East gate lodge at Ormiston House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Small, simple, single storey gabled gate lodge of c.1867 at the eastern entrance to Ormiston house, probably by David Bryce, in squared undressed sandstone with formerly open yard to rear now roofed over. The property is set on the on the E side of the N end of Hawthornden Road.

The front façade faces roughly N and is symmetrical. To the centre is a doorway with bevelled surround and plain sheeted door. To either side of the doorway is a single window with similar surround. Both windows -and all others- are now boarded up (though the plain sash window survive underneath).

To the E gable is a single, centrally placed window, as before, with a similar window to the W gable. To the rear there is a small single storey projection now covered by plant growth so that little can now be seen. This extension appears to have originally been an open yard.

The façade is in squared undressed sandstone, with much of the gables now obscured by greenery. The façade of the rear projection appears to be in similar stone. The main roof is gabled and slated with [?]stone ridge tiles and stone coping and kneelers to the parapets. There is a single centrally placed chimneystack, also in sandstone, with two low pots. The rear projection has a flat corrugated iron roof.

Historical information

Ormiston [house] was built in 1865-7 for James Combe. It was designed by architect David Bryce, who probably worked on both the gate lodges also. This particular lodge (to the secondary east entrance) appears to have originally consisted of the main rectangular building with a small walled yard to the rear. Some time in the mid 1900s- judging by the fireplaces, perhaps c.1940s- this yard was roofed over and converted to a kitchen.

The property was vacated some time after 1974.

References- Secondary sources
1 Paul Larmour, ‘Belfast, an illustrated architectural guide’ (Belfast 1987)
2 J.A.K. Dean, ‘The gate lodges of Ulster- a gazetteer’ (Belfast 1994), p.89

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Small, simple, single storey gabled gate lodge of c.1867 at the eastern entrance to Ormiston house, probably by David Bryce, in squared undressed sandstone with formerly open yard to rear now roofed over. It has group value withb the other listed buildings at this address.