28 Lodge Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-bay three-storey-over-basement mid-terrace former dwelling with attic, now offices; built c.1860 and located to the east side of Lodge Road in Coleraine town centre. Square on plan with two-storey gabled return to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with rendered chimneystack. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods on moulded eaves. Walling is painted smooth render with plain eaves band; moulded plaque shared with neighbouring building (HB03/17/003O) reads “WATERFORD/TERRACE.” Windows are 6/6 timber sash without horns with projecting painted sills; replacement uPVC windows to ground floor and basement.

The principal elevation faces southwest and is three openings wide at each floor. Entrance to ground floor right comprises bolection-moulded four-panel timber door with transom light in a moulded reveal; flanked by panelled pilasters with scrolled console brackets supporting corniced canopy; accessed by two stone steps with curved plinth wall to left side.

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

The northeast (rear) elevation has a uPVC window to each floor at right; steps down to replacement timber door at basement level. To left is the gabled return with large modern stairwell window at left; abutted at northwest elevation by a modern lean-to extension with uPVC conservatory at first floor over glazed timber door.

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

Setting:

Situated to the east side of Lodge Road in Coleraine town centre. Set back from the street and lawned to front with brick pavior path to entrance; bounded by hedges and painted render wall with coping stones topped by modern metal railing; square gate piers to entrance have pointed caps and support modern cast-iron gates. Tarmacadamed alley to southeast and northwest of terrace give access to car-park at east. Small yard to rear of building enclosed to northeast by two-storey roughcast rendered outbuilding. Outbuilding has two large square-headed entrances with modern timber gates and modern windows at first floor.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Painted smooth render
Windows: 6/6 timber sash without horns/uPVC
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The current dwelling dates from c. 1860 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, occupied by Mr Austin and leased from Thomas Boyd the developer. At the time of the 1901 census the occupier was Letitia Gough, a widow of 86 years from County Tipperary living with three daughters on a private income and employing a general domestic servant. By 1911 the house had been taken over by Robert Hunter, a merchant who lived with his Scottish wife and seven children (1911 census). The house passed to Andrew Sheills in 1919, George S Madden in 1938 and Margaret Y Newcombe in 1950.

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

The house was listed in 1977 and in the 1980s bullet proof glass was installed. In the late 1990s the rear was extended and other alterations made in order to convert the building to offices (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
H-. Alterations detracting from building
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-over-basement mid-terrace former dwelling with attic, now offices; built c.1860 and located to the east side of Lodge Road in Coleraine town centre. Refurbished in recent years with some replacement fabric, but retaining much of its original character and typical mid nineteenth-century detailing. Forming part of an important and prominent terrace(HB03/17/003A-P), situated in the heart of Coleraine, a town largely characterised by its development during the Victorian era. This group 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 also of significant local interest.

General comments

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