Killaney Lodge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A large two-storey multi-bay detached house with outbuildings, built 1858 and located on a large mature site east of Carryduff Road, Lisburn. U-shaped; conservatory to west and attached outbuildings to north.

Hipped natural slate roof with raised stone verges and leaded ridges and hips. Large chimneystacks having tall decorative clay pots. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods on ovolo moulded projecting eaves (heavily projecting to south elevation). Walling is painted smooth render having raised quoins and chamfered plinth. Windows are mainly 2/2 timber-framed sliding sash with horns in moulded architraves to ground floor with projecting masonry sills. Stairwell window is segmental-headed 3/2 leaded and stained glass.

The principal (garden) elevation faces south; central recessed section is two windows wide; left bay has rectangular bay to ground floor and window over; right bay has canted bay with glazed timber door with transom light to central opening, and window over.

The west elevation has stairwell window to centre. To left are two small 1/1 timber-framed windows to first floor and single window to ground floor; abutted at left by modern timber conservatory.

The north elevation is abutted to right gable by two-storey rubble stone and brick outbuilding. Right return is abutted at ground floor by single-storey lean-to porch with modern timber-framed window and timber-sheeted door; east elevation has a window to first floor and two windows to ground floor. Central recessed portion has window to ground and first floor. Left return has window to right at first floor; to right at ground floor is a mullioned window with vertical glazing bar to central pane; to left is 2/2 window; west elevation has a diminutive window to right at first floor.

The east elevation contains the main entrance; slightly recessed bay to right under single eaves line. To left is rectangular bay with timber mullioned window; surmounted by single window to first floor. Entrance to centre is accessed by two masonry steps; double-leaf four-panelled timber door (upper panels are segmental-headed) framed by panelled pilasters and surmounted by spiderweb fanlight with brass bell-push in moulded surround. Right bay has two windows to first floor; to ground floor is rubble stone wall, abutting left bay.

The outbuildings have been fully refurbished and integrated into the main house. They are arranged in an L-shape to east of the main house, with a north and west range, creating a court-yard to centre. The north range is older, having rubble stone built to courses, elliptical-headed carriage arch. Hipped natural slate roof (rendered chimney stack to north wing); walling is mainly rubble stone with red-brick dressings. Windows are 6/6 timber-framed sliding sash (mainly replacements) with 6/3 to first floor. Variety of timber-sheeted doors and half-doors, with cast-iron strap-hinges. Large modern timber garage door on rollers to right of west wing.

Setting:

Situated on a large mature site with landscaped garden to south and west. Long tarmacadamed tree-lined driveway accessed via rendered gate piers having ball finials to plinth and supporting modern cast-iron electric gates; modern cast-iron railings on curved parapet wall to both sides of entrance. Bound to road to west by mature hedgerow and trees. Stable-yard to east has brick pavers and is enclosed by rubble stone wall with Flemish bonded red-brick gate piers having bead-moulded masonry caps and ball finial on plinth; decorative cast-iron gates. To east is a single-storey house, accessed via main driveway and attached to the outbuildings.

Roof: Hipped natural slate
Walling: Smooth render
Windows: 2/2 sliding sash
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

Killaney Lodge first appears in 1859 when it is recorded in Griffith's Valuation as the local ‘Vicarage,’ occupied at that time by the Rev. Richard L. Scott and valued at £35; the building was let to the Rev. Scott by the Marquis of Downshire. The valuer’s observation tells us that house was only newly constructed, noting that it was ‘a very nice new house with good offices and a well enclosed yard.’ The vicarage was first depicted on the third edition of the Ordnance Survey maps in c. 1900 as an oblong building with a rear north-facing return; a rectangular out office (now attached to the house) also appears to the north side of the house.

The Rev. Richard L. Scott occupied the vicarage until 1874 when the house passed to the Rev. W. H. McAdam. Scott had been responsible for the construction of St. Andrew’s Parish Church in the 1860s (HB 19/06/008); the local congregation had previously met at a different church site but by the 1860s had grown too large. Scott obtained land from the Marquis of Downshire and the new church was consecrated in April 1867 (Clergy of Down and Dromore, p. 131).

In 1896 the house was occupied by the Rev. Edward C. Fife who the 1901 Census tells us lived there with his wife Margaret and employed at least two servants in his household. The census building return described the vicarage as a 1st class dwelling which consisted of nine rooms and possessed a cow house, a number of stores (which may have been housed in the north outbuilding), and the surviving large stable block to the rear of the house.

After 1911 the house came into private ownership when a local farmer, a Mr. Abraham Smith occupied the former vicarage. There was little change to the site by the 1911 Census, although the building return of that year recorded that the house now possessed 15 rooms. This would suggest that the house was extended, however the Ordnance Survey maps show no discernible alteration to the site between c. 1900 and 1920; rather in 1911 the site value was decreased to £25 when it was taken over by Smith. Smith resided in the former Vicarage until 1917 when Killaney House was taken over by a Mr. Robert Davies, who briefly resided there until 1923 when Mr. William Price occupied the house (resided there until the end of the Annual Revisions for the area in 1923).

Killaney House continues to be used as a residence and has been significantly enlarged and renovated since it was depicted on the 1919-20 Ordnance Survey map. The northern outbuilding (formerly used as a stable block) was attached to the rear return of the house between 1920 and 1974 when the extension first appears on the Ordnance Survey map of that year. Research has found that the interior of the house has been extensively refurbished. New additions have included the installation of a modern kitchen. The outbuildings have been similarly renovated, however the exterior character of the original farmbuildings have been maintained. A well preserved former Vicarage, Killaney Lodge is significant in the history of the local church as a former residence for the incumbent Minister of St. Andrews Parish.

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/15/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1834
2. PRONI OS/6/3/15/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1859
3. PRONI OS/6/3/15/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map c. 1900
4. PRONI OS/6/3/15/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1919-20
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/26 – Griffiths Valuation 1859
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/15 A – Annual Revisions 1866-1881
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/15 B – Annual Revisions 1881-1897
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/15 C – Annual Revisions 1898-1908
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/15 D – Annual Revisions 1909-1923
10. Ordnance Survey Map 185-6 (1974)

Secondary Sources

1. ‘Clergy of Down and Dromore’ Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation, 1996.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Killaney Lodge is a two-storey multi-bay detached house with attached outbuildings, built c.1850 and located on a large mature site east of Carryduff Road, Lisburn. Some modern additions including a side porch and conservatory with modifications of the internal floor-plan to include rooms housed in the adjoining former stable-block. The interior has been restored and finishes are largely modern, but with some historic detailing intact. Despite these alterations the architectural interest of this former rectory remains high and the outbuildings also contribute positively to the charater of the main house. It has group value with the nearby listed St Andrew's Church - HB19.06.008.