Summer House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Originally a small early 20th century summer house located in the rear garden of a two-storey red-bricked house at 6 Clonevin Park; approximately 200 metres west of Friends’ School Lisburn, demolished post 2011 for development of new dwelling. The following is the second survey description dated 2011 prior to demolition.

Pitched timber shingle roof with timber ridge tiles; cast-iron half circle guttering with circular downpipes; timber fascia and barge boards. Timber framed structure on smooth rendered masonry walling; with vertically sheeted tongue-and-groove gables. Single-glazed timber framed bi-partite casement windows with timber cills; each pane incorporating two rows of individual square panes of alternating coloured rolled glass. Timber front door with bi-partite upper glazed panel with matching coloured glazing; paired vertically sheeted panels finished flush with the rails and stiles.

The principal elevation faces south and is symmetrically arranged. The front door is centrally located flanked by a bi-partite casement window.
The left gable is symmetrically arranged comprising a pair of bi-partite casement windows. Timber sheeted gable head with projected barge boards with a decorative wrought-iron scroll located at the gable apex.

The rear elevation is blank corrugated tin.

The right gable matches the left.

Setting:

The summer house sits within the context of the gardens of an adjacent two-storey villa. The surrounding gardens are well maintained with a large lawn bounded by hedge rows. To the immediate north there are views towards Wallace High School and Thompson House.

Roofing: Timber shingle
Walling: Smooth rendered/timber frame
Windows: Timber casement
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The summer house is not of sufficient size to be shown on any historic map editions. The house itself, known as Strathmore, is first shown on the fourth edition OS map of 1921, but the third edition shows that Clonevin Park had been laid out and building along it had begun with the two houses adjacent to Strathmore already constructed by 1900. The 1901 census lists only one house in Clonevin Park.

The house would appear to date from c1905, the summer house plausibly dating to the same period. Strathmore is listed in the 1910 Belfast/Ulster Street Directory as the residence of Nelson Russell, estate agent and property broker. He is also agent for Norwich Union Fire and Life Insurance Co., specialising in ‘plate-glass, accident and employers’ liability and burglary insurance’, with premises at 64 Royal Avenue, Belfast. The census for 1911 records 17 houses along the road and it appears that most of the dwellings on the north side were in place by this date. Nelson Russell’s census return tells us that he was 46 in 1911 and lived with his wife, two sons and a domestic servant from County Derry. The house has eight rooms, but a stable and coach house are the only outbuildings listed.

Demolished post 2011 for development of new dwelling.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/68/3 – Third Edition OS Map c1900
2. PRONI OS/6/1/68/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1921
3. PRONI OS/6/1/68/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1939
4. Belfast/Ulster Street Directory, 1910
5. 1901 census online
6. 1911 census online

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Originally a small early 20th century masonry and timber framed summer house. Demolished post 2011 for development of new dwelling.

General comments

Demolished post 2011 for development of new dwelling.