Lodge in grounds of Thornfield House School

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached five-bay single-storey lodge, built c.1870, located within the grounds of Thornfield School, to the south of Jordanstown Road. Rectangular-on-plan with small entrance porch to east.

Roof is hipped natural slate with rolled leaded ridge (lead removed, batons only remain); exposed rafter-ends to deep overhanging eaves; single yellow brick chimney with replacement pot and two red brick chimneys. Walls are Flemish bonded red brick. Windows are camber-headed (now blocked) with brick voussoirs and painted stepped surrounds; painted masonry sills.

Principal elevation faces east; bay two (from left) is abutted by gabled porch with ornate timber bargeboards and drop finial; elliptical-headed entrance opening containing square-headed entrance door (now partially blocked). Exposed bays to left and right each contain pair of windows.

South elevation is blank.

West elevation is blank.

North elevation is blank.

Setting

Set within grounds of Thornfield School with rear elevation against west boundary fence; residential dwelling beyond. Vegetation and mature trees to immediate surrounding context; school playing field to east.

Roof Natural slate
Walling red brick
Windows timber
RWG Cast-iron

Historical information

The building is first shown on the third edition OS map of 1901-2.

However the records do not show which property the lodge is associated with. From Griffith’s Valuation map of 1858 the lodge would appear to be in the curtilage of ‘Rostulla’, which is recorded in the Valuation Revisions as a ‘house, office, gate lodge and land’, occupied by Samuel Gelston, and leased from William B. Lyons. The building valuation is £100 in total. However it is also possible that the lodge belongs to a nearby property shown on the 1832 map captioned ‘Thornfield’.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/57/1A -First Edition OS Map (1832-33)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/57/2 -Second Edition OS Map (1857)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/57/3 -Third Edition OS Map (1901-2)
4. PRONI VAL/2/A/1/57 –Griffiths Valuation Map (1858)
5. PRONI VAL/12/D/1/57D - Valuation Revisions (1878-1907)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/5/12/A-K -Valuation Revision (1862-1920)
7. PRONI VAL/12/D/1/57/J -Valuation Revisions Map (1901-1919)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A detached five-bay single-storey lodge, built c.1870, located within the grounds of Thornfield School, to the south of Jordanstown Road. Despite its current state of disrepair, the Victorian building retains original ornate timber bargeboards and façade detailing typical of the period. However, it is not of special architectural or historic interest.

General comments

The building was recorded as a listing query HB21/LQ/14