Former Dunleath Arms

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large single storey former hunting lodge / public house of 1902 by W.J. Fennell, in ‘Arts and Crafts’ / English Domestic Revival style with dominating rosemary tile roof, veranda, lych gate-like vehicle entrance, dormers, bays and whitewashed roughcast façade. The building, which has been converted to two dwellings is set on the west side of Main Street, Ballywalter.

The entire building is finished in rough cast. There are decorative clay ridge tiles to the roofs, with clay finials to the rear gables. No.72B has large skylights.

The front (E facing) elevation of the whole building is asymmetrical. It is single storey with dormered attics with a large dominating red tile roof, which stretches to form a timber veranda at the front. In the centre of the front E facade there is a wide arched entrance within an open timbered gabled porch, which leads to a courtyard at the rear. There are two carved harpy-like gargoyle figures attached to the timber pillars supporting the porch. Each side of this porch and courtyard has been converted to separate dwelling houses.

The front of that to the right (No 72B) has two large multi-sided (canted) bays under the veranda, with a central glazed door between both. The bay to the left of the doorway is much smaller and projects only slightly.

The returns to the rear of both houses (which form the uprights of the ‘U’ shape), each have large, multi-pane windows, some with segmental arch heads and brick dressings. These returns appear to have been extended somewhat to the rear, thought these extensions may be almost contemporary.

A brick and rendered wall divides the courtyard, and there is a low castellated rendered wall to the front.

Historical information

The lodge was in built in 1902 for the 2nd Lord Dunleath, by A. Gordon of Newtownards, to designs by W.J. Fennell. It originally catered for hunting parties visiting Ballywalter Park and contained large tea rooms on one side of the building and a bar and hotel accommodation on the other side. The large bay window to the left of No.72A does not appear to be original. The building has now been converted to private residences. W.J. Fennell also worked on the extensions to the main house at Ballywalter Park and also designed the west gate lodge.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/12B/23/6a-f Annual valuation revision books, Ballywalter, 1866-1929
2 'The Irish Builder' Vol.XLIII, No.1012, p.1054, 27 Feb. 1902
3 PRONI VAL/12E/84/1 Valuation plan, Ballywalter, 1902-35
4 UFTM, W.A. Green Collection WAG 1749-50 Photographs of the Dunleath Arms and Main Street, Ballywalter, c.1920

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Large single storey former hunting lodge / public house of 1902 by W.J. Fennell, in ‘Arts and Crafts’ / English Domestic Revival style with dominating rosemary tile roof, veranda, lych gate-like vehicle entrance, dormers, bays and whitewashed roughcast façade, now converted to two dwellings. No.72B is to the south side.