Gate Lodge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Single storey orné influenced gate lodge of c.1850, set at the main (NE) entrance to the Portaferry House demesne. To the rear is a large extension, added in 1983. The lodge is set to the W of Deerpark Road, at short distance to the N of Portaferry.

The front (N) elevation is asymmetrical and comprises of a recessed bay with porch to the left, and a projecting bay to the right. The recessed bay contains a plain timber sheeted door to its left side and a casement window, with centre mullion and centre horizontal astragal to both panes, to the right. Stone cill. The roof of the porch consists of part of the large overhang of the main roof, supported on three octagonal wooden posts, and has a timber lined ceiling. To the left the porch is open ended. The bay to the right has a centred casement window with stone cill as before.

The east elevation is composed of a side of the extension, to the left, and a gable of the original lodge, to the right. The extension has a centred (rear) door and a casement door to the left with a similar casement window to the right of the door on the corner of a smaller flat roofed extension set within the crux of the ‘L’ between the larger extension original building. Modern slim concrete cills to all extension windows. Small casement window set on stone cill to gable of original lodge.

The south elevation comprises the gable of the extension, which is blank, and a side of the small flat roofed extension with corner window as described above.

West elevation- This elevation consists of a gable of the original building containing a mullioned and transomed bay window with hipped roof with Bangor blue slates and lead flashing, and a side of the extension with a small high level casement window to the left and a larger casement window to the right. All windows on this elevation have slim concrete cills.

The façade of the original portion of the building is unrendered and white washed. The extension is finished in rough cast and painted.

Pitched roof with Bangor blue slates and lead flashing to ridges. Chimney in centre of roof of original section of lodge, with narrow twin square stacks (set at an angle so as to appear diamond shaped) and matching pots. Large overhang to verge and eaves with timber panelling to soffits and decorative barge boards.. No gutter to north elevation, PVC gutters and down spouts to rear.

Historical information

Though this entrance to the Portaferry House Demesne is shown on the OS map of 1834, the actual drive leading from it headed in a southwards direction, until curving west and north-westwards towards the house itself. At this stage the original gate lodge (and possibly the original gates), where set not at the roadside (now Deerpark Road), but further along the original drive to the south.
By 1860 the drive had been reorientated in a south-westerly direction and the present lodge constructed. The building may date from c.1850. The rear extension was added in 1983. The original section of the building was re-roofed at this time also.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/32/1 OS maps, 1st ed., 1834, Down sheet 32
2 PRONI OS/6/3/32/2 OS maps, 1st rev., 1860, Down sheet 32
3 PRONI Second ('Griffith's') valuation, parish of Ardquin 1861 [In print.]
4 PRONI OS/6/3/32/3 OS maps, 2nd ed., 1899-1900, Down sheet 32

Secondary sources
1 G. Philip Bell, C.E.B. Brett, Sir Robert Matthew, 'Ulster Architectural Heritage Survey: Portaferry & Strangford'
(Belfast UAHS 1969)
2 Dick Oram, "The Buildings of Portaferry" in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society No.16' (1992), p. 24
3 J.A.K. Dean, ‘The Gatelodges of Ulster- A Gazetteer’ (Belfast UAHS, 1994), p.89

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Mid nineteenth century, gate lodge, now carefully extended to incorporate modern amenities but still retaining much charm and character.

General comments

This lodge was previously recorded as HB24/01/104