Gate Lodge and Gatescreen

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A single-storey two-bay Gothic style gate lodge built c.1825 and earlier gates erected c. 1810, located at the entrance to Ballyward Lodge (HB17/10/007A) in the townland of Ballyward, west of Castlewellan. Rectangular on plan gate lodge with canted entrance porch and early twentieth-century rear extensions.

Hipped natural slate roof with angled ridge and hip tiles; single rendered chimneystack to party wall between bays; cast iron rainwater goods on projected eaves. Ruled and lined rendered walling. Windows are pointed-arched timber diamond lattice with painted masonry cills; those to main bays have timber transom and mullion with interlocking glazing bars to head. Semi-circular headed entrance door with plain fanlight over a replacement panelled timber door (top panels glazed); panelled frame and brass knob; stone threshhold.

Symmetrical front elevation facing south-east; door located centrally to canted entrance porch, diminished window to each cheek. Window to either side.

End elevations are blank.

Rear elevation is abutted by two lean-to extensions with corrugated metal roofs and rendered walling; 2/2 sash window to left of centre. Right extension lit by a 2/2 window to rear; left extension lit by a casement to left cheek and door to right cheek.

The lodge is located directly within the gates, at right on entry. Convex alcoved rendered entrance walls with flat masonry coping, terminating with oval finials to either side. Ashlar stone piers are linked to the entrance walls by a cast iron railing over a moulded stone plinth wall. Piers have a plinth, and frieze carved with oval classical motif; moulded cornice and flat cap over. A pair of cast-iron gates with spear-headed finials lead to the tree-lined entrance avenue to Ballyward Lodge. Wheel guards to bottom of piers.

Setting

Roadside
setting in the rural settlement of Ballyward, on the main Castlewellan to Banbridge Road. Demesne beyond screened by mature plantation.

Roof: Slate
Walling: Rendered
Windows: Timber lattice
RWG: Cast iron

Historical information

Ballyward Lodge’s single-storey gate lodge was constructed c. 1825; the lodge appears on the first edition of the Ordnance Survey map where it was depicted as a rectangular shaped building located at the main entrance to the grounds at the north-east of the house, although it was not captioned as a gate lodge until the second edition of the maps in 1859.

In the 1830s Ballyward Lodge was occupied by Charles Beers Esquire, a Justice of the Peace and landed Gentleman whose father constructed the house in 1811 (Ordnance Survey Memoirs, p. 22). The contemporary Townland Valuation noted that the gate lodge was valued at £2 11s. 9d. at that time.

By 1862 Francis Charles Leslie had taken over the gentleman’s seat; Griffith’s Valuation, however, did not individually value the gate lodge but included it in the value of Ballyward House and its offices which stood at £45. Ballyward Lodge and its gate lodge remained in the possession of the Leslie family until 1869 after which time the house was let by Leslie to other occupants (for Ballyward Lodge see HB17/10/007A).

In 1916, during the occupancy of Harriet Jane Barclay, the gate lodge was individually valued for the first time since the Annual Revisions when it was valued at ££2 and occupied by a Mr. William R. Hamilton who continued to reside there until the end of the Annual Revisions in 1929.

Dean states that Ballyward Lodge’s gate lodge was likely constructed c. 1825, certainly after the construction of the house which was constructed in the classical style, however he noted that the square ashlar gate pillars were likely constructed at the same time as the house (Dean, p. 63). The gate lodge was listed in 1977 and continues to be occupied.

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/42/1 – First edition Ordnance Survey map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/3/42/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey map 1859
3. PRONI OS/6/3/42/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey map 1901-1902
4. PRONI OS/6/3/42/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey map 1919-1920
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/359 – Townland Valuation c. 1830
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/51/C – Griffith’s Valuation c. 1862
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/5A – Annual Revisions 1864-1875
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/5B – Annual Revisions 1876-1889
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/5C – Annual Revisions 1888-1898
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/5D – Annual Revisions 1899-1908
11. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/5E – Annual Revisions 1909-1920
12. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/5F – Annual Revisions 1921-1929
13. Ordnance Survey Memoirs, Co. Down I Vol. 3 (1836)
14. Ulster Street Directories (1843-1918)
15. First Survey Record

Secondary Sources
1. Dean, J. A. K., ‘The gate lodges of Ulster: A gazetteer’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1994.

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
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A single-storey Gothic-style gate lodge built c.1825, with earlier classical style entrance gates dating from c.1810, located at the entrance to Ballyward Lodge demesne. The lodge is neatly proportioned and enlivened by simple Gothic detailing and retains a high proportion of original fabric as well as its original plan form. In its setting by the original gate screen and entrance walls, this small group illustrates the phased development of the estate, reflecting the mixture of styles that also characterises the main house. It is a good example of the type surviving in its original setting and as part of the demesne.

General comments

This record has been renumbered as part of a group. It was formerly recorded under HB17/10/006.