Ice House Tower at Loughanmore

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A circular two-stage pedestal supporting a cluster of three circular columns standing on a grassy mound of irregular shape.
Pedestal has rendered finish but now showing cracks, with smooth cement plinth and frieze; columns are smooth rendered, topped by a moulded circular rendered or stone cap with a wrought iron weathervane on top.
The mound was originally an ice house but it is now closed up with only a small brick lined square flue-like opening still visible on top, loosely covered with a concrete lid.

SETTING: The tower stands within the grounds of the Loughanmore estate, to the east of the outbuildings (HB20/06/006A), and south of the garden tower (HB20/06/006B), and occupies a position near the main driveway.

Historical information

Precise date of columnar tower on ice house not known, but the building of the tower as a garden feature, or eyecatcher, is in the manner of the picturesque movement of garden design of the late 18th to early 19th century. It cannot be identified with certainty on the earlier OS maps but can be seen in an old 19th century photograph and is named as an ice house on the 1965-6 revision of the OS map.

References – Primary Sources
1. Old photographs in possession of the owner in 1999,
Secondary Sources
1. Heritage Gardens Inventory (Belfast, 1992): An/501.
2. IHR 7730.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This columnar tower is an example of a 19th century garden feature built as an eyecatcher to ornament the Loughanmore demesne. It enjoys a pleasant pastoral setting and together with the adjacent towered outbuildings and nearby garden tower it forms part of an interesting and picturesque group.