71 Spring Farm Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 1½ storey building, originally the gate lodge for Holywell Hospital and designed in the same architectural manner as the original hospital complex, but now used as a private house. Main entrance faces south.

South elevation symmetrical; walling of red brick with moulded brick plinth and stringcourse; white painted plaster coving to eaves each side of a projecting central entrance bay which contains a small plain glazed elliptical window in the gable; natural slates to roof which is half-hipped to the gables at each end; modern glazed and panelled door set in an elliptically arched opening, with what looks like a later open porch with open timber gabled roof of natural slates and plain corner posts; one window in ground floor to each side of entrance, modern PVC windows, replacements for original timber sliding sashes, in segmental arched openings.
Original east and west gables are two-storey, half-hipped, and contain similar windows to entrance front.
Later rear extension is of two storeys, in modern brickwork, with synthetic slates to gabled roof, and rectangular window openings.

SETTING: The building stands next to the main road, within its own garden, with its west side set back slightly from the main road and its entrance overlooking the driveway to the hospital complex which it was originally built for. It looks onto a large field beyond the hospital driveway. Front boundary walling of red brick to the west end, connected with the curved screen walls of the main entrance gateway to the hospital; with horizontal timber fencing to the east end; modern slatted timber gate leads to front porch.

Historical information

Designed by the architect John Lanyon as a gatelodge for the County Antrim Lunatic Asylum at Holywell which was built in 1894-9. It had ceased to be used as a gatelodge for the hospital by 1994, suffered some subsequent vandalism including the destruction of its original stairway by fire, and was then sold in 1995 to a private owner.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1902, Co Antrim 50.
Secondary Sources
1. M. Mulholland, To Comfort Always: A History of Holywell Hospital 1898-1998 (Ballymena, 1998).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This is a remodelling of a late 19th century building by a prominent Irish architect, designed originally as part of an overall hospital complex of some architectural interest but it has lost a number of its original features as well as its original overall architectural character.