as a private educational facility but 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-over-basement mid-terrace townhouse with attic; built c. 1860 and located to the east side of Lodge Road in Coleraine town centre. Simply detailed the building retains some mid-Victorian detailing. Forming part of an important and prominent terrace situated in the heart of Coleraine, a town largely characterised by its development during the Victorian era, this group (HB03/17/003A-P) is one of the best preserved examples of mid-nineteenth century terraced architecture in the town. 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.