Tudor Lodge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

The owner refused access to the grounds, so this description is based on observations from adjoining properties.

A two and a half storey/ two-bay multi-gabled Tudor Revival house with two-storey wing at rear, on west side of Downshire Rd.

Artificial slate double-pile roof, steeply pitched and multi-gabled, with scalloped painted barge boards and lead dressings. Rising from valley is a cluster of tall rendered attached polygonal chimneys in Tudor style. Similar single chimneys on stepped bases rise from right gable, and to right of middle cluster.

Wall to road-facing façade is painted line render. Its right bay is gabled and projects forward. Left bay has a smaller gabled dormer rising from wall head. Main entrance is at ground floor right and comprises a modern painted t+g door with strap hinges and glazed sidelight and transom. All are set within a chamfered segmental headed opening with stopped hood mould. At ground floor left, in angle between front of left bay and left cheek of right bay is a canted single-storey bay which extends forward of right bay. It has a canted slate roof. Tripartite casement (two with two panes, one with one pane) to front and single two-pane casements to each cheek. All windows are without cills. Over door, at first floor, is a tripartite casement (two with two panes, one with one pane) with stopped drip mould over. To first floor left, above the canted bays, is a conjoined pair of two-pane casements. To second floor right, in gable, is a decorative canted oriel with a small one-pane casement to each face. It has a moulded-render corbelled base and a swept decorative render roof. At second floor left, in smaller gable, is a conjoined pair of two-pane casements as first floor, but diminished in size, and with stopped drip mould over.

The left elevation has two conjoined gabled bays. Barge boards and walls are finished as front elevation. Right bay has a two-storey canted bay projection with hipped slate roof and rendered walls. The latter has a moulded string course between ground and first floor, and a moulded cornice. At centre of it is a conjoined pair of two-pane casements to both floors. On each cheek are 1/1 sliding sashes to ground floor, and single two-pane casements to first floor. The left bay has, at ground floor, a projecting single-storey canted bay in timber with overhanging hipped artificial slate roof. French windows to front and fixed full-height windows to each cheek. Above is a conjoined pair of two-pane casements with stopped drip mould. To each gable at second floor is an identical smaller window, also with stopped drip mould.

Right elevation is three bays wide. Its right bay is gabled (plain barge boards) and projects forward slightly. Middle bay has a smaller gabled dormer rising from wall head (scalloped barge boards). Left and middle bay and left cheek of right bay are abutted by a single-storey extension (which projects forward of right bay). Right bay is also abutted at right by a two-storey wing. Remaining wall of main block is painted line render. At ground floor right is a pair of 1/1 sliding sashes set within a single opening. At first floor right is a Y-traceried six-pane window set within a Gothic arched opening. To centre of this floor is a pair of conjoined margin-paned casements. To left is a conjoined pair of two-pane casements. Second floor gable at right has a small 2/2 pane window. Middle dormer contains a conjoined pair of margin-paned casements (partly with stained glass). To its immediate right, under the eaves, is a small modern fixed window.

Aforementioned single-storey extension has a flat roof with octagonal rendered chimney rising from wall head at middle. Walls are line render. Its left cheek (as viewed from north) is canted and projects forward of right gable of principal façade. This cheek has a moulded cornice and crenellated parapet and contains a 1/1 sliding sash window to each cheek. The wall facing to north has a conjoined pair of two-pane casements at right. The right cheek was not accessible.

The two-storey wing at right has a pitched natural slate roof aligned east-west. It projects beyond the line of the rear wall of the main block. Gables at either end have scalloped barge boards. Rising from east gable is a tall rendered chimney as those on façade, but set at 45 degrees to its base. On west gable is a shorter slender terracotta stack with barley sugar shaft and crenellated head (whether a chimney or ventillator is uncertain). East gable, which faces to road, has a conjoined pair of two-pane casements with stopped drip mould over at ground floor. Above are two conjoined 1/1 sashes with stopped drip mould. North-facing wall is blank except for a tripartite casement (two with two panes, one with one pane) at first floor right. West gable and exposed section of south wall not accessible.

Rear elevation of main block not accessible.

Historical information

A building is marked at this location on the 1834 OS 6” map. As it is not shown on an 1803 map, it therefore dates to the earlier 19th century. The large-scale 1838 Valuation map shows main block complete with wing to north-west. House was occupied at that date by John Corbitt. It is cited on the 1858 OS 6” map as ‘Tudor Lodge’. The 1863 Valuation notes the wing as two storeys high, but the main block as only one and three-quarter storeys high. This indicates a later heightening, probably in the late 19th or early 20th century. It would have been at this time that the present chimneys and barge boards were added.

Primary Sources:

1. 1803 map, PRONI – D 671/M9/6;
2. OS 6" map, 1st edition (1834) Co Down sheet 46 (PRONI OS 6/3/46/1) ;
3. OS 6" map, 2nd edition (1858) Co Down sheet 46 (PRONI OS 6/3/46/2)OS 6/3/46/2.
4. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 1B/389, p.55
5. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 1D/3/8A

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A two and a half storey/ two-bay multi-gabled Tudor Revival house. Although originating in the earlier 19th century, this substantial mansion is, in its outward appearance, of later 19th century date with a 20th century flat-roofed addition.