Main Gate Lodge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is a one-and-a-half storey gatehouse, built c.1870. It is roughly rectangular in plan with a projecting single-storey porch to the front elevation. There is a single-storey hipped return to the rear Northeast, and a single-storey flat-roofed return to the rear Northwest. There is a paved yard to the rear. The house is set directly facing the graveled entrance Road to the main Drum Manor (HB09/04/007). The originial entrance gate of Drum Manor is located to the immediate Southeast of the house. The gate fronts onto Glenarny Road.

The front South elevation is symmetrical and faces onto the entrance to Drum Manor (HB09/04/007). There is a projecting central gabled porch with a square-headed doorway to the South elevation. The door has chamfered stone surrounds. The door is timber sheeted with a rectangular overlight. It is set on a cut-stone step. 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.
Windows to the ground floor have chamfered stone surrounds to windows with 1/1 timber sliding sash frames. There is a chamfered lintel and decorative cut-stone releaving arch over.

The side West elevation is gable-ended. There is a projecting chimneystack to the centre. There are square-headed windows to the first floor. Windows have chamfered stone surrounds to windows and cut-stone sills. There is a chimney to the apex of the gable.
The side East elevation is gable-ended and has a square-headed window to the ground floor and first floor. Windows have surrounds as previous.
The rear elevation is obscured by the rear returns. There is a dentilled eaves course visible.

External walls are sandstone with a cut and chamfered stone base. There is a dentilled carved-stone course at eaves level.
The roof is pitched and slated. There is a chimney to the West gable and a single chimney slightly off centre. There are skews and kneelers to all gables.

Returns:
The single-storey hipped return has no openings to the side East elevation. The rear elevation has a square-headed 1/1 timber sliding sash window. The single-storey flat-roofed return has a square-headed 1/1 timber sliding sash window to the rear. Openings to the side elevation are not visible. Rainwater goods are cast-iron.

Entrance Gate to Drum Manor:
The gate screen is composed of four cut-stone buttresses supporting a sandstone wall with profiled and castellated capping. There is an octagonal turret to the South. There is a shallow pointed arched entrance gate opening (gate missing) with a splayed surround. This is surmounted by a carved drip moulding with label stops; above is a carved coat of arms. There are narrow splayed faux arrow slit windows to each side. These openings have cut stone sills and lintels. The turret has four long narrow slits, one at each compass point.

Setting:
The gatehouse is located off Glenarny Road. It is sited behind the main entrance gate to Drum Manor. The Oaklands is a landscaped public estate leading to Drum Manor with extensive fields, trees and ponds to the surrounds.

This shares group value with Drum Manor (HB09/04/07) and the other gate lodge (HB09/04/006).

Historical information

According to Both Rowan and Dean, this gate lodge and gate were 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 is noted by the valuers as occupied by a John Taylor in 1887, John Costelloe in 1891, John Costley [the same person?] in 1893, William McCormick in 1895, Andrew Watson 1897, Robert Allen 1898, and John Kelly from 1910.

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

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This is a well-proportioned mid-nineteenth century gatehouse. The stone dressings and fine detailing enhance the overall picturesque quality and ornamentation of the gatehouse. Its prominent location adjacent to the main entrance to Drum Manor (HB09/04/007) and the survival of the impressive gate screen adds a sense of importance and contributes t0 the group value of the lsited buildings. The rear extension does not overly detract for the original buildng. Ithe former gate lodge adds to the local history of the Oaklands area and to the nineteenth century character of the surrounding rural environs.