Glenmore House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached multi-bay two-storey with attic-storey rendered former country house, built c.1860, incorporating an earlier house and extended c.1900. Square-on-plan facing south on the south side of Lambeg Road with recessed portico to the front and full-height semi-circular bow to the west elevation. Recently converted into 18 apartments c.1995 with most original fabric replaced and the grounds developed with three-storey rendered apartment blocks enclosing the site to the north and east.

Hipped natural slate roof, semi-conical to the west bow with central tunnel-vault with series of lights. Roll-moulded lead ridges, several tall profiled render chimneystacks and several round-headed dormers. Replacement metal rainwater goods on deep overhanging eaves cornice supported on series of scrolled modillions. Painted ruled-and-lined rendered walling with moulded string courses to eaves, sills and plinth with a deep moulded continuous cornice between ground and first. All window openings to ground and first floors have moulded sills to continuous sill courses supported by pairs of console brackets and panelled aprons. All ground floor window openings have moulded architrave surrounds. Replacement single-pane timber sash windows with ogee horns throughout.

Five-bay front elevation comprising three-bay central section flanked by double-height single-bay advanced bays with tetrastyle portico spanning the space between. Segmental-headed window openings to first floor with continuous moulded string course at impost level, rising to surround the head of each window opening with cavetto stop-chamfered moulded reveals. The three central openings open onto the terraced roof of the portico with decorative balustrade. The portico comprises two pairs of Doric columns on raised plinth blocks and a single column to either end supporting full dentilated entablature. Concrete paved portico with pairs of Doric pilasters to the walls, central round-arched door opening flanked by pair of round-arched window openings. Coffered dentilated compartmentalised soffit to portico with flat-panelled timber door and round-headed timber sash windows.

Multi-bay two-storey west elevation with central semi-circular bow. Segmental-headed window openings to first floor with continuous moulded string course at impost level, rising to surround each window opening. 3/3 timber sash windows to the bow.

Multi-bay two-storey north elevation with an off-centre square-headed secondary door opening having modern moulded surround and glazed timber door and panel above with lettering ‘GLENMORE HOUSE’. Smaller square-headed window openings to first floor level with cavetto stop-chamfered reveals below the continuous impost moulding with segmental blind panels above.

Eight-bay two-storey east side elevation detailed as per north elevation.

Setting:
Entire house is encircled by raised planter with bitmac parking to all four sides. Steel palisade fencing to south and modern apartments to north and east with large steel gates opening onto Lambeg Road.

Materials
Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Render
Windows: Replacement timber sash
RWG: Replacement metal

Historical information

There is evidence to suggest the house first appeared on the site in the early seventeenth century. However, the appearance of the building seems to be largely the result of remodelling work that took place c.1860.

Rankin describes this house as, “one of the most important houses associated with the linen industry in the Lagan Valley”, due to its virtually unbroken two hundred year association with the industry. A house on the plot is thought to have been built early in the seventeenth century, perhaps for the Conway family. Francis Seymour, Lord Conway, lived here for some years at the beginning of the eighteenth century when it was known as the ‘Lord’s House’. (Rankin, p.92; OS Memoirs, p.138)

In 1760 the house was purchased by John Williamson, a linen bleacher. He was prominent in the early development of the linen trade, writing a treatise on the trade and having a bye-law passed to ensure that the quality and quantity of bolts of linen cloth had to be certified by the Trustees of the Linen Board. This latter step made him very unpopular with weavers and in 1762 the windows of ‘Lambeg House’, as it was then known, were smashed and the building and furniture damaged by an angry crowd. However the OS Memoirs credit Williamson and his bye-law with giving rise to the subsequent prosperity of the linen trade in the north. (Rankin, p.93; OS Memoirs, p.139)

In the late eighteenth century the house and bleach green became the property of John Handcock who carried out improvements, including raising the house a storey. Mr Handcock was instrumental in bringing a bill to the House of Commons for the milder punishment of bleach green robbers, the penalty at that time being death. (Rankin, p.94; OS Memoirs, p.139)

The house next passed to Henry Bell Esq, a linen draper, who was resident in 1803, and in 1808 to Robert and Alexander Williamson, who were the sons of John Williamson who had lived there many years before. Robert Williamson was a local landowner and in 1808 he was Honorary Secretary of the Belfast Committee of the Linen Board. He later became a JP. OS Memoirs comments, “He enlarged the house considerably and expended much money on its general improvement. It was he also that made the principal plantings and other improvements that now beautify the seat generally. He is also said to have established the bleach green on the grounds east of the Lagan [the original bleach green being situated south of the property and west of the Lagan]. Together with being an active and useful magistrate in the neighbourhood for many years, his extensive and superior taste for general improvements is liberally established by the local inhabitants.” (Rankin, p.94; OS Memoirs, p.139)

