Lodge to Drumnascamph House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Single storey/ two bay gate lodge with rear lean-to extension, situated on north side of Cavan Road at the gates to Drumnascamph House.

Hipped natural slate roof with clay ridges and overhanging eaves, supported by paired timber brackets advancing from the wall head. Single whitewashed lined render chimney on ridge at cross wall between the two bays. Walls are lined, lime render whitewashed with a black painted basecourse.

Southeast facing front elevation is abutted to left end by a small box porch with flat roof, scalloped parapet and walls as main block. Settlement cracks suggest that this porch is a later addition. Left cheek of porch is blank. Its front wall has a narrow window opening with dressed granite cill. Right cheek contains the sheeted front door. Remainder of front elevation has a single window opening to each bay. Both are rectangular and contain modern timber top hung windows and have painted granite cills.

Left elevation is embanked in earth to c1m above floor level. Its has a window opening as those on façade, but is devoid of timber.

Rear elevation of main block is almost completely abutted by the lean-to extension. The remaining wall to left end has a narrow top hung modern timber window. The lean-to has a corrugated metal roof (partially collapsed) and cement rendered concrete block walls, and is of no interest.

Right elevation of lodge is blank.

Setting
To front of lodge, on road is a gateway which breaks the granite rubble boundary wall. Gateway is semicircular in plan; the concave walls are lined render with a granite rubble coping. The gateposts are square in section with pyramidal caps and the gates are gone.

The lane continues to north-east, with Drumnascamph House to its left and the yard to its right. The house seems to be late Victorian in date (replacing an earlier house), and of no interest. The yards are of little interest.

Historical information

Drumnascamph House and gatehouse first appear on the OS map 1859 edition. The c.1861 Valuation Book suggests that the House was still under construction (“unfinished”) and the gatehouse was unoccupied. This suggests that both were erected in the late 1850s. Deane states: “One time resident (of house) Rev James Cargins”.

Primary Sources:
1. 1st edition OS Map Down Sheet 42 (1834).
2. 2nd edition OS Map Down Sheet 42 (1859).
3. PRONI VAL 2B/3/49B, p.58. Second valuation.
3. J.A.K. Deane, ‘Gate Lodges of Ulster: a Gazetteer’, p.73 (Belfast 1994).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Although of some architectural interest, the link with the large house with which is was associated is now lost.