Lothian Cottage

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Slightly picturesque, two storey house of c.1870, with prominent gabled bay and porch, overhanging roof, label moulding etc possibly built as a gate lodge for the near by Glenarm estate, but since c.1900 the residence of the local RC priest. The building has been somewhat altered in recent years with the application of dry dash render and the introduction of many modern window frames. The property is prominently sited at the west side of Glenarm village, on a rise at the convergence of the Straidkilly Road and The Cloney.

The front elevation faces E and is asymmetrical. To the centre is a gabled single storey porch. The E face has a sheeted timber door with decorative strap hinges set in a Tudor arched opening with in-out rendered dressings. The N face has a small segmental arch headed window with fixed two pane frame. To the left of the porch is a large projecting two storey gabled bay. To the centre of the ground floor of the E face of the bay is a window with modern frame and drip moulding and label stops. To the centre of the first floor is a smaller plain sash window, without label moulding. To the right of the porch is window with modern frame and mouldings as before. Directly over this window is a plain rendered shield panel.

To the centre of the N elevation ground floor is a wide modern window. To the centre of the first floor there is a much smaller plain sash window. To the right and slightly recessed is the N face of a two storey flat roofed extension, which has a sash window to the ground floor (vertical glazing bars- 2/2).

The S elevation has a plain sash window to left with label moulding, with a slightly narrower window to right also with label moulding but with modern frame. Above each window is a plain rendered shield.

To the left ground floor side of the rear (W) elevation is the rear of the flat roofed return. To the first floor there are two windows with modern frames. To the right of this section there is a plain sash window to the ground floor and a smaller window to the first floor with modern frame. To the right of this is a large projecting two storey gabled bay. To the centre of the ground floor of this bay is a single storey gabled return, with a plain sash window to the first floor. To the N face of the return are two small windows with modern frames to the right and a timber sheeted door to the left. The W gable and the S face of the return are blank.

The façade is largely finished in a recent-looking dry dash with rendered in-out quoins. A large portion of the rear elevation is in plain unpainted render. The gabled roof is slated and has an overhang with plain eaves and verges. The barge boards and soffits are PVC. There are two rendered chimneystacks, one to the centre point of each ridge. There are PVC and cast iron rw goods.

Historical information

This house was built c.1870, possibly as a gate lodge for the northern entrance to the Glenarm Castle estate. Its name ‘Lothian Cottage’ is a reference to the family ties between the then Earl of Antrim and the Marquis of Lothian. In c.1900 the property was given to the to the local RC parish for use as the priest’s residence.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/8/103/1 OS town plan of Glenarm, 1903
2 PRONI VAL/12E/31/1 Valuation town plan of Glenarm, 1907-[1935]
3 PRONI VAL/3G/20/1 Valuation town plan of Glenarm. 1936-57

Secondary sources
1 Felix McKillop, ‘Glenarm- A local history’ (Glenarm 1987)
2 J.A.K. Dean, ‘The gate lodges of Ulster- a gazetteer’ (Belfast 1994), p.15

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Slightly picturesque, two storey house of c.1870, with prominent gabled bay and porch, overhanging roof, label moulding etc, possibly built as a gate lodge for the near by Glenarm estate, but since c.1900 the residence of the local RC priest. The building has been somewhat altered in recent years with the application of dry dash render and the introduction of many modern window frames. Not of architectural interest.