The Lodge at Glencree

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached three-bay single-storey-over-raised-basement gate lodge, built c.1840, located at north of Old Mountfield Road. Rectangular on plan, facing west; slightly projecting lean-to storm porch to west elevation.

Hipped artificial slate roof, round blue/black clay ridge and hip tiles, replacement brick chimneystack to centre ridge, half-round painted cast-iron gutters on projecting eaves. Walling is painted render. Windows are square-headed painted timber 2/2 sashes, painted reveals and stone sills, except where otherwise stated. Doors are vertically sheeted painted timber.

Principal (west) elevation is symmetrical arranged around the storm porch with a square-headed door opening having painted masonry threshold and concrete step. Door is flanked to each side by pointed arch-headed multi-light casement windows with intersecting- and Geometric-tracery, painted reveals and stone sills.

North elevation has single window to right end; basement level has segmental arch-headed door to left, walling has S-shaped painted wrought-iron pattress-plates to each end.

Rear (east) elevation is abutted by lean-to store shed to right end of basement; exposed section has single window to right end, replacement timber casement to left end; basement level has single segmental arch-headed timber casement with sill to left end.

South elevation is abutted to left end by lean-to greenhouse; exposed section has single window to centre, basement level has S-shaped pattress place to right end.

Setting:-
The lodge is situated on a steeply sloping site facing the tarmac drive to Glencree house to north (HB11/12/008A), set back from the Old Mountfield Road to south by coved rendered plinth walls with modern metal railings over and modern square gate pillars.

Roof: Artificial slate
Walling: Painted render
Windows: Timber
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The lodge first appears on the second edition OS Map (1854) captioned “Gate Lodge”.

Griffith’s Valuation records the house captioned “Glencree” in 1858 as a “house, offices and land.” The occupier is Alfred Gahan, and the lessor is Elizabeth Hamilton. The building is valued at £10 initially and revised to £17 at an unknown date. The Valuation Revisions (1860-1903) record Lewis M. Buchanan (later Major Buchanan) as lessor with various changes of occupier.

Dean comments that the lodge has certain similarities with the Strand Road Lodge to Richmond, Co. Londonderry. (Dean, p.143). Mitchell provides some context for its location, “The last great fire in Omagh was in May, 1743, when a chambermaid, careless in discarding lighted coals, accidentally burn the town to the ground in a matter of hours. Following this, the prosperous merchants decided that it was safer to move out of town and build their new houses in private secluded sites such as Glencree…the house has been modernised but the quaint gate-lodge remains untouched” (Mitchell, p.50).

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/35/1-First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/35/2-Second Edition OS Map (1854)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/35/3-Third Edition OS Map (1905-6)
4. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/47A-Griffith’s Valuation (1858)
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/6/36A-M –Valuation Revisions (1860-1929)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/41/37A-G-Valuation Revisions (1903-1929)

Secondary Sources

1. Dean, J. A. K. “The Gate Lodges of Ulster: A Gazetteer.” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1994.
2. Mitchell, C. J. Haldane. “Omagh: Paintings and Stories from the Seat of the Chiefs.” Donaghadee, Co. Down, Cottage Publications, 2000.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

An detached three-bay single-storey-over-raised-basement gate lodge, built c.1840. A good and unusual example of the picturesque, the symmetrical facade of the gate house displays fine lancet windows with interlaced and geometric tracery that lends the small structure a cottage orné appearance and is in contrast to the informal and asymmetrical appearance of Glencree House (HB11/12/008A).

General comments

This record has been renumbered HB11/12/008B-previously HB11/12/009