House Keeper Lodgings

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A one-and-a-half storey two-bay house with attached garages, stores and stable, arranged on L-plan about two sides of a courtyard accessed from north via a segmental headed arch with curvy screen wall over, and enclosed to west by a garden wall.

Roof is hipped and half-hipped tiled with bargeboards and exposed rafter tails supporting half-round cast-iron gutters; roughcast chimneystacks. To east ridge is an ornate timber ventilation stack over a tapered tiled base with curvy pavilion roof, tall finial and weathervane. Walling is roughcast. Windows are 1/1 horned timber sashes with projecting concrete cills.

Entrance elevation to northeast, symmetrical (three openings) with breakfront porch having catslide roof; extended to north by a garage wing with segmental-headed window and casement inset to a gable. Southeast elevation is abutted by a flat-roofed porch and has two windows to each floor at right, abutted by stores with catslide roofs to left. Single window to southwest elevation at attic level, overlooking the garden. Southwest courtyard elevation has two timber sheeted garage doors contained beneath a canopy; northwest courtyard elevation has a further set of garage doors and a stable door with transom light and loading door set into a gable over; kitchen window set into a diagonal bay to angle. Loading door to northwest elevation flanked by small sashes.

Historical information

The house bears a date stone of 1901 and is shown on the third edition Ordnance Survey map of 1900-02. It enters valuation records at the same period (1902) as a house, offices, gate lodge and land valued at £143.15s, occupied by Vincent Craig and leased from the Marquis of Dufferin. Valuer’s notes of 1902 give a plan and dimensions for the house and gate lodge and state the cost as ‘about £5,000’.

The house was designed by Vincent Craig, elder brother of Lord Craigavon, for himself. Craig moved to England in 1911 and sold the house to Herbert Brown, a Belfast linen merchant, who is listed as the occupier in 1913. According to Brett, Brown in turn sold it in 1927 to the Mitchell family. In 1933 William Charles Mitchell is listed as the occupier and at this time the accommodation comprises; thirteen bedrooms, three receptions, a kitchen, scullery, two pantries and two bathrooms.

The house was then rented until 1947 to Captain Sam Duffin who then passed it to “new owners who have ever since used it (and still use it) to accommodate overseas visitors, for hospitality, and for training and conferences, for all of which purposes it is admirably suited; though they have managed to retain its domestic character, with many fine pieces of Edwardian furniture...The house was refurbished and in parts redecorated in 1993 under the supervision of Michael Priest of London”. (Brett, p.126)

References:

Primary Sources

1.PRONI OS/6/3/1/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1900-02
2.PRONI OS/6/3/1/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-31
3.PRONI OS/6/3/1/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1938-41
4.PRONI VAL/12/A/3/19 – Annual Revisions Valuers’ Notebook (1902)
5.PRONI VAL/12/B/17/10A-G – Annual Revisions (1867-1930)
6.PRONI VAL/12/B/17/11A-C – Annual Revisions (1888-1930)
7.PRONI VAL/3/D/4/4F/6 – Valuer’s RV Binder (1933-57)

Secondary Sources

1.Brett, C.E.B. “Buildings of North County Down” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2002

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A one-and-a-half storey two-bay house with attached outbuildings forming a yard to the south-east of Rathmoyle (HB23/16/030A). Built 1901 to designs by Vincent Craig as part of the main eclectic-style house. Rathmoyle is one of the best complete houses of its type, retaining its original setting, and is also a good example of the work of a prominent local architect.

General comments

Please note part of this record was originally recorded under HB23/16/030, the record has been split and the House Keeper Lodgings now has the suffix B.