Gardener's house at Glenarm Castle

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Small, plain, two storey rendered house of c.1875, (formerly the residence for the Glenarm estate gardener) set on the N side of the walled garden at Glenarm Castle, to the NW of the Castle itself.

The house is a small two storey gabled building, (with large rear return), which has been built against the N wall of the walled garden.

To the centre of the E front elevation is a plain sheeted timber door with a plain fanlight over. To either side is one 2/2 sash window (vertical glazing bars). To the first floor there are three evenly spaced similar windows. The N gable is blank. The S gable is built into the N wall of the garden. To the ground floor of this gable there is a window as front, with two narrow segmental headed windows to the first floor with plain frames. The rear of the property was hidden from view by a high yard wall. To the left (N) side of the rear elevation there is a large two storey gabled return. This could not be seen in its entirety, but appears to have two windows (as front) to the first floor of its S face.

The house is generally finished in plain painted render with slated gabled roof and two rendered chimneystacks. The return appears to be finished in similar fashion. Metal rw goods.

Historical information

The garden is shown on the OS map of 1832, with a long building to the north side. The 1833 valuation tells us that this building was a greenhouse (or ‘glass house’ as the valuers call it), roughly the same length as the present structure, but broken into three sections of differing heights (all lower than present). The OS map of 1858 shows a long structure similar to today, suggesting that the row of stores had been built by this stage. The gardener’s house is shown on the 1903 map. It may have been built c.1875, following the destruction of the stable yard and estate workers’ dwellings in a fire the previous year.

The greenhouse in its present form appears to be post 1858 and underwent major rebuilding in the 1990's.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.2977 Antrim Papers
2 PRONI OS/6/1/29/1 OS map, Co Antrim sh 29, 1832-33
3 PRONI VAL/1B/149 First valuation, Tickmacrevan parish, 1833
4 PRONI OS/6/1/29/2 OS map, Co Antrim sh 29, 1857
5 PRONI VAL/2B/1/41B Second valuation [notebook], village of Glenarm etc, 1859
6 PRONI OS/6/1/29/3 OS map, Co Antrim sh 29, 1903

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Located within the estate a small, plain, two storey rendered house of c.1875, (formerly the residence for the Glenarm estate gardener). Very typical of the late Victorian era.

General comments

When second surveyed this house was part of HB06/02/001C