1 Manor Drive

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay single-storey with attic-storey sandstone Tudor Gothic former gate lodge, built c.1865. Rectangular on plan, facing north with gabled entrance porch and yellow brick rear extension, built c.1970. Set within its own grounds on a corner site facing onto Manor Drive to the north and its east side elevation facing onto Hillsborough Road.

Pitched natural slate roof with roll-moulded black clay ridge tiles, lead valleys and tapered timber finials to all gables. Replacement sandstone-clad chimneystack with octagonal clay pot and replacement metal rainwater goods. Decorative foliate timber bargeboards and drop finials to all gables and sheeted eaves. Uncoursed squared tooled sandstone walling with sandstone ashlar plinth course and clasping piers to all three gables. Yellow brick walling laid in stretcher bond to the rear extension. Square-headed window openings with chamfered sandstone ashlar surrounds, sills and hood mouldings, fenestrated in gothic arch timber casement windows.

Symmetrical three-bay single-storey front elevation with central projecting entrance gable having decorative bargeboard and painted carved armorial plaque stating.. “Viet Virtute” above front entrance. Slender window openings to either cheek of the entrance porch with single timber casement window to each. Square-headed door opening with chamfered sandstone ashlar surround and hood moulding with replacement timber panelled door opening onto front step and short footpath.

East side elevation comprises original single-bay gable with bipartite window to the attic level and tripartite window to the ground floor with bargeboard as above. The rear extension is recessed behind the east gable with a single square-headed window opening and a wall-headed dormer, both having concrete sills and timber casement windows, with decorative bargeboard to the dormer.

The rear south elevation of the extension has a decorative foliate bargeboard as per the original gables with a diminutive window opening to the attic level and a tripartite window opening to the grounds floor.

The west side elevation to the original building is detailed as per the east gable with the extension to the rear having a catslide roof to a rear entrance porch. The extension has a wall-head dormer and ground floor window as per the east elevation with a further stairhall square-headed window opening with an original bipartite pointed-arched timber casement window (possibly salvaged from the original rear elevation). The porch has a square-headed door opening with hardwood glazed and panelled door.

Hexagonal concrete paving encircles building with bitmac parking area to the west enclosed by concrete wall. Hedging encloses front area to Manor Drive. East elevation enclosed to Hillsborough Road by rubble stone wall with stacked coping.

Roof Natural slate
Walling Uncoursed squared tooled sandstone / yellow brick
Windows Gothic arch timber casement
RWG Replacement metal

Historical information

The gate lodge to Manor House was built in around 1865, although the Manor House itself was a much earlier building. Manor House appears to have been a remodelling of a former fever hospital. The ‘Hospital’ is shown on the first edition OS map of 1833. (Belfast General and Commercial Directory 1819)

On the second edition OS map (1857) the house is captioned ‘Manor House’, although it does not yet have a gate lodge, and in Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) the Manor is the residence of Walter Stannus, a house, offices and land with buildings valued at £60. Walter James Stannus JP, DL was the son of Dean Stannus, rector of Lisburn cathedral until his death in 1876 and agent for the Marquess of Hertford. Walter took over from his father as agent to the Marquess in 1863 and it was at about this time that the gate lodge first enters valuation records, valued at £5.

In around 1870 (change undated) the lodge became the ‘Front Gate Lodge’, the newly-built ‘Back Gate Lodge’ being situated on Chapel Hill. This lodge was, however, demolished in 1907. The house and lodge remained in the Stannus family but seemed to be falling into disrepair until 1921 when the buildings were let to the Irish Church Missions as an orphanage.

The lodge is currently in private use as a dental surgery.

References:

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/1/68/1 – First Edition OS Map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/1/68/2 – Second Edition OS map 1857
3. PRONI OS/6/1/68/3 – Third Edition OS Map c1900
4. PRONI OS/6/1/68/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1921
5. PRONI OS/6/1/68/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1939
6. PRONI VAL/1/B/168 – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/56B – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/9A-T – Annual Revisions (1863-1924)
9. PRONI VAL/12/E/40/1 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (1877-c1898)
10. PRONI VAL/12/E/40/2 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (1898-c1907)
11. PRONI VAL/12/E/40/4 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (1907-c1927)

Secondary Sources

1. Belfast General and Commercial Directory, 1819
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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Three-bay single-storey sandstone Tudor Gothic gatelodge c. 1865, with good proportions and ornamentation, typical of this style. The exterior retains many original materials such as sandstone walling with hood mouldings, original gothic-arched casement windows and restored decorative features such as the foliate bargeboards. Although the addition of a modern brick extension c.1970, the alterations to the original interior and the loss of original setting have somewhat compromised the architectural integrity of this building, it remains of architectural and historic interest; with its attractive features and its historical associations with the Rector of Lisburn Cathdedral and the Marquess of Hertford. The former gate lodge makes a positive contribution to the heritage of the Lisburn area.