CONSERVATORY

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Symmetrical sandstone Gothic Revival glazed conservatory, built c.1850. Octagonal on plan, facing south onto the gardens of Stormont Castle (HB26/13/014). Flanked by linear ranges of lean-to glazed greenhouses.

Octagonal plan glazed roof constructed in timber surmounted by an octagonal glazed lantern and sandstone pineapple finial. Roof set behind crenellated parapet wall. Sandstone ashlar walling, each face framed by angled buttresses with octagonal piers rising from the offsets above the parapet wall and surmounted by tapered and crocketed pinnacles with fleur-de-lys finials. Three pointed-arched openings with crocketed hood mouldings rising to fleur-de-lys finials housing bipartite multi-pane timber French doors with a central mullion rising as a Y-tracery overlight with interlacing glazing bars. Doors open onto five nosed sandstone steps to paved front area.

Roof Glass
RWG None visible
Walling Sandstone ashlar
Windows Timber French doors

Setting:
Forming part of the gardens to Stormont Castle with a circular pond enclosed by a sandstone wall with a central decorative stone fountain base supporting a black stone vessel. On the other side of the backing wall are single storey former estate worker's houses (HB26.13.051)

Historical information

The gothic conservatory, a single-storey sandstone building flanked on either side by long glass houses and located to the northwest of Stormont Castle (HB26/13/014), was constructed between 1834 and 1860. The building was not depicted on the first edition Ordnance Survey map (1834) but appeared on the second edition in 1860.

Stormont Castle, a three-storey former gentleman’s mansion located within the Stormont Estate, had been constructed around 1830 for the Rev. John Cleland (1755-1834). The Rev. Cleland was the rector of Newtownards and had acquired the Stormont Estate by marrying the daughter of the previous owner. Gallagher states that Cleland was described as ‘a fearsome magistrate and man of dubious reputation [as] much of the wealth which allowed him to develop the land and property at Stormont was allegedly ill-gotten’ (Gallagher, p. 22). Cleland’s son Samuel Cleland took over the Stormont Estate following his father’s death in 1834 but was killed whilst supervising the demolition of a wall in the grounds in 1842. Samuel Cleland’s widow, Elizabeth, took over the Stormont Estate following her husband’s death and continued to reside there until c. 1860.

A major alteration and extension of the mansion was undertaken in 1858 which gave the building its current Scots Baronial appearance. The second edition Ordnance Survey map (1860) records that the conservatory had been constructed by the time of this extension but it is possible that the building dates from earlier. Larmour suggests that the gothic conservatory was constructed in the late-1830s but renovations of the building undertaken in 2004 and 2009 found the interior to be distinctly Victorian in nature. Further, the Natural Stone Database records that the building was constructed with the same locally-quarried Scrabo sandstone that was utilised for the extension of Stormont Castle. A construction date of c. 1858 would suggest that Thomas Turner was the architect of the conservatory. According to the Dictionary of Irish Architects Turner did not design any overtly gothic buildings but did design a number of gate screens and garden features and also submitted an unsuccessful entry for the design of Crystal Palace which was constructed to house the Great Exhibition of London in 1851. Turner’s father, Richard Turner, was also employed as a contractor for the construction of Charles Lanyon’s glasshouse in Botanic Garden (NSD; DIA).

In 1860-61 Griffith’s Valuation (1860-61) set the combined value of Stormont Castle and its outbuildings at £350. The conservatory remained jointly valued with the adjoining mansion throughout its history making it impossible to gauge its individual value. The single-storey conservatory was divided into two sections. The southern half of the building was utilised as a greenhouse and an outbuilding to Stormont Castle whilst the northern section was utilised as workers cottages. The Natural Stone Database states that the cottages each possess a ‘square-topped doorway and two rectangular sash windows’ (NSD). The First Survey Record (1985) notes that the glass and timber sections of the conservatory were replaced in the 1930s. The conservatory was listed in 1987.

Following the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 and subsequent St. Andrew’s Agreements (2006-07), Stormont Castle has been used as the offices of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister with the conservatory utilised for state and social functions. The NIEA HB Records note that an inspection of the building c. 2002 found rot within the timbers. In 2004 the single-storey glasshouses were demolished and carefully replaced with the current Victorian-style wings. The central gothic sandstone building was retained. The Northern Ireland Executive website notes that, following the reconstruction, a portion of the southern section of the building continued to be used as a greenhouse whilst the remainder of the building (including the former worker’s cottages on the northern side) now ‘incorporates state-of-the-art facilities with modern office accommodation and a well-equipped meeting venue.’ An interior renovation of building, carried out in 2009, installed a new floor within the southern section of the conservatory. The Victorian-style tiled floor was installed by Armatile Architectural (Northern Ireland Executive; Armatile Architectural website).

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/3/5/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1834)
2. PRONI OS/6/3/5/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1860)
3. PRONI OS/6/3/5/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1901-02)
4. PRONI OS/6/3/5/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1919-20)
5. PRONI OS/6/3/5/5 – Fifth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1938-39)
6. PRONI VAL/1/A/3/5 – Townland Valuation Plan (c. 1830)
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/17 – Griffith’s Valuation (1860-61)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/8A-F – Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/5A - Annual Revisions (1923-1929)
10. PRONI VAL/3/B/4/4 – First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland (1935)
11. PRONI VAL/4/B/3/21 – Second General Revaluation of Northern Ireland (1956-1972)
12. Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland: Vol. 7, Co. Down II (1832-34; 1837)
13. Lewis’ Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837)
14. Ulster Town Directories (1843-1943)
15. First Survey Record – HB26/13/015 (1985)
16. First Survey Image – HB26/13/015 (No Date)
17. NIEA HB Records – HB26/13/015

Secondary Sources
1. ‘Stormont Castle’ Belfast: Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister, c. 2009.
2. ‘Parliament Buildings Stormont: The building, its setting, uses and restoration 1922-1998’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1999.
3. Gallagher, J., ‘Stormont: The house on the hill’ Belfast: Booklink, 2008.
4. Larmour, P., ‘Belfast: An illustrated architectural guide’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1987.

Online Resources
1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie
2. Natural Stone Database - http://www.stonedatabase.com//stone_types.cfm?stc=45
3. Northern Ireland Executive - http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/index/history-and-tour.htm
4. Armatile Architectural –
http://www.armatilearchitectural.com/Projects/ProjectSpecific/20/HER/stormont-glass-house.aspx

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
W. Northern Ireland/International Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

Attached symmetrical sandstone Gothic Revival glazed conservatory, built c.1850 as part of the Stormont Castle estate which had originally been built for the Rev John Cleland, rector of Newtownards. Possibly built to the designs of Thomas Turner, son of the Richard Turner, renowned for his designs for conservatories throughout Britain and Ireland. Renovated with appropriate replacement fabric employed, this highly decorative conservatory or palm house stands out as an most omportant element in the Castle gardens and has group value with Belfast Castle HB26.13.014). Its interest is enhanced by the former estate worker's houses (HB26.13.051) which share the rear wall of the conservatory and by the circular pool and fountain located immediately in front of the conservatory.