Hardford Lodge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Unusual two storey gabled formal house of perhaps c.1835-40 with outward curving wings at each gable end, now used as offices. The building is situated at the W end of West Street in the NW corner of the town of Newtownards.

Front S facade has a central stone ‘Ards’ doorway enclosing semicircular arch fanlight and PVC door. To the left is a window opening with simple surrounds including entablature, cornice and blocking course, but now with two pane PVC frame with security grill over. To the right is a similar window with three, evenly spaced, to the first floor, only smaller and resting on a cill course. The lower half of the front facade is finished in rusticated render. The upper half is finished in lined render with a parapet and pilaster ends with square pyramidal caps. The front facades of the curving one storey side wings are finished in lined render and each have a single window with surround like those to the first floor. The facades are topped with a parapet with pilasters to the outer ends as first floor main front facade. The E curving wing continues into a wall (parallel with the line of the street), beyond the pilaster. This wall has a doorway with plain sheeted timber door, encased with pilasters and a lintel with keystone.

The W gable of the main building is blank and rendered, with one sash window to rear (N) of curving W wing.

To the centre of the N (rear) elevation of the main building is a large full height gabled return. To the right of the return on the main house is a sash window (with grill) to the first floor and a slightly larger modern looking window to the ground floor, also with a grill. To the left side of the return (on the main house) is a similar arrangement, but with a sash window, with horizontal glazing bars, to the ground floor. Both windows have grills. The (N) gable of the return is blank with a sash window to the first floor of the E facade of the return, and a modern window to the ground floor, both with grills. The W facade of the return has two sash windows to the first floor (with that to the right larger) and one to the first floor. These three windows have grills also.

The rear of the curving wing to the E rises to become two storey to the rear (N). The rear of the wing is flush with the rear of the main house and has a squat sash window to the first floor (with ‘Georgian’ panes) and a taller sash window, with horizontal glazing bars, to the ground floor.

To the E facade are two further squat sash windows (with ‘Georgian’ panes in that to the right) to the first floor (of the two storey section to the right). To the ground floor of this section is a metal sheeted door. To the left (on the single storey section) is an odd narrow window opening with a (triangular) pointed arch head and containing a sash frame with small panes filled with toughened glass (with many panes now cracked).

The entire rear facade is rendered and (mainly) lined.

All roofs are covered with Bangor blue slates, with two rendered chimney stacks to the main gables. The roof of the curving wing to the E has a slight ‘hump’ due to the awkward rise of the roof to the two storey level at the rear. [?] Stone parapets to main roof. Mixture of cast iron and PVC rw goods.

A rendered wall (with pyramid capped gate posts) encloses the front. The building is now set within a narrow street which runs parallel to Regent Street.

Historical information

This building is shown much as today on the OS Map of c.1858-60 and may date from c.1835-40. A slight rear projection appears to have been present in c.1858, however, the present return is probably later. The wing to the east, with its two storey section to the rear, looks awkward and may not be original, however, it appears to have been constructed some considerable time ago.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st Revision, 1860, Co. Down 6.
2 PRONI 2nd valuation, Newtownards, c.1863.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Unusual, and largely intact, two storey house (now an office) of possibly c.1835-40 with curving side wings. This building may have been extended at the rear some time ago and now also has some modern windows. Much of the original interior remains but there appear to have been some minor alterations to the layout and there are now some modern fittings.