Inisherk Lodge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A single storey / four bay house aligned E-W on a low hill overlooking the lough.

Pitched natural slate roof with three wet-dashed chimneys; one at party wall between each bay. Gables have fretted bargeboards. Half-round metal rainwater goods. Walls are wet-dashed.

Principal elevation faces S and is six openings wide. There is a windbreak porch at left hand side of the second bay from left. It has a pitched natural slate roof with bargeboards as house and a tall pointed finial. It contains a t+g sheeted door with four-paned transom over. Windows are as follows: a pair of casements with geometric glazing and sandstone cills to first (left), second (set to right of door) and third bays. Fourth bay has two 2/2 sliding sash windows.

W gable has a canted bay window with hipped natural slate roof and a casement window (as before) to each cheek (those to front are paired).

N elevation is abutted by a single storey return at centre of third bay from left (see later). The left and right bays are blank. Second has a 2/2 sliding sash window. Third bay has a 2/2 sliding sash set to left of the return and a pair of geometrically glazed casements set to its right. Fourth bay is blank. The return is detailed as main block. W cheek has a t+g sheeted door (to kitchen). N face is blank. E cheek has a pair of geometrically glazed casements. All rear cills are cast concrete.

E gable is abutted by a small single storey outbuilding aligned N-S. The exposed section is blank. The outbuilding has stepped V-jointed quoins at SE corner. Roof and walls are as house. S and E faces are blank. N face has a small door to shed.

Setting:
The lodge is set overlooking Lough Erne at the W side of Inisherk Island on Crom Castle Estate.

Historical information

Inisherk Lodge is cited on the 1834 OS 6" map and subsequent editions. It was erected by John Crichton, first Earl of Erne, in the late 1700s as a summer residence (the castle had burned down in 1764). It is described in the fist Valuation of 1836 as "house and office", valued at £18.4s.0d. In the early 1840s it was demolished to make way for the present house, built for the estate’s head gardener. In the 1862 Valuation the building is noted as a gardener's, steward’s and caretaker's house (however, this designation also includes Bridge Cottage, HB12/02/010). It remained in use for its original purpose until the 1950s.

Primary sources:
1. OS 6" map, 1st edition, 1834, Co Fermanagh sheet 39 (PRONI OS 6/4/39/1).
2. First Valuation book, Kinawley Parish, Co Fermanagh 1836 (PRONI VAL 1B/413, p.212).
3. Second Valuation book, Kinawley Parish, Clones Union, 1862, p.17.

Secondary sources:
1. Terence Reeves-Smyth, Crom Castle Demesne (National Trust, 1990).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A pleasant estate cottage beautifully situated on an island in Crom Estate. Although it has been modernized internally, it still retains some features of interest and constitutes an important part of the Estate group.

General comments

This record was previously numbered HB12/02/012.