Walled garden (North)

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Rectangular walled garden, probably contemporaneous with main house, built c. 1846 and located on the Dundarave Estate north of Bushmills. Oblong on plan with quadrant corners, sloping gently upwards from west to east. High masonry boundary wall faced externally with coursed rubble stone and internally with garden wall bond red brickwork, terracotta bowler-hat copings and roughly-formed stone quadrant copings at five-course changes of height, square, inward-projecting, brick piers with shallow stone pyramidal caps, at approximately 23m spacing to, longer, north and south sides. West wall breached, at some time in past, to form asymmetrically located main entrance with brick jambs and pair of wrought-iron gates.

Paths, originally stone cobbled with stone edgings, continuous perimeter path parallel to and separated from boundary walls by planting beds interconnecting with cruciform paths on north/south and east/west axes. All evidence of original planting plan lost except remnant of orchard to east.

Remains of former glasshouse centrally located on south side of north wall with only evidence of ashlar stone stall risers surviving, oblong on plan with lean-to flanking wings and central canted projecting bay with pitched roof backing unto gable rising above boundary wall and containing central chimneystack serving boiler house on opposite, north, side of wall. Regularly-spaced high-level rectangular openings in north wall contain horizontally-pivoted timber ventilation panels set in timber frames. Ashlar stone copings to wing wall heads with recumbent lions terminating east and west ends, similar verge stones to central gable. Remains of two smaller contiguous greenhouses, perpendicular to north wall, to east of main glasshouse.

Centrally located doorway in south wall, flat rubbed brick arch, timber framed vertically braced and painted timber vertically-sheeted replacement door with galvanised strap hinges. Elliptically-headed doorway in north wall between main glasshouse and greenhouses containing flat-headed painted timber framed and vertically-sheeted double gates with wicket in east panel. Further doorway to west of main glasshouse with square-headed brick arch, painted timber framed and vertically-sheeted door.

Two lean-to shed ranges abutting north side of north wall. West range containing potting sheds and boiler house, rubble stone walling, brick quoins and corbelled eaves, natural slate roofs largely collapsed with corrugated iron roofed section to east. Elliptically-headed rubbed-brick arches to blind openings to north elevation containing square-headed painted timber three-over-six sash windows on stone sills and painted timber vertically-sheeted doors. East range similar to west but with corrugated iron roof, eight-over-eight sash windows and four-pane fanlight over door. Corrugated iron lean-to shed abutting east gable of east range.

Setting:
Woodland
setting, estate paths to north and west two-storey gardener's house abutting north-east corner, farmyard (HB05/08/005C) to north-east.

Historical information

Built in the mid 19th century, this walled garden to the north of Dundarave House (HB05/08/005A) is first shown as built on the second edition OS map (1855), having a substantial building lining the centre of the north wall.

The present Dundarave House was built c.1846, replacing a previous mansion house, which was captioned ‘Busmills House’ on the first edition OS map (1832). This earlier house, which was built in the early 19th century by Francis MacNaughten, was served by two large gardens to the south. Contemporary map evidence shows that fragments of these previous gardens remain evident in the landscape, particularly the walled garden to the far south, which is trapezoidal on plan.

It is likely that the present walled garden, located to the north of the house, was built to serve the newly constructed mansion house, however as the area is shown as cleared on the first edition OS map (1832), the development of this new walled garden had evidently been set in place prior to 1832.

The garden is not itemised on the Valuation Records (1862-1929), however by the early 20th century two additional buildings had been constructed along the north wall of the garden, as shown on the third edition OS map (1904). The Annual Revisions records show that in 1929 a gardener’s house was added, having a rateable value of £2 10s. Although the associated maps are unclear, this is likely to be the building located outside the north-eastern corner of the of the walled garden.

Modern map evidence shows that whilst the brick walls of the garden remain, the actual vegetation and buildings within the perimeter have largely been removed or have fallen into ruin. The Estate was vacant and for sale during the early 21st century, however it has been purchased and undergone refurbishment works in recent years.

In 1808 Francis MacNaghten, purchased the Bushmills estate, ‘for a small price’ from his brothers-in-law, the Dunkin’s and in c.1830 he proceeded to have a new house constructed on site, which incorporated all (or parts of) an earlier house. This ‘new mansion house’ as described in the Townland Valuations (1835) comprised a two-storey castellated pile with an apparent three-stage tower to the rear, extensive outbuildings to the west, which were adorned with circular turrets, and a pair of walled or formalised gardens to the south (illustration c.1837 in Girvan).

Upon the death of Francis in 1843, the estate subsequently passed to his son Edmund MacNaghten. Through his father’s connections, Edmund had been appointed the illustrious position of Registrar of the Supreme Court, first in Madras and then in Calcutta, when he was in his early twenties. Earning such a high sum meant that in 1825 at the age of 24, Edmund was able to retire and return to Ireland. Following his father’s death and his inheritance of the Bushmills estate, MacNaghten proceeded to have the previous house demolished and replaced with the present mansion house, which was thought to have been built 1846-49, to the designs of Sir Charles Lanyon.

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/1/3/1 First Edition OS map (1832)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/3/2 Second Edition OS map (1855)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/3/3 Third Edition OS map (1904)
4. PRONI OS/6/1/3/5 Fifth Edition OS map (1921)
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/25A Griffiths Valuation (1862)
6. PRONI VAL/12/D/1/2D Annual Revision Maps (1907-35)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/4/6A-C Annual Revisions (1895-1929)
8. HB File (HB05/08/005G)

Secondary Sources
1. Girvan, WD ‘Historic Buildings Groups of Buildings Areas of Architectural importance in North Antrim including the Towns of Portrush, Ballymoney and Bushmills’ UAHS, 1971
2. MacNaughton, James ‘A History of the Clan Macnachtan’ Clan Macnachtan Association Worldwide, 2013
3. Brett, C.E.B. O’Connell, Michael ‘The Buildings of County Antrim’ UAHS, 1996

Online Sources
1. DIA (www.dia.ie/)
2. http://www.clanmacnaughton.net/docs_articles/Dundarave%20Estate%20Sold_CMAW.pdf

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance
U. Historic Associations
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

The remains of a walled garden located on Dundarave Estate, which, although it has lost some key features including glasshouses, provides important historic and cultural context within the Dundarave estate group, having group value with Dundarave House and its outbuildings.

General comments

Second Survey Ref N05/08/007