Redburn Lodge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached single and two-storey lodge, built c.1885, probably to designs by John Lanyon, located to the east side of Old Holywood Road, at the junction with Jacksons Road. The former gate lodge comprises a two-storey block on north-south axis abutted by single-storey gabled blocks to east and west, with attached gabled porch to north-east re-entrant angle. Abutted to south by curved boundary wall to enclosed yard.

Roofs are pitched natural slate; deep overhanging eaves with exposed rafter ends; decorative fretted timber bargeboards with dropped finials supported on exposed timber corbels. Single ashlar sandstone corbelled chimneystack with four clay pots located centrally over two-storey block. Rainwater goods are replacement moulded profile cast-aluminium, with round downpipes. Walling is squared-and-snecked rockfaced sandstone with ashlar quoins and moulded sill courses over corbelled plinth. Windows are painted 1/1 timber sliding sashes with sash horns in square headed openings with rockfaced sandstone voussoirs over moulded ashlar sandstone reveals; moulded sandstone sills.

The principal elevation faces north and contains single window at each floor. At east, elevation abutted by gabled entrance porch comprising timber panelled entrance door in moulded surround flanked by classically styled pilasters supporting moulded round-headed arch containing recessed roundel to spandrel. Entrance fronted by gabled open porch comprising sandstone pedestal with infill stone balustrade over sandstone plinth; pedestal surmounted by paired square columns supporting frieze and cornice, broken to centre by moulded round-headed arch. West elevation of open porch enclosed by original decorative wrought-iron screen. East elevation of porch contains, at left, single window flanked at each side by engaged pilasters; at right, opening flanked by pilasters, all supporting moulded frieze and cornice; rockfaced sandstone above to eaves.

At east, two-storey block is abutted at centre by single-storey gabled block. Exposed section at first floor is blank. Single-storey block east elevation contains single window; north and south elevations are blank.

At south, two-storey block contains, at ground floor, central square-headed door opening containing replacement timber panelled door, flanked at left by single window and at right by single stairwell window; single window at first floor. Elevation abutted at right by single-storey timber sheeted lead-to shed.

At west, two-storey block is abutted at centre by single-storey gabled block. Exposed section at left contains single window; exposed section at right is blank. Single-storey block west elevation contains single window; north elevation contains single window; south elevation is blank.

Setting

Set in its own grounds with single-storey timber shed to south. Enclosed yard to south is bounded by curved squared-and-snecked rockfaced sandstone walling with ashlar coping containing timber panelled entrance door at south. Site bounded at north and west by metal railings and hedging; pedestrian access to north via single metal gate supported on octagonal piers. Within garden to east, section of original metal railings and decorative gate post is retained; garden bounded to east by hedging and to south by block walling. Vehicular access to south-west of site comprises double-leaf metal entrance gates supported on square coursed rockfaced stone piers with pyramidal coping flanked by short section of walling to each side.

Roof Natural slate
Walling sandstone
Windows Timbe
RWG cast iron

Historical information

Redburn Lodge dates from c.1885 and is the surviving gate lodge to the former Dunville mansion, Redburn House. Redburn House was built in 1866 and designed by Lanyon, Lynn and Lanyon at a cost of over £28,000 for Robert Grimshaw Dunville (1838-1910), a member of a wealthy whiskey-distilling family. Dunville had interests outside the business and published privately some collections of his poetry, including his own drawings. (Auld, p.76, Newman, p.72)

The gate lodge was added to the estate after the death of Dunville’s neighbour George Jackson of Garden Lodge (HB23/17/005) in 1883. This enabled Dunville to buy up his neighbour’s land and build a new gate lodge at the Holywood end of his estate. The lodge was valued at £13 in 1886, the valuation being included in that of Garden Lodge. Dean states the architect to be ‘probably John Lanyon’. The ‘Lodge’ is captioned on the third edition of 1900-02. (Will of George Jackson; Annual Revisions; Dean, p.91)

After the war Redburn House was demolished and a hotel built on the site. This in turn was demolished and a nursing home constructed, the remaining parkland, together with the lodge, being transferred to the Department of Environment in 1973 as Redburn Country Park. (Auld, p.76-7)

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/B/17/2A-K – Annual Revisions
5. PRONI Will of George Jackson, died 3 September 1883

Secondary Sources

1. Auld, C.”Forgotten Houses of Holywood, Co Down” Holywood: Con Auld, 2002
2. Dean, J. A. K. “The Gate Lodges of Ulster: A Gazetteer.” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1994.
3. Newmann, K “Dictionary of Ulster Biography” Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, Queen’s University, 1993

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Detached single and two-storey lodge, built c.1885, probably to designs by John Lanyon. Formerly the gate lodge to the Dunville mansion, Redburn House (now demolished). This lodge is well detailed in the classical style and has retained much of its character. The timber and metalwork detailing are of note and the plan is largely unchanged from the original. The lodge is a good and original example of the type.