Summer House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A charming neo-Gothic summerhouse delightfully situated overlooking Turf House bay within Crom Estate.

Hexagonal leaded roof with finial set behind blocking course parapet with rendered and painted chimney to rear face. Walls are wet dashed and painted with stone coping to parapet, and sandstone cills to windows. All windows are set within lancet-headed openings and contain pairs of timber 2x4 casements with 2x3 transom over.

Front (NE) face contains a pair of glazed timber doors with transom over. All remaining walls, apart from rear (SW) face contain a window; rear face is blank.

Historical information

This building was erected as a summer house in 1880 by Lady Florence, Mary Crichton, wife of the 4th Earl of Erne. Rowan suggests that its design was adapted from the proposed ‘hexagonal island gazebo for Mr Creighton’ designed by Sir Edward Lovett Pearce. It occupies the site of a former schoolhouse shown on the 1834 OS 6” map.

Primary sources:
1. OS 6" map, 1st edition, 1834, Co Fermanagh sheet 39 (PRONI OS 6/4/39/1).
2. OS 6" map, 3rd edition, 1907, Co Fermanagh sheet 39 (PRONI OS 6/4/39/3).

Secondary sources:
1. Alistair Rowan ‘North West Ulster’, pp 221-224. (Harmondsworth, 1979).
2. Terence Reeves-Smyth, Crom Castle Demesne (National Trust, 1990).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship

Evaluation

A charming neo-Gothic hexagonal summerhouse delightfully situated overlooking Turf House bay within Crom Estate, retaining much original character and reflecting minor late 19th century additions to the estate. .

General comments

This record was previously numbered HB12/02/006.