Marino House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A symmetrical two-storey three-bay house, built c.1750, with flanking wings added c.1780, located at the west end of Old Quay Road, Holywood, overlooking the shore of Belfast Lough. The house is L-shaped on plan with flanking single-storey wings having bowed ends and contemporary extension to rear.

Rood is hipped natural slate with leaded hips and blue/black angled clay ridge tiles. Ogee cast-iron rainwater goods and plain rendered chimneystacks with flat caps. Walling is ruled-and-lined rendered over a bevelled plinth. Windows are primarily reinstated 6/6 horned timber sliding sashes with plain reveals; ground floor windows have slightly projecting architraves with plain entablature; windows to wings are tri-partite sashes with entablature, bowed to ends. All cills are painted masonry.

Principal elevation faces west and is symmetrically arranged about a later central projecting flat-roofed porch with salvaged double leaf three-panelled doors having brass pull handle and accessed by a stone step. The corners are articulated by pilasters with fluted capitals, supporting a cornice and blocking course. The wings each have a single window to front and bowed end, and are terminated by large urns supported on pedestals to front and rear.

The south elevation is abutted by the south wing. Exposed sections are blank.

The east elevation is abutted at right by the return (flush with north elevation) and at left by a single-storey outbuilding, now incorporated into the house and in turn abutted by a lean-to conservatory to south. The exposed section has a window to each floor and a modern multi-pane timber door leading to a small rear yard framed located between the abutments. To left cheek, return has two staggered windows to first floor, a diminished 4/4 sash to ground floor right and a stained and leaded insert. The return is extended by a contemporary extension comprising a steel frame infilled with glazed curtain walling to south, walls to match house to remainder.

North elevation and right cheek of return are read as one, with north wing abutting to extreme right end. Fenestration is irregular, including a window set slightly obliquely into the re-entrant angle with north wing.

Setting

The house occupies a garden enclosed by high hedge and rendered wall boundaries and accessed from Old Quay Road at north by modern security gates on rendered piers. The site is now much constrained with development to south, east and north. At front is a gravelled forecourt; to east is a coach-house, now heavily restored and abutting a two-storey building (in separate ownership) accessed from The Close to east. A small access yard leading to The Close is separated from the main rear yard by a large pair of wrought iron gates.

Roof: natural slate
Walling: render
Windows: timber
RWG: cast iron

Historical information

Merrick states that the house dates from the mid-eighteenth century, and internal inspection would appear to confirm this, although it has a late eighteenth century appearance. The current owner states that it was originally a bathing lodge, perhaps for the Kennedy family, and this appears to be supported by the scale of the main house and its fine detailing. (Merrick, p.19)

Wings were added at a later stage which can be dated, from field observation, supported by information from the owners, to the late eighteenth century, although they have an early nineteenth century appearance.

The house is shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1834 captioned ‘Marino Cottage’. The map evidence shows that at this date and until at least the 1930s the stable block was connected to the main house by a long range of outbuildings. At this time the house was the residence of Thomas Ward Esq, who had built a number of bathing lodges in the grounds of the house in the early 1830s (HB23/18/036-039). The house is valued at £31.12s.

On the second edition of 1858 the house is captioned ‘Marino Ho[use]’ and is now the property of Thomas McCammon who leases it from the representatives of Robert Kennedy (in chancery). It is valued at £54 and dimensions are given which include outbuildings; a shed, coach house and scullery. ‘Stone finished and oil painted. Not modern. Offices small and inferior’.

At an unknown date after 1867 Jasper Macauley is in residence. Jasper Macauley & Co are listed in the Belfast and Ulster Street Directory for 1852 as merchants, brokers and commission agents and Macauley is stated to have a residence in 15 College Square North. He was also the owner of a gateway, loft, stores and yard in Albert Square which were compulsorily purchased in 1852 to make way for the new Customs House. (Belfast and Ulster Street Directory, 1852; An Act...1852)

The next resident was Charles H Ward who was living in the house in 1872. Ward was solicitor to the Belfast Board of Guardians of the Poor and was followed by James Connolly who paid a rent of £75. The valuation is reduced to £44 by this time, which may indicate that it was in need of repair. (Hansard 1883, p.910)

A succession of tenants followed and in 1917 the occupier was James Wood, a solicitor who had previously been MP for East Down from 1902-6. Valuer’s notes from 1917 concerning a complaint about the valuation give a plan and dimensions for the building and show the stable block to the rear connected to the house by a range of outbuildings. (Proudfoot, p.320)

In 1933 the house continues to be occupied by James Wood and is leased from Henry J Harris. The accommodation comprises four bedrooms, four receptions, a kitchen, three sculleries, a bathroom and WC. A plan and dimensions are given.

In a 1935 appeal, the valuer comments that the house has a very nice situation and is quiet with good views but has very few bedrooms ‘for this class of property’. In 1936 the house is valued at £68 later dropped to £65 and it is noted that the ‘present tenant is leaving’.

By 1967 ALG Moody QC was the owner of Marino House and after his death his wife continued to live in the house for some years. The present owners have carried out extensive restoration. (Parliamentary Debates, Vol 49)

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/A/3/21 – Valuer’s notebook (1911-1917)
11.PRONI VAL/12/B/17/10A-G – Annual Revisions (1867-1930)
12.PRONI VAL/12/B/17/11A-C – Annual Revisions (1888-1930)
13.PRONI VAL/3D/4/4/A/5 – Valuers RV Binder 1933-57
14.Belfast and Ulster Street Directory, 1852
15.An Act to empower the Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Customs to acquire certain Land and Houses in the Borough of Belfast, for the purpose of erecting a Custom house and other Offices and Buildings required for the Public Service in the said Borough, 17th June 1852
16.Hansard’s Parliamentary Debates 1883, p.910
17.Parliamentary Debates, The Northern Ireland Senate Official Report, Volume 49

Secondary Sources

1.Merrick, Tony “Buildings of Holywood” Holywood: Holywood Advertiser, 1986
2.Owner Information
3.Proudfoot, L J “Down: History and Society” Dublin: Geography, 1997

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Marino House is a fine mid to late eighteenth century house of two storeys and three bays. The house is distinguished by elegant Georgian proportions and restrained detailing, modestly scaled to reflect the informal status of the house, probably as a shore-side retreat or bathing house. The house is enhanced by later eighteenth/early nineteenth century bowed wings terminated by urns. Marino House is one of the earliest surviving buildings in the Marino area, representative of the taste and quality of the period. It is a good example of the type and its early development. Although compromised, sufficient survives of its setting to add to the whole.