Inch Lodge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large, sprawling, two storey house originally built in c.1840, but greatly extended and remodelled in typical irregular Edwardian fashion in c.1900. The property is set at the end of a curving lane to the E of Belfast Road, c.2.5 miles NW of Downpatrick.

It is very difficult to discern the original orientation of this house, but since the Edwardian alterations, the main entrance has been located to the W. The W elevation itself is asymmetrical and (like the rest of the house) complex in appearance. Roughly to the right of centre is the entrance, which consists of a recessed panelled door. To the left of the doorway the façade is set back. To this portion of the façade there are three ground floor sash windows with Georgian panes ( all 3/6). To the first floor there two sash windows with vertical glazing bars (both 2/2). On the N facing portion to ‘between’ the doorway and the set back façade to its immediate left there is a small sash window, with Georgian panes, to each floor (both 6/6).

To the far left of this W elevation the façade is set back further again. To the ground floor of this section there is a modern glazed door, with a small sash window to its right, as previous. To the first floor is a similar, but larger, window. This portion of the façade has a bevelled N edge.

To the right of the main entrance the façade projects slightly and is in rubble with unsuitable raised pointing (the rest of the W elevation, and most of the building, is finished in painted render). To the ground floor of this section there are two windows with modern frames made to resemble Edwardian models. To the first floor are two similar, but much shorter windows. All of these windows were blocked up until c.1960s and both have now have odd raised render surrounds which hide the work carried out in re-opening the windows.

The N elevation consists of an attached outbuilding to the left and the house to the right. The house façade has two double sash windows to ground floor, with another to the left on the first floor and a single sash window to the right. All these windows have Georgian panes (6/6). To the right hand side the façade is recessed and ends in a bevelled edge (the same bevelled edge mention above). The bevelled edge has a small sash window to the ground floor (Georgian panes- 4/4). To the left of this is a larger window (6/6) set at a higher level (but not first floor). The whole N façade of the house is rendered and painted. To the left the outbuilding is two storey and in a mixture of rubble and brick. It has a large segmental arched carriage entrance , and upper level sash window, and a ground level, timber sheeted, pedestrian door.

The short S façade of the house is relatively uncomplicated, consisting of two large five sided, flat roofed, bays with windows to the three central sides of each. The windows all have Edwardian style sash frames with Georgian panes to the smaller upper sash (both 8 pane and 6 pane). This façade is rendered and painted also.

The E elevation is perhaps the most complex of them all. To the left the façade repeats the right hand portion of the W elevation, in that it is in rubble with raised pointing and has two windows (with modern frames) to each floor with incongruous rendered surrounds. To the right of this the façade is set back slightly and rendered. Half way along the façade there is a high rubble wall, which encloses a yard. To the left of the wall there is a modern ground floor door, with a PVC conservatory to the immediate right of this. To the first floor there are two sash windows with Georgian panes (that to the left 3/6 with that to the right tripartite, 3/6 to centre). Beyond the yard wall there is another tripartite window to the first floor, with a similar looking casement window to the first floor.

Within the enclosed yard there is a short S facing portion of façade with a partly glazed door and sash window (6/6) to the ground floor and a pitched roof half-dormer to the upper floor with double sash window (6/6, 6/6). To the E of this portion of the façade is a small single storey shed which leans-to the large two storey outbuilding to N (see above). To the S side of the yard is a long single storey outbuilding which leans-to the high yard wall (see above).

The roof of the house is mainly hipped and has a large overhang with boxed in eaves. The roof is entirely covered in natural slate and has four relatively tall, rendered chimney stacks. Cast iron rw goods.

To the SW of the house, to the N side of the drive, is a small pump house of c.1910 with pyramidal slated roof with overhang and exposed rafter ends, rough cast façade and timber sheeted doorway set under small gable to E. To the N is a small two pane window. Within this is a large hand operated ‘wheel’ pump.

Historical information

The older portion of this house was built in c.1840 by James Waring Maxwell of Finnebrogue to serve as the rectory for Inch parish church. The building is shown in its original form on the OS map of 1859-60, merely consisting of the square block to the south end and the outbuildings to the north east. It is difficult to say where the main entrance was originally located, but the map evidence suggests that it was either to the W or S (the S looking the most likely).

In c.1900 the building was greatly enlarged when the large (now rendered) portion to the north was added (doubling the footprint of the house in the process) and the interior re-ordered. The current resident believes that this work was carried out by Rev Mr Finch-White. The property appears to have remained a rectory house until c.1930, when (so the current resident believes) one of the Maxwell family lived in it for a time, and then leased it to a Mr Kerr. The building was sold by the Maxwells to a Mr Marney in 1950

The present owner’s father acquired Inch Lodge in 1960 and carried out much renovation work to the property. In particular he re-opened some of the windows to the older portion of the house which had been blocked up some decades previously.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/30/2 OS map, 1860, Down 30
2 PRONI 2nd valuation (in print), Inch, 1863
3 PRONI OS/6/3/30/3 OS map, 1901, Down 30
4 PRONI OS/6/3/30/4 OS map, 1920, Down 30

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Large, sprawling, two storey house originally built (as a rectory) in c.1840, but greatly extended and remodelled in typical irregular Edwardian fashion in c.1900. To the south there are two large five sided, flat roofed bays and the (mainly hipped) roof as a pronounced overhang. To the north east end there is an attached two storey outbuilding and to the east a conservatory has recently been added.