Moygannon Gate Lodge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Much altered and extended one and half storey lodge located at the gates of Moygannon House (HB16/12/011A) on Rostrevor Road.

It is a single bay with a much deeper two bay extension to its right end. Pitched natural slate roof aligned NE-SW. The left bay has a gabled roof (aligned NW-SE) with fretted timber bargeboard to the front gable and plain bargeboard to the rear. The right bay of the extension has a higher ridge but its front pitch is a continuation of the original front pitch. It has modern vents and a skylight to its front and rear pitches. Also on front pitch between the house and extension is a dashed modern chimney. Plain eaves boards carry modern ogee rainwater goods.

Walls are cement dashed and painted with smooth basecourse and stepped quoins. All windows and doors are modern timber, to traditional styles.

Front elevation faces SE. Its original bay (below the gable) has a 2/2 sash window to left and a modern part glazed four panelled door to right. This is the main entrance and is under an open timber porch which has a pitched natural slate roof (its right pitch is tied into the right pitch of the gable roof above) on modern timber brackets and with fretted bargeboard. The left bay of the extension is advances from theoriginal house. It has a canted bay window to centre with a fixed 2/2 window to front and 1/1 sashes to each cheek. It has a dashed and painted apron and a small leaded roof tied into eaves of main roof. The right bay of the extension (at right end of façade) is stepped back slightly from the rest of the elevation and has two 2/2 sashes.

The right (NE) gable of the extension is wider than the original house and has decorative timber bargeboards (as those to front gable). It has a pair of 3x5 paned glazed timber doors to ground floor centre. At ground floor left and right there are narrow 1/1 sashes. There is a single similar door in attic serving a modern wrought metal balcony.

The rear (NW) elevation of the extension has a modern conservatory on its left bay. Conservatory is timber framed and glazed on a dashed plinth and with a pair of glazed doors on its end gable. The right bay of the extension has a wide 2/2 sash. The rear wall of the original lodge has a small gabled porch with fretted timber bargeboard and blank dashed walls. On rear wall to its left and right there are single 1/1 sashes.

The left (SW) elevation of the house is dashed and blank.

The house is accessed by a driveway from the E and has a small garden. To immediate right of the extension foundations have been dug for a granny flat.

Historical information

Shown on the 1834 OS 6” map along with the house (then known as Moygannon Cottage) and farmyard. The 1835 First valuation book notes the house as being erected by Mr Moore of Arno’s Vale 25 years previously, ie in 1810. The gate lodge is probably contemporary. The main driveway of Moygannon once ran up the side of the rear (NW) elevation of this house. When the property changed to separate ownership the driveway was moved.

The house has been much extended and its original front elevation is now its rear.

The HMBB first survey slide shows the lodge to be a bay wide and two bays deep with a pitched natural slate roof and red brick chimney between the bays. The original front (NW) elevation is dashed with smooth base and stepped quoins. It has a fretted bargeboard with turned timber finial. Porch to centre is flanked by 2/2 (vertically divided) sash windows. Central porch has a pitched natural slate roof and fretted timber bargeboard. Porch walls are smooth rendered with an advanced basecourse and it has a window (as others) to front and a door on its right cheek.

A second HMBB side shows its SW elevation to have a window on each bay.

Primary sources
1. OS 6” map, 1834, Co Down sheet 54 (PRONI: OS 6/3/54/1).
2. First Valuation book, 1835 (PRONI: VAL 1B/361, p.142).
3. HMBB first survey slide (undated).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Although this building retains some of its original character, most original openings have been infilled and it has been much altered and extended and is consequently of low architectural interest.