Walled Garden

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Built c.1840, located within demesne to west of Castle Dobbs. Rectangular-on-plan with mono-pitched glasshouse to south-west corner; single-storey potting sheds abut south wall internally.

Walling is coursed rubble basalt over projecting plinth; rounded rubble coping. Single rendered corbelled chimneystack to south-east corner.

Principal elevation faces west; at left, red brick projecting bay with flat concrete coping contains segmental-headed entrance to garden; brick voussoirs; double-leaf vertically sheeted timber doors with pass door in right. At right, curved walling continues to north and east elevation; cast-iron wall-ties at base.

East elevation is continuous rubble walling at left; brick bay at right containing vertically sheeted timber door.

South elevation is ruled-and-lined rendered, abutted at right by glasshouse on rubble plinth containing timber casement openings to base; red brick surrounds; square-headed timber vertically sheeted door to east. At left, recesses at high level reveal rubble structure behind (evidence of previous structure).

Set within mature estate to west of Castle Dobbs. Gardener’s cottage and ruin of ancient Castle Dobbs, including remains of archway and tower, to west; Castle Dobbs to east.

Roof N/A
Walling Basalt rubble
Windows N/A
RWG N/A

Historical information

The demesne of Castle Dobbs was established in the sixteenth century, with the present house (HB22/13/001A) dating to c.1730. This walled garden was a later addition to the demesne, likely along with the neighbouring gardeners cottage (HB22/13/001B), c.1840.

The garden first appears on the 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 a ‘gardeners house’ is entered 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. Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Register of Historic Parks, Gardens and Demesnes.
2. Brett, C[harles] E. B. “Buildings of County Antrim.” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1996.
3. 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 walled garden, built c.1840, located within estate to west of Castle Dobbs. The walled garden remains intact including a bothy and garden stores. It is still maintained and used as a garden by the current owner of the estate. This is a fine example of an estate walled garden, retaining original form and layout, which has group value with the main house and the other listed buildings of the Castle Dobbs estate.

General comments

This record has been renumbered as part of a group - previously included in HB22/13/001.