Gardeners Cottage

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay single-storey (with attic) gardeners cottage, built c. 1840, located within Castle Dobbs estate to west of main house and walled garden. Rectangular-on-plan with central gabled porch to east; gabled return and enclosed yard to west.

Roofs are pitched and natural slated with deep overhanging eaves; fretted timber bargeboards; single sandstone chimney with original clay pots. Walling is basalt rubble over granite plinth; dressed granite quoins. Windows are square-headed timber framed lattice lights (timber transoms and mullions) with chamfered sandstone surround; hood moulding with label stops; sandstone sills.

Principal elevation is symmetrical (facing east) consists of central porch; Tudor-arched-headed sandstone entrance with hood moulding and corbelled stops; six-panelled timber door with plain glazed fanlight; surmounted by pointed-arched-headed window containing fixed lattice lights to attic; left and right bays each contain single window.

South elevation contains single tripartite window at ground floor and pointed-arched-headed window to attic.

West elevation is abutted at centre by return and wall enclosing yard; rubble walling with brick quoins and central square-headed opening. Exposed wall at right contains single window; at left, blank.

North elevation detailed as south.

Set within mature estate to west of Castle Dobbs. Walled garden to east, ruin of ancient Castle Dobbs, including remains of archway and tower, to south.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Basalt rubble with dressed granite quoins
Windows: Square-headed timber framed lattice lights with sandstone surround
RWG: Cast-iron round downpipes

Historical information

The demesne of Castle Dobbs was established in the sixteenth century, with the present house (HB22/13/001A) dating to c.1730. The gardeners cottage was a later addition to the demesne, likely along with the neighbouring walled garden (HB22/13/001H).

The first edition OS map of 1832 shows a building on the site, although smaller in size than the current structure. The cottage appears in its current form on the subsequent 1857 edition (a greenhouse is also shown).

The Townland Valuation of 1836 records a dwelling house and offices, owned and occupied by Richard Dobbs Esq. The building is valued at £ 46 14s, later revised to £53.

Griffith’s Valuation of 1859 lists a house, office, gate lodge and land, initially valued at £45, later revised to £12 5s. An accompanying note states “the old farm lot & offices have been pulled down & the new ones built…the amount in the old book to be altered”.

Valuation Revisions from the 1870s record the occupier as Conway Dobbs, held ‘in fee’. The valuation is £120, revised in 1878 to £128. In 1886 the occupier changes to Montague Dobbs. In 1904 the gate lodge entry is crossed out and changed to [S] house. It is at this time that the ‘gardeners house’ is named in the description. A note reads ‘gate lodge deducted in 1904’; the lodge can be found entered separately below, occupied by William Snoddy, and valued at £3.

A smaller house is also annexed from the main estate valuation at this time, occupied by Jacob Johnston, leased from M.W. Dobbs, valued at £2 10s. It is not clear which building this refers to, although it may be the smaller lodge.

In 1914 the entry for ‘Castle Dobbs’ lists a house, office, steward’s house, gardener’s house and land. The building valuation is £125, and the gate lodge is recorded as occupied by Johanna Holt, and then by John Bowes in 1915.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/53/1 - First Edition OS Map (1831-2)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/53/2 - Second Edition OS Map (1857)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/53/3 - Third Edition OS Map (1901-2)
4. PRONI VAL/1/A/ 1/53 - Townland Valuation Map (1836)
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/119 - Townland Valuation Fieldbook (1836)
6. PRONI VAL/2B/1/16 - Griffiths Valuation Fieldbook (1859)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/7/18 A-F - Valuation Revisions (1864-1929)

Secondary Sources

1. NIEA 'Historic Gardens Register'
2. Brett, C[harles] E. B. “Buildings of County Antrim.” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1996.
3. Dixon, Hugh and Alistair J. Rowan, “Notes and Reports,” Monuments and Buildings Record of Northern Ireland, Belfast, Cited in 4. Brett, “Buildings of County Antrim.” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1996.
5. Pierce, Richard and Alastair Coey. “Taken for Granted: A Celebration of 10 Years of Historic Buildings Conservation.” Belfast: The Royal Society of Ulster Architects and The Historic Buildings Council, 1984.
6. Young, Robert Magill. “Belfast and the Province of Ulster in the Twentieth Century.” Pike's New Century Series, ed. W. T. Pike. Brighton : W. T. Pike, 1909.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A detached three-bay single-storey (with attic) gardeners cottage, built c. 1840, located within estate to west of Castle Dobbs and walled garden. The cottage retains some ornate Victorian detailing including timber bargeboards and latticed windows, giving it a picturesque quality. It has group value with the other listed buildings on this estate.