Gate Lodge, Garranard

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay single-storey symmetrical rock-faced basalt Neo-Classical gatelodge on ‘L-shaped’ plan built in 1879 having single-storey flat-roof extension to north. Located perpendicular to Circular Road with laneway to south-east and outbuilding to north-west.

Hipped slate roof with leaded ridge, overhanging eaves on paired scrolled brackets. uPVC ogee moulded guttering and downpipes. Smooth rendered central and south chimney with cornice coping and decorative octagonal terracotta pots. Segment-headed openings with red brick surround and header, painted rendered sills and two over two horizontal paned timber sliding sash windows, unless otherwise stated.

Front elevation faces north-east and has coursed rubble rock-faced sandstone walls on projecting painted smooth rendered plinth with red brick quoins and eaves course. Timber panelled, half-glazed entrance door; shallow concrete step at threshold.

South-east elevation has coursed rubble-rock-faced sandstone walling with smooth rendered quoins to south corner. Return has lined and ruled rendered walls on projecting plinth course, raised quoins with segment-headed opening.

South-west elevation to rear has lined and ruled rendered walls and square-headed opening with casement window.

North-west elevation has coursed rubble-rock-faced sandstone walling with brick quoins to north corner. Return has lined and ruled rendered walls on projecting plinth course, square-headed openings with timber casement windows and timber panelled entrance door.

Setting: Located perpendicular to Circular Road with laneway to south-east and outbuilding to north-west. Mature hedge boundary surrounding with timber fence to north-west and north-east.

Materials:

Roof: Slate
RWG: uPVC
Walls: Sandstone with red brick dressings
Windows Single-glazed timber sliding sash

Historical information

No. 64 Circular Road, a single-storey three-bay rubble stone dwelling, was originally constructed as the gate lodge to Garranard House in 1879. The second edition of the Ordnance Survey maps for the area records that the Circular Road had been laid out by 1858 although few buildings had been erected by that time. Garranard House and its gate lodge were constructed for William Hugh Patterson in 1879. Patterson was a member of the family firm, Robert Patterson & Sons, prominent local ironmongers. According to the Ulster Town Directories Robert Patterson & Sons was established in 1786 and operated a hardware and mill furnishing warehouse at No. 26 High Street in the late-19th century (UTD).

The Annual Revisions note that Garranard House and its gate lodge were jointly valued at £90 in 1879. There was no alteration to this value until the early-20th century. Patterson’s house stood until the 1960s. The third edition of the Ordnance Survey maps depicted the (now demolished) residence as an L-shaped dwelling located to the north of its gate lodge. The map also shows that the gate lodge also originally possessed an L-shaped layout, prior to the addition of the single-storey flat roof extension between 1954 and 1987 (OS maps).

The Census of Ireland records that by 1901 Garranard’s gate lodge was occupied by Margaret Harper, Patterson’s laundress and domestic servant, and John Harper, his gardener. The census building return described the gate lodge as a second class dwelling that consisted of only four rooms (in contrast to Patterson’s much grander residence that possessed 16 rooms, as well as a stable and cow house). In 1906 the Annual Revisions raised the value of Garranard to £133 and set the value of the gate lodge at £5. William H. Patterson continued to reside at Garranard until his death in 1918 at which point Fergus M. Greeves, a local textile manufacturer, took possession of the dwelling and its gate lodge (PRONI Wills). Greeves’ family resided at Garranard until its demolition in the 1960s. In the 1930s the value of the gate lodge was raised to £12 10s. under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1935). John Hamilton, a gardener, resided at the lodge in the 1930s. Following the demolition of Garranard in the 1960s its former gate lodge was increased in value to £23 at which it remained by the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72).

Garranard’s gate lodge was listed in 1986. Dean described the building as ‘a delightful and neat late-Victorian Neo-Classical lodge. Constructed in quarry-faced basalt with contrasting orange brick quoins, toothed dressings and segmental arches to openings … to the hipped roof a distinctive eaves with big carved brackets. Large stuccoed chimney stack having an outsized cornice capping’ (Dean, p. 76).

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/3/4/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1858)
2. PRONI OS/6/3/4/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1902)
3. PRONI OS/6/3/4/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1920-21)
4. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/2C-2H - Annual Revisions (1879-1897)
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/N/1-9 – Annual Revisions (1897-1930)
6. PRONI VAL/3/B/3/20 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1935)
7. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/45 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
8. Belfast Street Directories (1877-1943)
9. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
10. PRONI Wills Catalogue (5 Feb 1918)
11. Ordnance Survey Maps – 130-15 (1954); 130-15NE3 (1987)
12. First Survey Record – HB26/12/014
13. First Survey Image – HB26/12/014
14. NIEA HB Records – HB26/12/014

Secondary Sources
1. Dean, J. A. K., ‘The gate lodges of Ulster: A gazetteer’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1994.

Online Resources
1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie

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

X. Local Interest
R. Age
S. Authenticity

Evaluation

This gatelodge, dating from 1879, was the lodge for Garranard House (now demolished) which was constructed for William Hugh Patterson, a member of the family firm Robert Patterson & Sons, prominent local ironmongers established in 1786. The building is well proportioned and detailed, constructed in a late-Victorian Neo-Classical style and characterised by the overhanging eaves, paired scrolled brackets and oversized stuccoed chimney stack all of which have been retained. The survival of many interior features including the terracotta floors, dado rail and architraves enhance its architectural interest.