West entrance gates & twin gate lodges

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Pair of single storey, snecked rubble-built, Georgian Gothick 'ink pot' gate lodges of c.1810 set on either side of the gates to the western entrance to the Mount Stewart estate on the east side of the Portaferry Road roughly 2 miles north west of Greyabbey.

West lodge - This N section of this lodge is basically rectangular but with octagonal gable ends; there is a rectangular section attached to the S side. The roofs of the two parts follow the plan forms and are of Bangor blue slates with ridge and hip cappings. The N section of the lodge has a tall brick chimney stack now painted a bluish grey colour. Cast iron rw goods.

The N elevation of this lodge has two pointed arch windows with ‘Y’ tracery and stone surrounds. There is a similar window to each side of the canted bay to the W (which faces directly out onto the Portaferry Road). The N face of the canted bay to the E has a similar window, with a timber and glazed door set in similar styled opening in face to S.

To the S elevation of this lodge is a smaller hipped roof section. On the E face of this section is a window as before, but the wall itself is finished in roughcast render. The W face of this section (which faces directly unto the Portaferry Road) has rectangular window opening (which may not be original) now with modern frame. The estate wall adjoins the S side of this facade.

There is a low circular rubble wall attached to the N facade of the lodge, containing a small plant filled garden.

East lodge - This lodge is no longer inhabited and appears to used as a store and is largely obscured by greenery, so much so that it is difficult to see the N, S and E elevations. The lodge appears to match the plan of the N section of the west lodge, but has no section to the S. The roof has octagonal hipped ends and is of Bangor blue slates with stone ridge and hip cappings. The only opening now visible is a pointed arch window opening (with frame and surround as above) on the N face of the W canted bay. There is a wrought iron pedestrian gate attached to this face of the W bay also. There is an octagonal stone chimney in the centre of the roof.

Between both lodges is a low wall in matching basalt rubble with a gently curving top. In the centre are simple Scrabo stone piers with chamfered caps. On each pier are decorative (electric) carriage lamps supported on wrought iron scrolls. The gates themselves have much fine detailed decoration and are now operated by hydraulic rams.

Historical information

Both of these lodges are shown on the OS map of 1834 and though there is no definitive evidence, they appear to have been built between 1804 and 1813. They may have been the work of George Dance, the architect responsible for the design of west wing of Mount Stewart house itself which also dates from this time, or of William Vitruvius Morrison, the man later responsible for redesigning much of the same house in c.1820-30. Alternatively, as both lodges share similar characteristics to the abbey gate lodge of near by Rosemount House, they may simply be the work of well informed local craftsmen, familiar with the latest in Gothick taste. It is not clear whether the hipped roof section to the rear of the west lodge is original, however, as both lodges do not match, it could be argued that it is indeed a later addition.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.654 Londonderry Papers. [The
references concerning the Mount Stewart estate within this archive are numerous, however of particular interest are sections D.654/H1/1-7 (estate accounts 1781-1864), H/2/1-8 (estate ledgers 1781-1864) and M71 (estate maps). Section N2/24 also contains letters written by the 3rd Marquesses agent, John Andrews, concerning the demesne)]
2 PRONI OS/6/3/11/1 OS maps, Down 11, 1834
3 PRONI VAL/1B/33 First valuation, Greyabbey, c.1834-38
4 PRONI VAL/2B/3/4 Second valuation, Greyabbey, c.1859
5 PRONI OS/6/3/11/2 OS maps, Down 11, 1860
6 PRONI VAL/12B/23/16a-f Annual valuation revision books, Greyabbey, 1866-1930

Secondary sources
1 J.A.K. Dean, 'The Gate lodges of Ulster- a gazetteer' (Belfast, 1994), p.85
2 G.C. Taylor, "Mount Stewart County Down I & II" in 'Country Life', Vol.LXXVIII, No.2020, 5 & 12 October 1935
3 'Archaeological Survey of County Down' (Belfast, 1966), pp.374-376
4 Gervase Jackson-Stops, "Mount Stewart Co. Down Parts 1 & 2" in 'Country Life', 6 & 13 March 1980
5 'Mount Stewart' (National Trust, 1986)
6 Patrick Bowe, 'The gardens of Ireland', pp.163-73
7 Anne Casement, 'Mount Stewart landscape study' (National Trust Northern Ireland Region, 1995)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Pair of single storey, snecked rubble-built, octagonal Georgian Gothick 'ink pot' gate lodges of c.1810 set on either side of the gates to the western entrance to the Mount Stewart estate.