Edenfel,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached gabled four-bay two-storey with attic-storey stone house, dated 1862. L-plan, facing south, located to the northeast of Creevenagh Road. Set on an elevated site within wooded landscaped grounds with a range of outbuildings to the east and a winding avenue to the west.

Pitched natural slate roofs with roll-moulded black clay ridge tiles and replacement metal and plastic rainwater goods to overhanging eaves. Four gables to the principal elevation, three to the west garden elevation and three to the rear (N), all having decorative timber barge-boards and finials. Three stone ashlar chimneystacks with decorative clay pots. Flat-roofed extensions added to rear pitch at attic-level, clad in natural slate.

Walling is roughly-coursed tooled rubble-stone with squared ashlar quoins to all corners. A single stone string course above ground floor level to the entrance bay and to the three-sided bay window. Rock-faced to rear elevation with red brick surrounds to all openings. Painted cement rendered walling to stair hall return.

Square-headed window openings throughout formed in chamfered stone ashlar surrounds, and original timber casement and timber sash windows.

Principal south elevation comprises four gables corresponding to the four-bays with an off-centre single-bay two-storey gabled entrance projection. To the right of the entrance is the largest bay which has a three-sided two-storey projecting bay, with a stone plaque to its cheek stating.. “THIS HOUSE WAS BUILT/ AD1862 by/ L.M.BUCHANAN”. To this gable and to the gable to the right is an attic-storey gothic window opening with fixed-pane timber windows. Tripartite timber casement windows to the ground floor and to both floors of the projecting bay, bipartite to the first floor, except over the entrance is a single-pane timber sash window (replacement bipartite timber casement window to first floor left bay). A gothic front door opening in the entrance bay has a hood moulding with foliate label stops and a deep stop-chamfered surround containing double-leaf timber panelled doors with decorative brass furniture. Door opens onto stone platform and two stone steps.

Three-bay two-storey west garden elevation has a gable to the right with a three-sided canted bay to the ground floor, a tripartite opening to first floor with ashlar stone mullions and a gothic opening at attic-level. Gablets pierce the front pitch of the roof to the other two bays, all gables having decorative timber barge-boards and finials. The canted bay is formed in stone ashlar with a blocking course to the timber eaves and a natural slate roof. Timber casement windows to the large gable (replacement to the first floor), 2/2 timber sash windows to the first floor gablets, bipartite single-pane timber sash window to the left ground floor with double-leaf glazed timber doors to the central bay.

The rear elevation has a pair of two-storey (with attic) returns with that to the rh side enclosing the rear yard and a first floor flat-roof addition (stair hall) filling the valley between the two returns with an attached conservatory below. Simple timber barge-boards to the rear gables with timber finials. Generally camber-headed window openings formed in red brick with 2/2 timber sash windows. Stair-hall rebuilt c.1990 with two double-height gothic window openings with coloured glass. A square-headed door opening to the left gable contains a timber panelled door with the upper panels glazed, opening into a small rear courtyard.

East side elevation is recessed to the rear half with a large stone chimneystack to its front half, removed above eaves level and having offsets. Camber-headed window openings formed in red brick with timber sash windows.

Setting:-
Abutting the east side elevation is a tall rubble-stone wall containing a bell-cote and enclosing the rear yard. To the east side of this wall is a brick vaulted car port, landscaped on the roof, with an L-plan range is lean-to single-storey outbuildings to the paved rear yard. A front bitmac area provides parking with the landscaped grounds to the west, south and east set in mature woodland with a terraced garden to the west. The bitmac avenue curves on its way west to the road where a pair of tall cast-iron gates on a pair of square stone piers opens to the road.

The avenue continues past the east elevation of the house continuing northeast to a range of former outbuildings. Multi-bay two-storey outbuilding has been extensively refurbished to provide additional accommodation with pitched natural slate roof, timber casement windows and a flight of cast-iron steps to the north elevation, with some corrugated iron structures to the west. To the northeast is a rear entrance to the grounds with a pair of decorative cast-iron gates on a pair of stone piers.
South of the outbuildings is a formally-planned walled garden with tall red brick walls (West & north) with box-hedging.

Roof Natural slate
Walling Squared rubble/ ashlar
Windows Timber
RWG Cast-iron / uPVC

Historical information

The property first appears on the third edition OS Map of 1906 captioned ‘Edenfel’ with extensive grounds. Annual revision records show a large increase, dated 1863, in the valuation of the plot, the property being held in fee by Lewis M Buchanan and valued at £137 5s 0d. A further substantial increase in value to £160 5s 0d is noted in 1867. The house is referred to in the revisions as “Edenfall”.

Rowan comments; “A large multi-gabled and aggressively picturesque villa with decorative bargeboards, hip knob, and ornamental chimneys, was built in 1862 for a Captain Buchanan to designs by Boyd & Batt.” (p.449)

Primary Sources:

1. PRONI OS/6/6/35/1-3 – Ordnance Survey maps 1833, 1854, 1906
2. PRONI VAL/12/D/6/35/A-F – Annual Revision maps
3. PRONI VAL/12/B/41/36/A-M – Annual Revision records (1860-1929)

Secondary Sources:

1. Rowan, A ‘The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster’, Penguin Books, 1979

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Detached gabled four-bay two-storey with attic-storey stone house, dated 1862 set within extensive landscaped gardens. A stone house of solid appearance enlivened by a series of decorated gables and projections. The exterior retains most features expressing its original character, described by Alastair Rowan as “an aggressively picturesque villa”. Built to designs by Boyd & Batt, who worked throughout Ireland, including some significant commissions, but also several substantial houses, of which this is a fine example.