The Royal Belfast Golf Club

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A symmetrical three-bay two-storey former country house, built 1851 in a restrained Italianate style to designs by Thomas Turner. Now functioning as the club house of Royal Belfast Golf Club and located in extensive grounds at Craigavad on the south shore of Belfast Lough. The house is square-on-plan abutted at east by a lesser east wing back-to-back with an L-shaped south return, and further extended to east by a large modern extension. There is also a small single storey annexe to east end of north return, with a curved porch to re-entrant angle.

Hipped natural slate roofs with lantern to central valley of principal block, leaded ridges and hips. Chimneystacks are sandstone ashlar with moulded caps and stepped bases, all with terracotta pots. Stone gutters on heavy moulded stone eaves cornice over plain frieze to main block; minor adjuncts have profiled cast-iron gutters on stone eaves, some uPVC downpipes. Walling is ashlar sandstone on a bead moulded plinth, band rusticated to ground floor with moulded string between floors and continuous cill course to first floor. South return is painted rendered, east wing is as main house. Windows are segmental-headed to main block and east wing, all set in slightly recessed reveals (moulded to first floor). Primarily timber sashes throughout in various configurations, generally 2/1 (horizontally divided) to ground floor, 6/6 to first floor (exceptions are noted in elevation descriptions below). East wing has 1/1; return has square-headed 6/6 to ground floor, 6/3 to first floor, segmental-headed 6/6 tripartite to projecting end.

Principal (entrance) elevation faces south and is symmetrically arranged with a window to each bay at either side of a central Doric portico surmounted by a balustraded parapet. Within the portico are three openings, all divided by pilaster responds with pronounced entasis and each set in a classically styled surround consisting of moulded stone archivolt rising from pilasters with architrave and plain frieze over. Opening consists of a central double-leaf timber door (each leaf with two raised-and-fielded panels) flanked by a 3-light (horizontally divided) window at either side; bell push to right; stone flagged threshold to portico. Three narrower windows to first floor centre. Two small modern windows inserted (lighting WCs) to either side of ground floor right window.

West elevation is also symmetrical and has four openings to each floor and a stone balcony supported on paired corbel brackets with moulded soffit and balustraded parapet. Two central openings at each floor are French doors, each having a tall two-light transom. Ground floor doors open onto a paved terrace enclosed by a stone balustrade and accessed by two stone steps flanked by urns on circular-section corniced pedestals on square plinths.

North elevation faces the Lough; central bay to main block is bowed and has three windows to each floor. Side bays each have a single window; those to ground floor are wider; that to left is tripartite with stone mullions and that to right has mullions removed, replaced with a modern plate glass pane with top-hung casement openings.

The east elevation is abutted by the east wing and return. North elevation of east wing has five equally spaced windows to first floor; ground floor has four windows similarly aligned with the exception of the extreme left side which is abutted by a quadrant porch leading to the annexe.

The annexe is a single-storey single-bay structure with painted rendered walling, with roof concealed by a blocking course over moulded cornice; it is lit to north and west by round-headed 2/2 sash window to each side set in a rebated moulded reveal with continuous string course at impost level over banded rustication. North window is set in a breakfront projection and flanked by two blind roundels above string course. The porch has a four-panelled door with semi-circular transom all set in a curved classical stucco surround with entablature and decorative spandrel panels, all accessed by three curved stone steps.

The south elevation of the return has four windows to upper floor and three irregularly spaced windows to ground floor; angle with main block has an early twentieth-century open porch with cornice and blocking course, over a timber door with glazed panels. Projecting right end has a window to each floor.

The extension is modern and of no interest.

Setting

The Club House is set in several acres of land, landscaped and managed as a golf course. There are terraced gardens and lawns to west and north, stepping down to the wooded shore of Belfast Lough. To east is a large tarmac carpark. The site is accessed from Station Road at west by a long tarmac road, tree lined to western end.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Stone
Windows: Timber
RWG: Stone gutters / cast-iron / uPVC

Historical information

A Craigavad House was in existence in 1783 as the home of the Pottinger family, who were among Belfast’s founders; Thomas Pottinger being Town Sovereign in 1661. However, by 1817 the house had been acquired by Arthur Forbes. (Auld, p.31)

‘Craigavad House’ is shown, captioned, on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1834. The building is also listed in the Townland Valuation as the residence of Arthur Forbes and valued at £35.13s. Forbes is described in 1848 as “an excellent country-gentleman and magistrate…from whose demesne there is an enchanting view of the sea as bounded by the Antrim coast”. An engraving made by a relative of Forbes depicts the house and surrounding countryside in 1844. (‘Ernest Singleton’, p.280; Auld, p.31)

Following Forbes death, the house was acquired by John Mulholland, and was rebuilt in 1851 to designs by Thomas Turner, formerly an assistant to Charles Lanyon, but by this time practising on his own account. The contractors were John Kelly and Robert McCready of Belfast and the estimated cost was £3,379. (www.dia.ie)

This new house is shown on the second edition OS map (1858) and the rebuild is reflected in Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) which raises the value to £200 and then to £240. The occupier is John Mulholland who leases the property from the Representatives of Robert J Kennedy. It is a house, gate lodges, steward’s house and land. The valuer is effusive in his praise, “A splendid house…very superior. Grounds about house very ornamental” and again “A first class house. Stone fronted and in excellent repair – offices also first class. Beautifully laid out grounds”. The accommodation comprises a house with billiard room, laundry, drying loft and kitchen. There is also a farmyard with steward’s house, barn, piggery and stable – dimensions are given. Two gate lodges are valued at £8 each.

