White Lodge,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay single-storey house, 'U' shaped on plan, with two long single storey rear returns and converted two storey coach house, built c.1858-1901, located on the east side of Eastleigh Drive, Belfast.

Roof is pitched natural slate; red/orange clay roll top ridge tiles; plain smooth rendered chimneystacks with two tall yellow clay pots to gable ends of main building; overhanging verges to main building have timber sheeted soffit with paired moulded timber brackets at eaves, ridge and purlin levels; other eaves have timber fascia and soffit boards with cast-iron/uPVC half-round gutters and circular rainwater pipes. Walls are smooth painted ruled and lined render with semi-circular moulded plinth detail; all windows are timber and are segmental arch sliding sashes, all with projecting masonry cills, unless otherwise stated.

Principal elevation (west) has central full height shallow break front entrance bay containing segmental arch door opening with moulded surround, original timber panelled and glazed door, original door furniture and overlight with 'White Lodge' painted in gold lettering on glazing. Entrance is flanked by full height shallow break front bays containing paired segmental arch openings with moulded surround, continuous masonry projecting cill and 1/1 windows. There is a deep cornice at eaves level having stepped parapet above with flat projecting coping and hidden gutter.

Side (north) gable elevation has single central square headed 2/2 casement window.

Side (south) gable elevation has central segmental arch opening with 1/1 window, flanked by identical windows close to the outermost corners.

Rear (east) elevation is abutted on left by pitched natural slate roofed rear return (eaves level slightly lower than main roof) with smooth rendered chimney stack centred on gable and topped by projecting high curved coping and single yellow clay pot. East gable is blank; south has two square headed 2/2 windows and north has single square headed casement window and is abutted at the re-entrant angle by small lean-to containing single small square headed casement window to east, north is blank. At far right natural slate roofed mono-pitch rear return abuts the main building. East elevation abuts high garden wall with small lean-to beyond (south elevation has single small square headed window, east elevation blank); south has square headed timber door to left, square headed three light casement window to right of door, square headed timber sheeted door further to right and square headed opening to far right; north elevation abuts two storey converted coach house to far left, remainder blank.

Remaining exposed section of main building has single 2/2 window.

The two returns, the main building and high garden wall enclose small yard to the rear which leads to the garden beyond.

A two storey annexe is attached to the north of the mono-pitch rear return. The building has uPVC windows and doors, smooth rendered walls and natural slate roof. It is the original coach house and loft which has been heavily renovated with the fenestration and layout largely altered. It forms small enclosed yard to the west bounded by the mono-pitch rear return, the site boundary wall and high gate to the front of the property. small lean-to out-building is located to the north-west of the yard.

North elevation of former coach house is blank; south is abutted by small lean-to, remainder blank; west elevation has single central large square headed opening with uPVC glazed door and side lights; east elevation has uPVC French doors to left, uPVC window to right and two uPVC windows at first floor.

Setting:-
White Lodge is located to the east side of Eastleigh Drive, Belfast on a tree lined street close to the pavement and behind a hedge in a large suburban garden. The house retains its original coach house and enclosed yard to the north and rear garden set in lawn with dispersed fruit trees and perimeter planting.

Roof:- Natural slate
Walling:- Render
Windows:- Timber/uPVC
RWG:- Cast iron / uPVC

Historical information

No buildings appear on the site on the First and Second Edition OS maps. A building, with no adjacent properties, is shown un-captioned on the Third Edition OS map with the same footprint as that of the current building. It shows the house and associated coach house to the north and a building in the north-east corner of the garden which no longer exists. The house can therefore be dated 1858-1901. Its style indicates that it was most likely to have been built in the 1850s/60s.

In 1907 Mr Robert Nicholson, a linen merchant, lived in the property but by 1910 John Jackson, a painter, resides there.

The building is in the townland of Strandtown which derived its name from the fact that the area used to border Belfast Lough.

References- Primary sources
1. First Edition OS Map (1834)
2. Second Edition OS Map (1858)
3. Third Edition OS Map (1901)

Secondary sources
1. www.culturenorthernireland.org
2. www.lennonwylie.co.uk (Belfast / Ulster Street Directory)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Detached three-bay single-storey house, 'U' shaped on plan, with two, long, single storey, rear returns and converted two storey coach house, built c. 1858- 1901. An uncommon, for this area, mid Victorian house retaining its original layout and many original features including its unusual front elevation. It is of note for its restrained design and survival as a small 'merchant's' house in the expanding suburbs of Victorian Belfast.

General comments

Listing query - HB26/LQ197