Craigowen Lodge, 208 Bangor Road, Holywood, BT18 0JE

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A single-storey three-bay Italianate lodge, designed by Thomas Turner, built 1851, located at what was once the entrance to Craigavad House, now the Royal Belfast Golf Club (HB23/16/001), on the north side of the Bangor Road, Craigavad. Rectangular on plan with central portico.

Pitched corrugated metal roof with sandstone kneelers and overhanging eaves resting on timber brackets. Slender ashlar chimney with scroll moulding; plinth with cornice and two terracotta pots. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods with cast-iron brackets. Walling is buff sandstone with a raised plinth and continuous string course at sill level; quoins to string course. All windows are blind; round-head, bead moulded and banded surround with engaged colonette reveals having carved acanthus leaves at capitals.

The principal elevation faces west; entrance door (now boarded) is in round-headed bead moulded opening. Central projecting portico flanked by window openings. Accessed by four stone steps with fretted stone balustrade to north and south, the Portico comprises two semi-circular arches carried on a central column and two columns to either side, which are engaged to stone piers. The capitals are ornately carved acanthus leaves and scallop shells. Spandrel with ornamental bracket resting on carved maiden’s head; two further timber brackets to north and south resting on sandstone ovolo-shaped support.

The north elevation has paired window openings below a carved roundel depicting a scallop shell. Decorative carved timber brackets under eaves to centre of gable and at both corners, resting on sandstone supports.

The rear elevation is concealed by overgrown planting.

The south elevation is a mirror of the north elevation.

Setting

Located to the north of the busy A2 carriageway, the land surrounding the gate lodge is much overgrown; trees and modern field gate to north; trees and rubble stone wall to east. Bounded to road by a modern smooth rendered wall having coping stones and piers with pointed caps; inverted entrance with piers and pointed caps; modern metal gate containing vertical bars topped by pointed finials.

Roof: Corrugated metal
Walling: Sandstone
Windows: Blind
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

Craigowen Lodge was built as a gate lodge to Craigavad House, now the Royal Belfast Golf Club (HB23/16/001). It is first shown on the second edition Ordnance Survey map of 1858, uncaptioned. Although there was a house at Craigavad at least from the eighteenth century, the gatehouse dates from the rebuilding of Craigavad by John Mulholland of York Street Flax Spinning and Weaving Company c.1850. Thomas Turner was the architect of the new house and appears also to have designed the gatehouses, of which there were originally three, only two of which are mentioned in Griffith’s Valuation of the period (1856-64), each valued at £8. The gatehouses are subsequently added into the valuation for Craigavad House itself. This lodge appears to have been referred to as ‘Bangor Lodge’, while the other two were ‘Central Lodge’ and ‘Belfast Lodge’. The lodge bears the scallop shell family crest of the Mulhollands. (Dean, p.70; Auld, p.31-2)

By 1933 the occupier is Arthur C Medlicott, later William Robert Matthews and the lodge is now part of the ‘Craigowen’ estate which is occupied by Alfred A Agar. Craigavad has now become the Golf Club House. The valuer notes that the lodge is ‘free of rent during term of employment with [Alfred A Agar]’. The house is supplied with water from a pump and is lit by oil lamps. The valuer notes, ‘House will be fitted with electric light later on as soon as main reaches this point, thinks about end September’. It has two bedrooms, one reception, a kitchen and scullery and is valued at £4, later raised to £7. A plan and dimensions are given, showing the house, porch and a W.C. in an outhouse.

Craigowen House, which was latterly owned by the Glencraig Camphill Community, was demolished in 1995. (Auld, p.48)

References:

Primary Sources

1.PRONI OS/6/3/1/2 – Second Edition OS map 1858
2.PRONI OS/6/3/1/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1900-02
3.PRONI OS/6/3/1/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-31
4.PRONI OS/6/3/1/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1938-41
5.PRONI VAL/2/B/3/1 – Griffith’s Valuation Map (1856-64)
6.PRONI VAL/2/B/3/18B – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
7.PRONI VAL/12/B/17/10A-G – Annual Revisions (1867-1930)

Secondary Sources

1.Auld, C.”Forgotten Houses of Holywood, Co Down” Holywood: Con Auld, 2003
2.Dean, J. A. K. “The Gate Lodges of Ulster: A Gazetteer.” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1994.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A refined Italianate single-storey three-bay sandstone lodge, built 1851, to designs by Thomas Turner. Although the gate screen and avenue have been lost it retains some relationship with Craigavad House, now the Royal Belfast Golf Club (HB23/16/001A). Most architectural detailing has survived and the sculpted masonry and carved timber are of superior quality and craftsmanship. The lodge remains an fine example of its type and of the work of Turner.

General comments

Please note this record has been renumbered it was previously recorded as HB23/16/010.