In 1835 the house was bought by James Nicholson Richardson (1782-1847), founder of Richardson Sons & Owden. OS Memoirs report that Richardson has changed the name to Glenmore, that name being associated with the area in which the house stands. In 1838, the date of the memoirs, Richardson is said to be continuing to improve the seat, as his predecessors had done. “The house is a beautiful square structure, 2-storeys high and slated. Attached at either end of the square house stands handsome round apartments, the same height of the former. There is a fine cornice raised round the entire building, and over the hall door, a very fine portico. At both ends of the house also stands extensive wings, 1-storey high. On the whole it is perhaps one of the most spacious houses in this part of the country.” The OS Memoirs also give a lengthy description of the gardens and grounds and conclude, “It is generally considered to be one of the handsomest seats in the county and well situate for the bleaching business.” The house is listed in the Townland Valuation (1828-40) and given a valuation of £38.5s. The dimensions of the house, porch, wings and circular wings are set out and the first edition of the OS map (1832-3) shows the house as listed and described in OS memoirs. (Rankin, p94; OS Memoirs, p.138)

According to Rankin, Richardson employed Thomas Jackson to make extensive improvements c.1840 including a new front entrance area. However, between the second edition Ordnance Survey map in 1858 which shows the house as similar in plan to the previous edition and Griffith’s Valuation of 1856-64, which gives a sketch of the ground plan of the house, there have been significant changes – the house appears to have been extended to the rear and the single-storey wing to the west has gone, although that to the east remains. The dates of these documents suggest that these changes to the house were carried out c.1860. The valuation of the house is £125, later raised to £160 and dimensions are given.

The OS map of 1901 shows that the house has now been extended forward so that the porch, which initially projected from the building, is now subsumed by wings to either side, and this change may also have taken place c.1860, but subsequent to Griffith’s Valuation. By the time of the Annual Revisions fieldbook dating from 1867 the valuation has been raised further to £180 and it is likely that this is a reflection of the improvements that have been carried out.

The house stayed in the Richardson family after the death of James N Richardson in 1847, but his son Jonathan took less interest in the linen business and lived the life of a country gentleman, the house becoming a hub of social activity. The house remained in the Richardson family until 1901 when it was bought by John M Milliken, a coal importer. By 1923 the house is listed as being occupied by the ‘Linen Industry Research Association’ who own it in fee and the value has been raised to £210. Rankin comments that at this point the house became a focal point for the Irish linen industry and as a centre of research received enquiries from all over the world. With the decline of the industry in the twentieth century the Research Association was forced to close in 1993. The house was then converted to apartments and roof lights and dormer windows were added. (Rankin, p.95-6)

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/64/1 – First Edition OS Map 1832-3
2. PRONI OS/6/1/64/2 – Second Edition OS map 1858
3. PRONI OS/6/1/64/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1901
4. PRONI OS/6/1/64/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1920-1
5. PRONI OS/6/1/64/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1920-31
6. PRONI OS/6/1/64/6 – Sixth Edition OS Map 1920-39
7. PRONI VAL/1/B/127 – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
8. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/59 – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/7A-D – Annual Revisions (1867-1929)
10. PRONI VAL/12/E/38/1– Annual Revisions Town Plan (1907-c1935)
11. Day, A. and P. McWilliams, eds. “Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland, Volume 8, Parishes of County Antrim II, 1832-8” Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1991

Secondary Sources

1. Day, A. and P. McWilliams, eds. “Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland, Volume 8, Parishes of County Antrim II, 1832-8” Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1991
2. Rankin, K “The Linen Houses of the Lagan Valley, The story of their families” Belfast, Ulster Historical Foundation, 2002

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance
V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A large detached multi-bay two-storey rendered, former country house built in c.1860 to the designs of the important architect Thomas Jackson. Located on the south side of Lambeg Road in Lisburn. Restored in recent years and converted for use as apartments, interventions have been largely sympathetic. Externally, some of its original historic fabric and Victorian detailing has been lost as a result of the change of use. Although the internal layout has been modified, some features of interest remained unaltered. Despite these alterations Glenmore House has significant historical associations with the linen industry and is of local architectural and historic interest.