Lenaderg Lodge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A symmetrical detached two-storey with attic three-bay house, built c.1870, located on the east side of Lurgan Road, Lenaderg, north of Banbridge. Rectangular plan with single-storey canted bay windows to each side, and refurbished one-and-a-half storey rear return.

Pitched natural slate roof with punctured terracotta ridge tiles terminated with curved finials, and two rendered chimneystacks with terracotta pots. Half-round aluminium gutters and downpipes, with original cast-iron soil pipes. Profiled bargeboards to gutters. Walling is painted smooth render over a contrasting plinth. Windows are original 2/2 horned sashes (replacement timber sashes to ground floor rear), with original float glass, moulded architraves and painted masonry cills.

Principal elevation faces west and is symmetrically composed, comprising central entrance with a bay window to either side, and first floor openings aligned over. The entrance comprises an original painted timber four-panelled door with rectangular red glass overlight, and cast-iron door furniture; contained in a moulded architrave with flat canopy supported on scrolled foliated console brackets, all accessed by two stone steps.

The north gable has two windows to ground and first floor, and a single window to the attic, centrally placed. It is extended at ground floor by the kitchen return, which is lit at north by two windows (as original).

The rear elevation is abutted at right by the return, lit at ground floor by three windows, replaced as original. There is a tall round-headed three-light stairwell window with coloured margin lights and original obscured glass. The return has multi-pane modern French doors to the east gable, and a modern timber-sheeted door to south cheek. The attic level is accessed from the south gable only, via a high-level timber loading door.

The south gable is detailed as north, with replacement windows lighting rear ground floor rooms, and is abutted by the garden wall and a pergola.

Setting:
The house is set slightly back from, but overlooking the main road between Banbridge and Gilford. There are large mature gardens to front, north and rear. The rear garden is separated from the large north garden by a long rubble stone garden wall, likely to be earlier than the house, inset with a round-headed timber-sheeted garden gate. The front garden is bounded to the road by a set of cast-iron railings dating from the early twentieth-century, with garden gate set on a pair of polygonal cast-iron pillars. There is a further wrought iron pedestrian gate hung on granite pillars that leads to the main garden. Original single-storey outbuildings including a laundry and coach-house are located to rear, forming a narrow enclosed yard. The house was formerly accessed via a large enclosed yard at south; access has been blocked due to safety reasons. To the east side is a large two-storey outbuilding containing stables, byre and hayloft. All outbuildings have pitched slate roofs, walls are lime-washed over a mixture of rubble stone and brick. Openings are timber, with some replacement timber t&g doors (as original), set on granite plinth blocks. The hayloft is accessed at north by a set of external steps - also accessed internally from the end byre by the original wooden steps through a trap-door. To rear is an early twentieth century cowshed.

Materials
Roof natural slate
RWG aluminium
Walls painted smooth render
Windows original 2/2 horned sashes with original float glass

Historical information

First shown on the fourth edition OS map (1903-18) captioned ‘Lenaderg Cottage’ this two-storey detached house was built c.1878 for a farmer, William McWilliam, who leased the plot from an Alexander Stewart. Prior to construction, a previous house was located just to the west, as shown on the second edition OS map (1860). Having a rectangular footprint the house lined the roadside, with formalised gardens to the north and L-plan outbuildings (including two small dwellings) to the South. Some of these early 19th century garden walls and part of the mid 19th century outbuildings are retained on site.

A construction date of 1878 for the main house and abutting outbuildings to the south-east, is supported by the Annual Revision records, which show a substantial increase in value from £11 10s in 1872 to £24 10s in 1878, indicating that the previous house was likely replaced during this period. Annual Revision records indicate that the principal detached outbuilding to the south was altered and enlarged, c.1879, which is supported by on site evidence, showing that an additional floor was added and the footprint widened with the construction of new outer walls.

Following the death of William McWilliam in 1886, his son Frederick, who was a solicitor, took over as occupier, residing in the property with his sister and a servant (1901 Census). Around this time a coachhouse was added to the list of outbuildings, however it would appear that this was not newly built but remodelled from an existing late 19th century structure (1911 Census and Annual Revisions 1901-1911). The 1911 Census notes that a coachman Robert Kincaid resided in one of the two small dwellings, located a short distance to the South, along with 9 members of his family.

Frederick was the uncle of the renowned surrealist sculptor F.E. McWilliam (Frederick Edward McWilliam), who was born in 1909 and grew up in a house in Newry Street in nearby Banbridge. A historic photograph c.1911 (held by the present owner) shows McWilliam as young boy standing on the window sill of Lenaderg Lodge, supported by his uncle. Upon the death of his uncle F.E. McWilliam’s father, William, became the owner of the property, until passing to a John Porter in 1924 and subsequently Joseph Quail in 1944. According to the present owner, FE McWilliam owned the property for a short period following the death of his father, before it passed to John Porter.

Captioned ‘Lenaderg Lodge’, contemporary map evidence shows that since the mid 20th century an additional outbuilding was erected, running parallel to the existing outbuilding.

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/3/27/1 First Edition OS map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/3/27/2 Second Edition OS map (1860)
3. PRONI OS/6/3/27/3 Third Edition OS map (1903)
4. PRONI OS/6/3/27/4 Fourth Edition OS map (1903-18)
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/48D Griffith’s Valuation (1861)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/25A-H Annual Revision Records (1864-1929)
7. 1901 & 1911 Census Records
8. Ulster Town Directory (1870-1943)
9. HB File (HB17/02/034)

Secondary Sources
1. Information held by owner

Online Sources
1. (http://www.femcwilliam.com/F-E--McWilliam/Biography.aspx)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Lenaderg Lodge is a fine three-bay, two-storey with attic late Victorian residence set in mature gardens, located in Lenaderg Td, north of Banbridge. The house is prominently located along a busy road, and retains fine setting features, including cast-iron railings and original limewashed outbuildings. The house itself is largely unchanged from its design with a high proportion of original fabric and detailing remaining intact, including original timber sash windows with float glass, and entrance door. It is handsomely proportioned in typical late-Victorian style, with twin bays and detailing including bargeboards, terracotta ridge detailing, and a generous attic which gives a rather steep pitch to the roof. Internally, historic detailing is intact and of good quality throughout. Interest is enhanced by the historic associations with renowned C20 sculptor F.E McWilliam, whose grandfather and latterly, uncle, owned the property during his Banbridge boyhood.