John Mulholland had inherited his father’s flax spinning business and renamed it the York Street Flax Spinning Mills, the largest firm of flax spinners, linen manufacturers and distributors in the world. He was also prominent in public life and was a Justice of the Peace for Antrim and Down, High Sheriff of Down in 1868 and of Tyrone in 1873. He was elected MP for Downpatrick between 1874 and 1885, and became Baron Dunleath in 1892. (Newmann, p.189-90)

Annual revisions see a fall in the value of the property to £245 noted in the margin as a ‘railway deduction’ in 1863, due to the arrival of the railway line to Bangor. By 1869 the house is occupied by George Washington Charters who appears to be renting the house from John Mulholland and by 1882 Sir Edward Porter Cowan had bought the property. During his residence the valuation of the house rises to £300 and this is consistent with a major remodelling of the building at this time, which is also clear from the third edition OS map of 1900-2.

Sir Edward Porter Cowan was a whiskey distiller who was appointed Mayor of Belfast in 1881 and was knighted the same year. He was Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum for the county of Antrim with responsibility for appointing magistrates. His other appointments included Chairman of the Board of the Ulster Bank, Director of the Great Northern Railway and Director of the Belfast Steamship Company. He died of typhoid fever in 1891 at the age of 47. (Newmann, p.49)

The house was then let by the Cowan family to A M Kirker ‘probably the largest individual grower of early potatoes in Ireland’. (Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Journal, 1906)

In 1910 the house was acquired by John C White, who went on to be Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1919.

The Royal Belfast Golf Club bought the house and surrounding grounds in 1925 for £6,000 from White’s widow and had a course designed by the eminent English course architect, H C Colt, who also laid out Royal Portrush. A major refurbishment costing £40,000 was undertaken in 1958 and in 1978 a grand central hall rising through the centre of the building was incorporated. (Auld, p.31, UA International 2000)

An extension was added to the clubhouse in 2000, designed by Barrie Todd Architects and replacing an earlier extension of the 1960s. This has added a new informal bar and glazed entrance to the club. (UA International 2000)

References:

Primary Sources

1.PRONI OS/6/3/1/1 – First Edition OS Map 1834
2.PRONI OS/6/3/1/2 – Second Edition OS map 1858
3.PRONI OS/6/3/1/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1900-02
4.PRONI OS/6/3/1/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-31
5.PRONI OS/6/3/1/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1938-41
6.PRONI VAL/1/A/3/1 – Townland Valuation Map (1828-40)
7.PRONI VAL/1/B/318 – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
8.PRONI VAL/2/B/3/1 – Griffith’s Valuation Map (1856-64)
9.PRONI VAL/2/B/3/18B – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
10.PRONI VAL/12/B/17/10A-G – Annual Revisions (1867-1930)
11.PRONI VAL/12/B/17/11A-C – Annual Revisions (1888-1930)
12.Author of Dr Hookwell ‘Ernest Singleton’ London: Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street, 1848

Secondary Sources

1.Auld, C.”Forgotten Houses of Holywood, Co Down” Holywood: Con Auld, 2003
2.Newmann, K “Dictionary of Ulster Biography” Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, Queen’s University, 1993
3.www.dia.ie – Dictionary of Irish Architects online
4.Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ireland, Journal, Vol 6, p.13 (1906)
5.UA International, Vol 16, No 10, p.36-9 (2000)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
W. Northern Ireland/International Interest

Evaluation

The club house at Royal Belfast Golf Club is a two-storey three-bay symmetrical house built in 1851 in restrained Italianate style to designs by Thomas Turner. The house is robustly proportioned, with solid entrance front dominated by a Doric portico, and two garden fronts, one with a two storey bowed bay. The ornamentation is simple to the exterior, appropriate to the style, and representative of the period. Turner had spent some time in the employ of Sir Charles Lanyon, and his influence is much in evidence in the detailing, particularly in the impressive arcaded central stair hall. In general its historic aspect remains intactand an original lodge survives (HB23/16/010), although now separated. The interior is well preserved, with the original plan layout surviving and contains some fine period plasterwork. The house is of some historical significance, having been associated with a series of prominent industrialists and merchants representative of Belfast’s developing fortunes during the nineteenth century. The house and setting are a fine example of a prominent residence typical of the area and, although with several acres of golfing greens, the gardens and woodland, and uninterrupted views over Belfast Lough have maintained some of its original status and character.

General comments

Please note this record has been renumbered it was previously recorded as HB23/16/001.