St MacNissi's College

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A towered and crenellated building of masonry construction, in 'castle style' with parapet roofs, comprising a long two-storey central range with a conjoined three and four-storey tower group at one end, and a three-storey towered gatehouse wing returning forward at the other end. Main entrance faces south.

South elevation: main two-storey range is of snecked rough faced basalt with a projecting plinth and crenellated parapets, with the parapet to part of it oversailing on a corbel course. Windows are rectangular metal framed fixed lights and opening lights, with small pane divisions, set in raised rectangular surrounds with splayed reveals and cills, surmounted by rectangular Tudor style drip mouldings. Cast iron downpipes.
Doorway at left-hand extremity of ground floor: comprises a later rectangular timber small paned glazed door surmounted by a similar rectangular fanlight, set in a raised surround of reconstituted stone with Tudor style drip moulding. Four concrete steps to doorway.

Tower group projecting forward at right-hand side comprises a four-storey square tower with a lower three-storey octagonal end tower projecting forward from its right-hand extremity, and a single storey main entrance porch projecting forward from its front face.
Walling of tower group is similar to previous two-storey range, with addition of mock machicolations comprised of two courses of shaped corbels carrying small pointed arches. Windows of towers are as previous, with addition of an ocular opening to the west face of the square tower at the top storey, but opening blocked up, and a pair of coupled semi-circular headed windows in the south face of the top storey. Cast iron downpipes. Square tower surmounted by a flagpole behind parapet.
Octagonal tower has some cills and parts of window jambs replaced in reconstituted stone.
Porch walling is similar to previous except without high projecting plinth; moulded string course at base of crenellated parapet; cast iron downpipe.
One window in each side wall of porch: tall narrow Gothic lancets in raised sandstone surrounds, containing later timber single-pane fixed lights.
Main entrance comprises a chamfered Gothic arched surround in sandstone containing a pair of later rectangular timber double doors, ledged, surmounted by an arched fanlight of decorative leadwork displaying a coat of arms; one deep concrete step to front entrance.

Projecting forward at the left-hand extremity of the main two-storey range there is a short return of that block, two windows wide, leading to a taller three-storey gatehouse.
Gatehouse comprises a central archway bay containing a tall Gothic arched opening framed by projecting weathered buttresses with mock machicolations over, with plain crenellated outer bays to each side, with a projecting square tower attached to the south end. Walling is similar to previous. Windows are Gothic arched lancets and semi-circular arched lancets, some coupled, with raised surrounds of original basalt; they contain metal small-paned windows in timber sub-frames, and some single-pane fixed lights. Above the archway is a segmental headed window, metal framed, in a segmental arched opening surmounted by a rectangular Tudor style drip moulding.

Western face of gatehouse is of similar character but without buttresses, and with four rectangular metal framed windows as previous.
Within the Gothic archway side walls are smooth cement rendered, lined and blocked containing a blocked up Tudor arched opening in each, dressed in chamfered basalt surrounds; there is also a later rectangular doorway in the south side, containing a panelled timber door in plain deep recessed reveals; modern metal handle. Flat rendered or concrete ceiling with exposed transverse metal beam.

West elevation of main two-storey block is of similar character to previous, with similar rectangular windows; stepped profile to crenellated parapet. At left-hand corner are later projecting flat-roofed single storey blocks of the school additions, in snecked basalt rubble with plain parapets, and reconstituted stone dressings to openings. A recessed Tudor arched opening containing the main pupils' entrance to the school appears to be part of the original building: shaped basalt voussoirs containing a modern glazed stained timber doorscreen.

East elevation: to the right of the octagonal end tower is a two-storey range with projecting central canted bay containing rectangular metal windows as previous, and a projecting rectangular end bay containing large rectangular windows with sandstone transoms and mullions: small paned metal windows as previous. To the left-hand side of the rectangular bay are side bays containing rectangular openings with sandstone block surrounds and rendered block surrounds, containing later inappropriate metal timber framed windows with large pane divisions, and incorporating fixed lights and metal framed casements and vents. To the right-hand side the side bay has similar block surrounds, and contains a pair of double doors at high level, with a modern steel duct emerging from one of the reveals. Smooth rendered plinth to base.
Extending to the north on the eastern elevation, and set back slightly is a modern three-storey classroom block, which returns across the rear elevation of the building and then returns back along the west side as a two-storey block to join the previous single storey basalt-built school blocks, thus enclosing the original rear elevation of the building.

Rear elevation: rear elevation of original building largely obscured by later extensions, but some parts still visible: of snecked basalt with crenellated parapets, but some original windows now blocked up.

SETTING: The building stands in a very rural and scenic area, on a headland above the Antrim Coast Road, with distant views over the sea to the east, and a steep wooded escarpment rising above it to the west. It stands well back from the main road within its own extensive grounds, approached by a tarmac driveway marked by a main entrance gateway with a gate lodge adjacent, both described below; inside front gateway alongside driveway is a modern blue brick plinth wall bearing the name of the school in plastic raised letters; driveway along south and east sides lined by a number of shaped shrubs on both sides; esplanade or terrace along eastern boundary has a crenellated garden wall, and circular magazine, a number of cannons mounted on it, and an original stone stepped 'bridge' as a garden feature, all described below; driveway leads to parking areas, in front of main building and through gatehouse to the west side. Various school buildings stand to the rear on the west side, including a chapel of the 1950s (HB06/01/038) and a former Victorian stable block (HB06/01/039).
Beyond to the north lies an Iron Age promontory fort in which is located a mid-19th century ice house (HB06/01/040), contemporary with the original country house; and towards the northernmost extremity of the grounds there is a rubble basalt gateway built in 1856 to close off the Foaran Path but it no longer contains a gate.

