Rear Gate Lodge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is a one-and-a-half storey gatehouse, built c.1870, to the designs of architect William Hastings. It is roughly rectangular in plan with a projecting single-storey porch to the front elevation. There is a two-storey pitched and hipped extension to the rear West, built c. 1990. There is a single-storey conservatory extension to the Southwest, built, c.1990. There is a single-storey pitched garage and shed to the rear West. There is a paved and tarmac yard surround the house to the South and East.

The front East elevation is symmetrical. There is a projecting central single storey gabled porch with a shallow pointed arched door opening with chamfered stone reveal. The door is timber sheeted with a segmental-headed overlight. It is set on a cut-stone step. There is a carved-stone pointed-arched drip moulding with label stops over the door. The roof is pitched with a carved stone verge to the gable and a rectangular cut-stone and a wrought-iron finial to the apex. There is a half-buttress to each side of the central porch.
Windows to the ground floor are square-headed with chamfered stone surrounds to windows and splayed sills. There are 1/1 timber sliding sash frames to windows. There is a square-headed carved stone drip moulding over.

The side South elevation is gable-ended. There is a projecting chimneystack to the centre. There are pointed arched windows to the first floor. Windows have chamfered stone surrounds to windows with drip mouldings over and are set on splayed stone sills. There is a double chimney to the apex of the gable.
The side North elevation is gable-ended and has a square-headed window to the ground floor and a pointed-arched window to the first floor. Windows have surrounds as previous. There is a profiled string course above the first floor windows. There is a recessed carved stone panel to the first floor depicting a coat of arms. There is a rampant lion and a unicorns head surmounted by a crown to the top inscribed ‘O.F.C’. There are ribbons to the base inscribed ‘VIRTUTI PAR ET ROBOR FORWARD’.
The rear West elevation is obscured by the rear returns.

External walls are ashlar sandstone with a tooled surface; this is set on a chamfered stone base. There is a dentilled carved-stone course and plain projecting cornice at eaves level.
The roof is pitched and slated with pierced clay ridge tiles. There is a chimney to the West gable and a single chimney slightly off centre. Chimneys are cut-stone with profiled cappings. There are raised carved stone skews and kneelers to all gables.

Returns:
The two-storey return is a later addition, built c. 1990.
The side North elevation has four square-headed windows to the ground floor with 1/1 timber sliding sash windows. There is a chamfered stone lintel over and a splayed stone sill. The upper level has two dormered windows with frames and sills as previous. Dormers have render to the gables and painted timber fascia.
The side South elevation has an arrangement of square-headed windows. There is a single square-headed timber sheeted door to the ground floor. There are two dormered windows to the first floor as previous.

External walls are sandstone to match the existing building. The roof is pitched and hipped with artificial slate and pierced clay ridge tiles. There is a sandstone chimney to the roof with cast-iron rainwater goods.

The single-storey conservatory is fully glazed timber to all elevations. It has a sandstone base.

The single-storey outbuilding to the rear has square-headed timber casement windows and a large timber sheeted garage door.

Entrance Gate:
There are two sandstone pillars to the entrance gate. The pillars have a projecting cornice with cut-stone pyramidal capping. There are decorative painted wrought iron double gates to the pillars. The wall to the gate is curved with a cut and chamfered stone base with painted wrought-iron railings set over. This gGate screen has been movd to its current position following the realignment of the main road.

Setting:
The house is located off Drum Road and still shares the wooded
setting of the main house Drum Manor .

This shares group value with Drum Manor HB09/04/007 and the other gate lodge HB09/04/008.

Historical information

According to Both Rowan and Dean, this gate lodge was built in c.1876 to designs by architect William Hastings, who was working on the redesign of the main house around this time. According to the valuations, however, it was actually built in 1870-71. It replaced an earlier lodge situated further to the east, which is shown on the OS map of 1857. This older lodge was removed after the new building was completed.

The occupant is recorded in 1935 as a Joseph Somerville, but is listed as ‘vacant’ when the Ministry of Agriculture for Northern Ireland took possession of the Drum Manor estate in the mid 1960s.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/1A/6/29 OS map, Co Tyrone sheet 29, with valuation
references, 1833-34(-c.38)
2 PRONI VAL/1B/624 First valuation, Kildress parish, 1834
3 PRONI VAL/2A/6/29C OS map, Co Tyrone sheet 29, with valuation references, 1857(-58)
4 PRONI VAL/2B/6/23C Second valuation, Kildress parish, 1858
5 PRONI VAL/12B/37/14A Annual valuation revision book, Oaklands ED, 1860-63
6 PRONI VAL/12B/37/14B Annual valuation revision book, Oaklands ED, 1864-80
7 PRONI VAL/12B/37/14C Annual valuation revision book, Oaklands ED, 1881
8 PRONI VAL/12B/37/14D Annual valuation revision book, Oaklands ED, 1882-96
9 PRONI VAL/12B/37/14E Annual valuation revision book, Oaklands ED, 1897-1912
10 PRONI VAL/12B/37/14F Annual valuation revision book, Oaklands ED, 1912-29
11 PRONI VAL/3C/7/6 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Oaklands ED, 1936-57
12 PRONI VAL/4B/6/8 Second general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Oaklands ED, 1957-72

Secondary sources
1 Rowan, A.J., ‘North west Ulster’ (London, 1979), p.327
2 Dean, J.A.K., ;The gate lodges of Ulster- a gazetteer’ (Belfast, 1994), p.141

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
V. Authorship

Evaluation

This is a well-proportioned and detailed mid-nineteenth century gatehouse.

The stone dressings and fine detailing enhance the overall picturesque quality and ornamentation of the gatehouse. The former gate lodge and gate screen have group value with the main house.

The original front section has been well preserved externally. Tthe rear extension has been generally well considered and does not everly detract from the gate house's character..