Estate Worker's lodge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Small, picturesque, one and a half storey estate worker’s / gamekeeper’s lodge of c.1870-80 (or slightly later) with gabled porch. The building is set in a clearing in the woods close to the N boundary of Seaforde Demesne, about 400 metres W of the Newcastle Road, 1.5 miles N of Seaforde.

The front (S) façade is symmetrical. To the centre of the façade is the sentry box-like gabled porch, with panelled door to front. To the W and E faces of the porch are mullioned and transomed four pane windows. The upper portion of the porch is timber framed and rests on a rendered masonry ‘stall riser’. The ridge has a coxcomb ridge tiles with finial. The roof is covered with natural slate. Two decorative bands are created with lighter coloured bevelled slate.

To the left and right of the porch are matching sash windows. (2/2).

To the E gable there are two symmetrically placed sash windows, as before, to ground floor with a semicircular headed sash window (also 2/2) to the centre of the gable at first floor. To the right side this gable lean-to extension with a modern timber window.

The W gable is as the E gable. To the left side and well set back is the side of the lean-to return which has a modern door and a high level window. The far left of the lean-to abuts the side of a gabled out building.

The main roof is covered with blue / grey natural slate with two decorative bands formed with two courses of chamfered slates.

The N rear elevation has a lean-to return to the left side but is otherwise blank.

Historical information

This lodge was built c.1870-80. It replaced an earlier dwelling which stood close by and apparently acted as a gate lodge (it is marked as such on the 1858 OS map). The present house appears to have served as a gamekeeper’s lodge, probably originally related to the kennel which stood to a short distance to the north-west.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.366 Forde papers
2 PRONI OS/6/3/37/2 OS map, Down sh 37, c.1858
3 PRONI OS/6/3/37/3 OS map, Down sh 37, c.1901

Secondary sources
1 J.A.K. Dean ‘The gate lodges of Ulster- a gazetteer’ (Belfast UAHS 1994), p.95 [Dean believes the lodge to date from c.1850, however, the map evidence (and the overall appearance of the building) suggests it is later.]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Small, picturesque, one and a half storey estate worker’s / gamekeeper’s lodge of c.1870-80 (or slightly later) with gabled porch, of definite architectural and historic interest..