Victoria Cemetery,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Rectangular cemetery grounds to the west of Victoria Road, enclosed by stone boundary wall with iron entrance gate screen and two-bay two-storey entrance lodge to the southeast corner, built 1904, containing 20th century grave memorials.

Gate Screen
Entrance comprises pair of decorative wrought-iron gates supported on a pair of square-plan cast-iron piers with decorative panels, which also support a wrought-iron depressed arch containing iron lettering.. “VICTORIA CEMETERY”. To either side is a wrought-iron pedestrian gate supported on a large square-plan rock-faced sandstone ashlar pier with pyramidal capstone. Extending from both piers is a low rock-faced stone wall laid on an S-plan with sandstone ashlar coping and spear-headed wrought-iron railings terminating in a further stone pier (as above). To the north end, enclosing the front garden to the gate lodge, there is a further wrought-iron pedestrian gate and railing with low wall and piers as above.

Gate Lodge
Detached two-bay two-storey brick and render gate lodge, built c.1905, facing south to the north of the gate screen set on an L-plan with its east side elevation facing the road. Single-storey extension to rear containing toilets and a garage.
Pitched natural slate roof with terracotta ridgecomb tiles and a pair of redbrick chimneystacks to either gable end having moulded cornice, dog-tooth stringcourse and terracotta pots. Replacement plastic fascia and plastic rainwater goods to all gables with the two gables to the front elevation having replacement timber finials. Painted rough-cast render walling with redbrick quoins to all corners, three redbrick buttresses to the east gable and a feature redbrick chimneystack to either gable end having a staggered profile. Pointed-headed front door and window openings with flush gauged redbrick, arranged in pairs to the front elevation, with shared concrete sills, uPVC windows and uPVC door.

The cemetery is enclosed by a rubblestone wall with bitmac driveways and footpaths laid out in a symmetrical fashion among a variety of stone and iron grave markers spanning the 20th century. The wall has an opening to its north boundary giving access to the extension of the cemetery to the north.

Historical information

A cast-iron plaque on the wrought-iron archway over the entrance gate (plaque on site before 1978), reads ‘'Opened 10th Dec 1904, presented to Carrickfergus by Hugh G Legg Esq, Cape Town, in memory of his father and mother, residents of this town”. The Urban District Council of Carrickfergus provided the cemetery at a cost of £2, 500, according to a website history of the site.

References

Secondary Sources:
1. Irish Gravestone Inscriptions. [Internet source].
Available
from
Accessed 12th December, 2008.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Elaborate gate screen with intricate railings and quality stone masonry are of considerable interest. Unfortunately the gate lodge has been altered recently and together they are not of sufficient interest to merit listing.