Ballynahinch gate lodge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Small, single storey classical gate lodge of c.1830 by John Lynn in sandstone, with hipped roof, Ionic portico and arch headed windows. To the rear the original return has been extended to N and W in lean-to fashion. The lodge is set at the ‘Ballynahinch’ gateway to Seaforde Demesne, on the S side of Tannaghmore Road, c.1.5 miles N of Seaforde, 5 miles SW of Ballynahinch.

The symmetrical front façade faces roughly E. To the centre (set within the portico) is a panelled timber door with semicircular ‘spoked’ fanlight. The flat roofed portico itself has double Ionic columns which support and entablature, cornice and blocking course. To either side of the doorway is a semicircular headed sash window with Georgian panes (6/6). Both windows are set in semicircular headed recesses. To the façade edges are panelled pilasters. The façade is topped with a cornice with plain blocking course / parapet above.

To the left side of the S elevation is the S façade of the return, which has a small sash window with Georgian panes (6/6). Because of the addition of a lean-to to the W end of the return this façade is now longer. To the right of the elevation is the S façade of the main front portion of the building. Here there is a semicircular headed window, as front but fixed light (and not set within a recess. This section of the elevation has edge pilasters, with that to the right is similar to those to front and that to the left plain. Between these pilasters the main section of the façade is relatively deeply recessed.

To the left on the N elevation is the N façade of the main front portion of the house. This has a window, recess and edge pilasters, all as front. To the right of this is the N façade of the return, which has been extended northwards so that it is now flush with the N façade of the front portion. To this side the return has a partly glazed door and a sash window with Georgian panes (3/6). To the W façade of the return, (which is actually the façade of the rear lean-to extension), there are two small windows with modern frames.

The main front portion of the building is in ashlar sandstone, the return is in lined render. The roof is hipped and slated and has a central sandstone chimney to main front section. The return has PVC rw goods.

Small single storey outbuilding to rear in rubble

Historical information

This gate lodge (at the NW ‘Ballynahinch’ gateway to the Seaforde Demesne) was built in c.1830 to designs by John Lynn. A undated plan and elevation drawing by Lynn, (kept at Seaforde House), shows a lodge which is largely similar to this, but without the portico. The building appears to have retained its original footprint until the mid 20th century, when a lean-to extension was added to the north side of the return. Another lean-to extension was added to the west side of the return after c.1978 [?c.1990].

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.366 Forde papers
2 Plan and elevation drawing of a gate lodge by John Lynn c.1830 [In possession of Mr Patrick Forde.]
3 PRONI OS/6/3/36/1 OS map, Down sh 36, 1834
4 PRONI VAL/1B/387 1st valuation, Loughinisland, 1836
5 PRONI OS/6/3/36/2 OS map, Down sh 36, c.1858
6 PRONI 2nd valuation, Loughinisland, c.1860 [in print]
7 Photograph of Seaforde House showing the original portico c.1880s [reproduced in Mark Bence-Jones ‘A guide to Irish country houses’ (London 1988), p.256]
8 PRONI OS/6/3/36/3 OS map, Down sh 36, c.1901

Secondary sources
1 C.E.B. Brett ‘Historic buildings, groups of buildings….East Down’ (Belfast UAHS 1973), pp.28-32
2 J.A.K. Dean ‘The gate lodges of Ulster- a gazetteer’ (Belfast UAHS 1994), p.95

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
V. Authorship

Evaluation

Good quality small, single storey classical gate lodge of c.1830 by John Lynn, with sandstone façade, hipped roof, Ionic portico and arch headed windows. To the rear the original return has been extended to the north and to the west in lean-to fashion. The lodge is situated at the north-western (‘Ballynahinch’) entrance to Seaforde Demesne.