GATE LODGE: of basalt rubble with sandstone dressings to openings, and overhanging smooth cement rendered eaves to flat roof, replacing original crenellated parapet. Cast iron downpipes. Windows are Gothic lancets and doorway to porch with lancet windows walled up; doorway comprising a rectangular 4-panel door with a plain arched fanlight; windows to main block rectangular timber fixed lights with fixed top panels, with Tudor style drip mouldings. Roughcast render used to dress a rear window and for walling of a small rear addition which is roofed with corrugated iron.

FRONT GATEWAY: comprises a set of four cast iron octagonal openwork piers with Gothic traceried panels, crenellations, and ornamented finials; central pair of large vehicular gates with quatrefoil piercings to intermediate rail, and foliated finials; outer pair of smaller pedestrian gates, similarly detailed. To each extremity are square basalt rubble piers with sandstone caps surmounted by lamps on cylindrical posts. Stone pier to south is free-standing and has grey sandstone cap later repaired in cement; stone pier to north has a red sandstone cap, damaged, and is abutted by a front boundary wall of basalt rubble with sandstone coping. Pavement area to outside to each side of driveway entrance is bounded by horizontal iron railings with posts decoratively treated. Driveway inside gateway bounded to each side by modern vertical iron railings mounted on plain posts. Similar plain modern cylindrical posts are used for securing open gates.

CIRCULAR MAGAZINE: A single-storey circular turret-like building terminating the south end of the garden terrace wall; of basalt rubble with slightly projecting base course, and plain parapet carried on a rounded corbel course; sandstone coping to parapet; rectangular doorway facing west, containing a sheeted timber door; narrow rectangular windows in plain reveals face east overlooking the sea; some creeper growing over parapet in places.

TERRACE WALLING: a stretch of retaining wall along the east boundary of the terrace or esplanade: built of basalt rubble with sandstone coping, crenellated in places; it runs in an unaltered condition from the circular magazine at the south, through a canted bay, to a large semi-circular bay adjacent to the east elevation of the main building; from there it follows a less distinctly shaped course to a stone stepped 'bridge' garden feature north of the main building, followed by a triangular bay and a canted bay until it terminates at the north in a pair of square stone gate piers, which abut a lower curved rubble wall of no special interest; part of the terrace walling in the northern run has been raised or rebuilt in different quality masonry from the original, and has concrete copings.

CANNONS: eight cannons, four standing on the terrace to the south of the main building and four on the run of terrace to the north of the main building, facing out to sea, each mounted on a shaped stone base, replacing the original wheeled wooden carriers; cannon all inscribed with the royal cypher incorporating the monogram 'GR'.

STONE STEPPED 'BRIDGE' GARDEN FEATURE: this is integral with the terrace wall to the north of the main building and is an original feature as it appears in an old photograph of the north terrace to the rear of the original house; it comprises a flight of stone steps from a path on the north terrace up to an irregularly canted terrace at higher level, with a small paved 'bridge-like' platform bounded by a set of four tall cast iron posts with flared finials, linked by hanging chains.

Historical information

This building, formerly known as Garron Tower, was built in stages from 1848 to 1856 as a country house for Frances Anne Vane, Marchioness of Londonderry, initially to the designs of Charles Campbell, architect of Newtownards, who had selected the site in 1847 but died in 1850 before the building was completed. Ready for occupation by 1850; a new hall with projecting rectangular bay facing east added to the north of the polygonal tower in 1852, attributed to Lewis Valliamy of London; front porch added in 1854. The oak doors which still survive inside were carved by Austrian craftsmen. After Lady Londonderry’s death in 1865 it remained in the private hands of the family until rented by Henry McNeill of Larne in 1889 and opened as a hotel. Leased from 1898, much of the original contents were sold by public auction in 1911. Badly damaged by accidental fire in 1914, it was bought by McNeill’s firm in 1915. Burnt maliciously in 1922; closed as a hotel in 1939; occupied by evacuated residents from the Belfast Charitable Society home at Clifton House, Belfast, from 1941 to 1946. Converted for use as a school for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Down and Connor in 1951 to the design of Padraic Gregory, architect of Belfast, whose firm also designed various school buildings, added to the rear from time to time.

The battlemented retaining wall to the terrace walk in the garden, terminating in a circular magazine, was built in 1848 to the design of Campbell; the cannon on the terrace reputedly were used at the Battle of Waterloo, and originally stood here on their original wheeled carriers.

The gatelodge was built in 1854; the stable block added in 1860 to the design of Lanyon and Lynn, architects of Belfast; and the new chapel built in 1956 to the design of P. Gregory.

The main gateway originally comprised two openwork iron piers with a pair of gates, all cast at the Londonderry foundry in Seaham, Co Durham.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1857, Co Antrim 20.

Secondary Sources
1. J.B. Doyle, Tours in Ulster: a hand book to the antiquities and scenery of the north of Ireland (Dublin, 1854), p 217.
2. UAHS, Glens of Antrim (Belfast, 1971), pp 18, 22-24.
3. M. Bence-Jones, Burke's Guide to Country Houses, Vol 1: Ireland (London, 1978), p 132.
4. M. McSparran, C. Dallat and J. Irvine, Oh Maybe it was Yesterday (Glens of Antrim Historical Society, 1980), pp 20 and 22.
5. C. Dallat, The Road to the Glens (Belfast, 1989), pp 22 and 23.
6. P. Magill, Garron Tower (Belfast, 1990).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This is a romantic but austere mid-19th century building in a picturesque 'castle style', originally a country house but now a school, with contributions by a number of prominent architects. It retains many of its original exterior features and its original general appearance to the front, as well as a number of original interior features. It enjoys a largely unspoiled setting and together with various original associated exterior elements, and a later college chapel it forms part of an important and attractive group.