Hillsborough Lodge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached gable-fronted single-storey with attic stone former gate lodge, dated 1878, possibly to the designs of John Lanyon. Rectangular on plan facing north and positioned opposite the entrance to Larchfield House (HB19/06/003A) on the south side of Bailiesmills Road, with a two-storey grey brick extension abutting the rear elevation, built c.1970.

Pitched natural slate roof with terracotta ridge-comb tiles and large sandstone ashlar chimneystack with corbelled coping. Plain timber bargeboard to gables and original moulded cast-iron rainwater goods to timber fascia and overhanging eaves. Gabled dormer to south pitch with single-pane timber sash window and modern flat-roofed dormer to the east pitch. Random coursed cut stone walling with sandstone ashlar quoins and several sandstone bands. Segmental-headed window openings formed in stop-chamfered sandstone ashlar with sandstone hood mouldings, keystones, springer stones and splayed flush sills with uPVC windows.

Gabled front elevation abutted by single-storey three-sided canted bay window and recessed open-sided corner entrance porch. To the apex of the gable is a carved stone tablet depicting the Graham family crest in relief and the build date '1878'. Single window opening to the attic floor symmetrically-placed above the three-sided canted bay. The bay has a lead-lined roof with original moulded cast-iron rainwater goods to moulded sandstone cornice. The entrance porch to the northwest corner comprises a single polished stone column to the corner on stepped plinth block with stiff-leaf capital supporting moulded corbels in turn supporting a chamfered stone lintel to each elevation. Within the porch is a segmental-headed door opening to each wall (as per window openings) each having an original herring-bone timber sheeted door and opening onto platform with encaustic tiles and two stone steps.

East side elevation is two windows wide.

Rear elevation abutted by two-storey flat-roofed extension with stone walling to the ground floor and lean-to conservatory.

North side elevation has a single window opening to the centre, a further door opening to the right (detailed as per window openings) with an original door (as per front entrance).

Setting:
Road-fronted and located on the south side of Bailiesmills Road opposite the southern entrance to Larchfield House. Rubblestone retaining wall and small wrought iron gate to raised lawn to the west and low stone wall to garden to the east.

Roof Natural slate
RWG Cast-iron
Walling Random coursed cut stone
Windows UPVC

Historical information

Hillsborough Lodge replaces an earlier small structure which first appears on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1834 situated to the south entrance of the Larchfield Estate, the seat of the Mussenden family, a local landowning and merchant elite (HB 19/06/003). The 1834 map depicts the square building as an oblong building; however it is not recorded as a gate lodge until the second edition of the Ordnance Survey maps in 1859. In c.1830 this building was valued with the main house, its associated farmbuilidngs (HB 19/06/003B) and a second gate lodge located to the northwest of the house (HB 19/06/003C). William Mussenden, the occupant of Larchfield at that time, died in 1860 leaving the estate to a Mr. Ogilvie B. Graham; over the next decade Graham made numerous changes to the site at Larchfield. By 1862 the value of the estate had increased to £100 with the expansion of the main house and its extensive stables buildings and by 1879 both of Larchfield’s gate lodges were replaced with new buildings.

Hillsborough Lodge was constructed in 1878 along with the near identical Lisburn Lodge; both replaced the sites of the preceding structures and were valued at £6. This lodge was captioned ‘Hillsborough Lodge’ from the third edition of the Ordnance Survey maps (1900-01). Dean suggests that both Lisburn and Hillsborough Lodge were designed by John Lanyon whose father, Charles Lanyon, may have designed the extensions to Larchfield House prior to 1859 (Dean; Brett, p. 117). Dean believes that John Lanyon was associated with the construction of both lodges due to their resemblance to Belfast Castle Lodge which Lanyon had designed. A plaque, bearing the Graham crest and the date 1878, is situated on the gable wall of the lodge; the family motto Memor Esto (‘Be mindful’) is recorded on the plaque.

The first survey image of Hillsborough Lodge shows that a two-storey rear return had been added to the structure by 1982; the former lodge is now used as a private dwelling. A glass conservatory has been added to the rear of the lodge whilst the modern garage has been added in recent years.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/15/1 – First Edition OS Map 1834
2. PRONI OS/6/3/15/2 – Second Edition OS Map 1859
3. PRONI OS/6/3/15/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1900-1901
4. PRONI OS/6/3/15/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-1920
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/35 – Griffith’s Valuation 1862
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/1 A – Annual Revisions 1866-1875
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/1 B – Annual Revisions 1876-1885
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/1 C – Annual Revisions 1886-1897
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/1 D – Annual Revisions 1897-1914
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/1 E – Annual Revisions 1915-1929
11. First Survey record 1982

Secondary Sources

1. Brett, C. E. B., ‘Buildings of North County Down’ Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2002.
2. 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
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Detached gable-fronted single-storey with attic stone former gate lodge, dated 1878, possibly to the designs of John Lanyon. Rectangular on plan facing north and positioned opposite the southern entrance to Larchfield House (HB19/06/003A) on the south side of Bailiesmills Road and almost identical to the estate's other gate lodge (HB19/06/003C). Despite the modern rear extension, the house retains its Victorian character, external detailing and materials and has group value with the other listed buildings on the Larchfield Estate.

General comments

The gates were previoulsy recorded as HB19/06/021 and have now been included in this record.