Garden Tower at Loughanmore

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A tall stone tower of rectangular plan, built of shaped greystone fieldstones and rubble in two diminishing stages, surmounted by a circular brick spire with a ball finial on top.
The lower stage of the stone tower contains two Gothic vaulted openings running right through from side to side, the lower one running east to west, the smaller upper one running north to south, both dressed in red brick. Projecting stone plain block cornice to the first stage.
The smaller second stage has a similar Gothic brick vaulted opening running through from east to west at the base of the brick spire.
Tower abutted at the base on south side by boundary walls of the garden projecting to east and west, surmounted by looped ironwork railings which are not tied into the tower. Wide splay or batter to base of tower on east face. Tower leans slightly out of plumb, to the north.

SETTING: The tower stands within the grounds of the Loughanmore estate, to the east of the outbuildings (HB20/06/006A), and north of the ice house tower (HB20/06/006C). It occupies a position on the southern boundary of the former ornamental gardens, which now have been cleared to form an enclosed field.

Historical information

Precise date of building uncertain but the southern boundary of the garden, of which the tower forms part, appears on the OS map of 1832. It appears to have been built as a garden feature, or eyecatcher, in the picturesque manner, and as such probably dates from the late 18th or early 19th century, probably as part of the improvements to the estate carried out by Thomas Benjamin Adair.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1832, Co Antrim 50.
2. Old photographs in possession of the owner in 1999.
Secondary Sources
1. Heritage Gardens Inventory (Belfast, 1992): An/501.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
F. Structural System
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This tower and spire is a good example of a 19th century garden feature built as an eyecatcher to ornament the garden and demesne of a country house. Designed in a Gothic inspired style it combines masonry construction with brickwork. Although the original setting has changed with the obliteration of the formal 19th century garden layout and the loss of the original country house, Loughanmore House, it still enjoys a pleasant pastoral setting. Together with the adjacent towered outbuildings and the nearby ice house tower, it forms part of an interesting and picturesque group.