Gate Lodge, 20 Bridge Road South, Helens Bay, Bangor, BT19 1JT

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey two-bay Victorian gate-lodge built c.1870. Rectangular plan with extension to the rear. Located at the entrance to Crawfordsburn Country Park.

Pitched natural slate roofing with clay ridge tiles and decorative barge boards. uPVC rainwater goods; cast-iron hopper head. Tall ashlar chimney with large cavetto cornice. Quarry-faced basalt rubble walling with ashlar quoins; projected plinth. Double glazed 2/2 timber sliding sash; long-and-short ashlar surrounds with chamfered jambs head and projected cill.

The principal elevation faces north and is asymmetrically arranged. Two-storey gable to the right slightly projected; single window centrally located to first floor; ground floor abutted by lean-to timber framed porch with pointed arched sidelights flanking with transom. Door; timber sheeted; pointed-arched with large decorative wrought-iron strap hinges; matching windows to cheeks over tongue and groove aprons. Single-storey to the left with centrally located window.

The left (east) gable is blank. Partially extended to the left tied in with a hipped roof; new window opening.

The rear (south) gable is abutted by an extension c.2000 replacing former abutting lean-to outbuildings. Extension comprises single-storey gable ended projection on the left (blank face) and a flat-roofed bay to the right incorporating a single window.

The right (west) elevation has an arrow-head projecting bay centrally located. Extension comprises catslide roof to left incorporating a single window; central half glazed uPVC door; single window to right.

Setting
Located at the entrance to Crawfordsburn Country Park to the east of Bridge Road South. Mature trees to the north, east and south; agricultural land beyond the hedge parallel to the busy road to the west. Site bounded by timber fence enclosing small garden and gravel car parking. Original gate screen removed. Adjacent to lodge are entrance gates to Crawfordsburn Country Park consisting of short square stone piers (possibly contemporary to replacement house HB23/15/007A) with plain modern metal gates.

Roofing: Natural slate
Walling: Stone
Windows: Painted timber sliding sash - double glazed
RWG: uPVC

Historical information

The lodge is first shown, captioned, on the third edition OS map of 1901. It is the gate lodge, known as the ‘Helen’s Bay Lodge’, to Crawfordsburn House, a mansion of c1820 which was replaced in 1906 by a house to designs by Vincent Craig (HB23/15/007A). (Patton, p.61)

Dean dates the lodge to c1870, but the architect is unknown. (Dean, p.71) The lodge currently belongs to the NIEA and is let to the Scouts who have a camp site in Crawfordsburn Country Park, the former grounds of Crawfordsburn House. The lodge provides accommodation for the manager of the Scouts’ campsite and was extended c2000.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/2/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1901
2. PRONI OS/6/3/2/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-26
3. PRONI OS/6/3/2/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1939

Secondary Sources

1. Dean, J. A. K. “The Gate Lodges of Ulster: A Gazetteer.” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1994.
2. Patton, M, “Bangor, An Historical Gazetteer” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1999

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A two-storey two-bay Victorian gate-lodge, built c.1870. Although altered and extended to the rear c.2000, it retains much of its original character and picturesque detailing. Its setting has been affected by the removal of the original gate screen. Forming part of the original Crawfordsburn House Estate it is of interest as a good example of the type.

General comments

Please note this record has been renumbered it was previously record as HB23/15/029