Aughavilla Lodge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

One and a half-storey/ three bay double pile early 19thC house in mature grounds on E side of Clonallan Road.

Pitched artificial slate roof with modern overhanging timber eaves. All bargeboards are plain. Moulded plastic rainwater goods. In the valley between the front and rear pitches, aligned parallel to facade, are two broad modern cement rendered chimneys. Walls are cement dashed and painted with a smooth rendered and painted basecourse.

Principal elevation is symmetrical and faces SE. Central bay is narrower than the others and has gabled central return to front, the roof and gable of which are detailed as the main block. On end gable each floor has a pair of timber three-paned casement windows (margin paned) with painted granite cills. The left and right cheeks of this return step out slightly at first floor level. Right cheek is blank.

The left cheek contains the Tudor Gothic front door set within a flat-headed opening and accessed by a single granite step. Door has a beaded muntin and four-panels, the top two of which curve to accommodate its Tudor Gothic head. It has timber spandrels, a decorative cast-iron knocker and a brass escutcheon.

Left and right bays of front elevation have two openings to ground floor and matching recessed wall panels (much diminished in height) in attic wall head. Ground floor openings contain large 6/6 sliding sash windows with horns and painted granite cills.

Left (SW) elevation is three gables wide. The right gable, (to the front pile of the house) is wider than the others and is thought to be later than the central gable (rear pile), see historical description. Walls as main façade. The left gable is an abutting rear outbuilding and not part of house.

The right gable (front pile) is blank at ground floor and has a pair of 2x6 timber casements in a common opening with painted cill to its attic. Each remaining gable has a similar attic window.

The central gable (rear pile) has three openings to ground floor, to left and right ones are top-hung 3/9 timber casements (mimicking sashes). To middle is a nine-paned casement with segmental spoke-headed fanlight. The left gable (outbuilding) has a modern up and over metal garage door to ground floor.

The rear elevation (of rear pile) is abutted to right by the outbuilding (the left gable in text above), and is also abutted to left corner by a rubble stone outbuilding with pitched corrugated metal roof (of no interest). The remainder of the rear elevation was not surveyed.

Right (NE) elevation of main house is two gables wide. Walls are as façade. The left gable (front pile) has a late 19thC single storey canted bay window. It has a canted artificial slate roof with heavy moulded timber cornice supporting plastic rainwater goods. Its walls are smooth rendered and unpainted. Openings have stop-chamfered reveals. Each side cheek contains a narrow fixed 1/1 timber window with a plain transom over. The front cheek has a pair of French windows, detailed as the side cheeks with a two-paned transom. Two granite steps up from garden, with dwarf wall enclosing each side. Over to attic level is a pair of casements (as those to left elevation).

Right gable (rear pile) of the right elevation has a large modern fixed window with sidelights at ground floor and a pair of casements to attic level.

Setting:

The entrance from Clonallan Road has a pair of wrought iron gates with plain bars over similar dog bars. All bars have scrolled finials, and top rail ramps up to left and right. Gates are hung on rendered and coped masonry piers, with concave walling to left and right. Gravel driveway to main house loops back on its self. Garden is maturely planted with trees and scrubs to SW (road boundary) the lawn to front of house (SE) terraces down and probably once incorporated the adjacent field. The front of the house has a spectacular view of the Carlingford mountains across Carlingford Lough. To NE is a rose garden on a slope falling away from the house. To NW of house is the domestic yard (not inspected) and beyond this is a ruinous farmyard (of no interest).

Historical information

This house appears to have functioned as the dwelling of the land agent to the Batt estate. George Braddell held this post in the 1830s. In the 1860, the house was occupied by William James Watson (possibly the architect?). It is cited as Rostrevor Sanatorium on the 1901-02 OS 6" map; a similar function is noted in the 1905 Valuation Revision book.

Owner in 1999 states that a farm house existed on this site and was purchased in 1829 by Narcissus Batt, who owned much of the land between Spelga and Warrenpoint, but was resident elsewhere. Mr Batt is believed to have added a front pile to the existing house (creating the present double pile structure) c.1830. He used the house as a holiday residence (probably due to its proximity to the popular resorts of Rostrevor and Warrenpoint). In the early 20thC the property became a sanatorium under a Dr Steele. He, it is said had timber pavilions erected on the lawns for his patients. These supposedly had no doors, as Steele believed fresh air was the best cure for his TB patients.

The sanatorium was later sold to a Mrs Smithe who ran it until it was closed by the NHS in the immediate post-WW2 years. The house stood vacant for a number of years until it was purchased by the present owner in the mid 1960s.

On the owners absence the house was badly vandalised in the 1970s and fell into serious disrepair. It was during the repair that many of its original features were removed. The HMBB first survey slide shows the roof of the front pile to be natural slated and its bargeboards and eaves boards to be delicately fretted timber. It shows each chimney to have supported four tall red brick chimney stacks, all turned at 45 degrees to the façade.

Primary sources:
1. OS 6" map, 1st edition (1834), sheet 51 (PRONI, OS/6/3/51/1).
2. First Valuation book (1835) (PRONI, VAL/1B/353, p.85).
3. OS 6" map, 2nd edition (1860), sheet 51 (PRONI, OS/6/3/51/2).
4. Second Valuation book (1863) (PRONI, VAL/2B/3/57A, p.18).
5. Valuation Revision book (PRONI, VAL/12B/22/25A).
6. OS 6" map, 3rd edition (1901-02), sheet 51 (PRONI, OS/6/3/51/3).
7. HMBB first survey slide, c.1969.
8. Information from owner in 1999.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A picturesque house with an interesting history but now stripped of much of its original character and quality by inappropriate alterations.