Woburn Memorial Hall

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Single storey gabled hall built in snecked random basalt rubble with sandstone dressings. The hall is situated on the SE side of the Woburn Road c.1 mile E of Carrowdore, at the entrance to the lane way to the parish church.

Front NW elevation has a gabled porch projection to the right the NW facade of which contains timber sheeted double door set in elliptical arch headed doorway with chamfered sandstone dressings and square label moulding with carved drops. Sandstone band above doorway with carved inscription. Small PVC two pane PVC window to both NE and SW elevations of projection. Large ‘mullioned’ PVC window to right of porch projection, with two similar to left. Chimney breast between windows to left of porch rising to roof and tall unusually shaped yellow brick chimney stack. To the far left on the front facade is a larger gabled projection.

The NW elevation of this projection has a large window with chamfered sandstone ‘surround’ forming two sets of three lights, one set directly above the other with sandstone mullions. The lower lights are taller and have flat arch heads and PVC frames. The smaller upper lights also have PVC frames but elliptical arch heads. Between both sets of lights are carved sandstone panels with decorative initials. Square label moulding above window.

SW gable has window as large gabled projection at front but with small lights instead of panels.

NE gable has timber sheeted double door to left with chamfered sandstone surround and three light fanlight with sandstone mullions. Window to right of door with broader (but squatter) window at upper level. Both windows have PVC frames. This gable merges with the NE facade of a rear gabled projection. This facade has a PVC window.

Rear elevation of hall has a PVC window (same as window to right of porch at front) to the left, with a chimney breast (with chimney stack etc. as front), to the left of this. To the far right at the rear is a large gabled projection with a PVC window to the ground and upper level on the SE (rear) gable. Attached to the SW facade of this projection and the rear (SE) facade of the main building is a lean to-like projection with a timber sheeted door with two small-ish fixed light PVC window to the SE facade of the projection. The window to the left on the SE facade of this projection appears to have been a doorway at some stage.

The roofs are pitched with Bangor blue slates and have an overhang. PVC ogee gutters and square down spouts. All windows now have grills. Sections of decorative cast iron railings to road side at front.

Historical information

This hall was built in 1892 as a gift to the parish of Carrowdore from Georgiana Dunbar-Buller of Woburn. It was built in memory of her elder brother Captain John Dunbar who had died in 1884. The building originally comprised of a hall, with small classroom, the parochial library and a caretaker’s house, a house which appears to have remained occupied up until the 1960s. In 1966 a new toilet and kitchen were installed and the entire structure was renovated again (and PVC windows added) in the early 1990s. The NE section of the building (i.e. the house) once had two chimney stacks, but these were removed at some point, possibly shortly after the house ceased to be occupied (c.1960s).

References- Secondary sources
1 Susan E. Pack-Beresford 'Christ Church Carrowdore' (Belfast 1994), pp.28-9, 90

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Rubble built single storey parish hall of 1892, recently ‘modernised’ and now sporting PVC window frames, but still substantially intact