The Lady Alice Temple

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Free-standing circular colonnaded and domed Neo-classical garden temple, erected c.1880, at the end of the ‘Yew Walk’ overlooking ‘Lady Alice lake’ to the west of Hillsborough Castle(HB19/05/076A).

Circular-plan podium of three nosed sandstone steps with ten cast-iron Ionic columns supporting plain circular masonry entablature and copper-clad masonry dome. Painted masonry wall constructed between four columns to the west with cantilevered timber bench.

Setting:
Set on an elevated site overlooking Lady Alice’s Lake to the east and the Yew Walk to the east, with the Lime Walk aligned to the north. Forming part of a collection of garden features on the grounds of Hillsborough Castle.

Roof Copper-clad masonry
Walling Painted masonry

Historical information

According to Howley, Lady Alice’s Temple was built c.1880 of cast iron, the use of iron making it very unusual among structures of this type. It is first shown on the third edition Ordnance Survey map of 1902-3, uncaptioned, and replaces an earlier ‘Summer House’ which is shown on the second edition of 1858. (Howley, p.144)

The Lady Alice Temple was named after Lady Alice Maria Hill (Countess of Bective) who was the sister of the fifth Marquess of Downshire (1844-1874) and of Lord Arthur Hill who lived at Hillsborough Castle in the last quarter of the nineteenth century during the minority of the sixth Marquess. (Barry, p.29)

Garden temples became fashionable throughout Britain and Ireland following Sir John Vanbrugh’s creation of a temple garden at Castle Howard in the early eighteenth century. Vanbrugh was influenced by Andrea Palladio but was the first architect in Britain to use temples as decorative ornaments in landscape. One of the earliest garden temples in Ireland was constructed in the grounds of Drumcondra House in 1727 to designs by Alessandro Galilei. (Howley, p.140-4)

Shortly after this, examples began to appear of simple circular structures consisting of a ring of open columns supporting a dome and variations on this type were constructed throughout the eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in gardens and parks. Many were designed as garden seats to provide shade or shelter and were situated, as at Hillsborough, so as to afford a view of the scenery. Lady Alice’s temple also provides a focal point at the end of the impressive yew walk which leads up to it. The Yew Tree Walk was planted along the line of the old Moira Road by about 1895. (Howley, p.140-4)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/14/2 – Second Edition OS map 1858
2. PRONI OS/6/3/14/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1902-3
3. PRONI OS/6/3/14/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-20

Secondary Sources

1. Barry, John “Hillsborough, A Parish in the Ulster Plantation” Belfast: William Mullan & Son Ltd, 1982
2. Howley, J “The Follies and Garden Buildings of Ireland” New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1993

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System
G. Innovatory Qualities
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Z. Rarity
X. Local Interest
R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance
U. Historic Associations

Evaluation

Free-standing circular domed garden temple, erected c.1880 on the grounds of Hillsborough Castle. It was inspired by Sir John Vanbrugh’s creation of a temple garden at Castle Howard in the early eighteenth century. Constructed of masonry and cast-iron, this neo-classical temple would have been a unique structure in the area, with the cost of construction facilitated by the use of cast-iron as opposed to ashlar stone. While the copper-cladding is probably replacement, the structure appears to retain mostly original materials and provides a picturesque focal point at the end of the yew walk to the east and the lime walk to the north. It has group value with the other listed structures at Hillsborough Castle.

General comments

This record has been re-allocated. Originally HB19/05/079.
Additional listing criteria apply-R-Age, S- Authenticity, T-Historic Importance & U - Historic Associations.