Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB20/04/042 I

Address :
Ballygrooby Lodge Shane's Street Randalstown Antrim Co Antrim BT41 4NA

Townland:
Shane's Castle Park

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
20/09/1974 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Gates/ Screens/ Lodges

Former Use
Gates/ Screens/ Lodges

Conservation Area:
Yes

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
95/7

IG Ref:
J0849 9027

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

A large and impressive stone-built Tudor arched gateway, with a tall octagonal tower to one side and a single storey gatelodge to the other side, both flanked by battlemented curved screen walls terminating in bartizan turrets, all built of basalt with rhyolite dressings. Main gateway faces north. North elevation: the archway has a label moulding and incised spandrels, surmounted by a crenellated parapet with stepped centre containing a relief carved armorial crest. Heavy machicolation is set below the parapet and continues at the same level round a flanking octagonal pier on one side. A taller octagonal tower rises on the other side to a similar crenellated parapet oversailing on a machicolated corbel course. Tower and pier both have rhyolite quoins to angles, moulded rhyolite plinth and battered basalt base continuous from archway. Tower has arrow loop and slit windows, mainly with rhyolite block dressings; window slits contain perforated bricks; pier has blind slits only, set in the basalt walling. Tower also has a large iron bracket attached, to carry a lamp. Archway contains a pair of large rectangular timber studded doors, with 24 raised and chamfered panels to each door; each door has an iron or steel rod running diagonally as a brace. Doors surmounted by an artificial portcullis in timber, consisting of an outer frame scribed to the curve of the arch, with seven vertical members bolted to three horizontal members and the frame, with each upright having pyramidal shapes to the bottom ends. The central upright has a flat metal plate to the lower part. Extending to the left of the octagonal tower is a short flanking wall which contains a single cusp headed opening with hood mould, in rhyolite block dressings; projecting plinth and battered base continuous from gateway and tower; lower crenellated parapet. Wall terminates in a square pier with crenellations to the top projecting over a corbel course. Projecting forward from the square pier is a long curved crenellated screen wall of coursed basalt walling, which terminates with a circular bartizan turret. Bartizan turret is of snecked basalt, with crenellated parapet of basalt in regular courses; blind arrow loops in rhyolite dressings; moulded rhyolite corbel courses to base of turret. Abutting the curved screen wall and bartizan turret is the boundary wall to the estate, in roughly coursed basalt rubble with tall and short basalt rock copings. Extending to the right of the octagonal pier of the gateway is a similar flanking wall to previous, containing a three-light cusped headed rectangular window of the lodge; windows are arched timber sliding sashes, vertically sliding, 6 over 6 with horns; rhyolite tracery and block dressings, label mould and splayed cill. Flanking wall terminates in a square pier as previous, from which projects a crenellated curved screen wall similar to previous, terminating in a circular bartizan turret as previous; new corbels of granite to base of bartizan. Abutting the curved screen wall below the level of the projecting plinth is the boundary wall to the estate, similar to previous. Rear elevation of archway, octagonal pier, tower and flanking wall beyond tower is similar to entrance front elevation except that the tower has a doorway in its base: Tudor arched timber studded door containing eight chamfered and raised panels with a timber frame, set in rhyolite block dressings with label moulding over. Rear elevation of curved screen wall beyond the tower: roughly coursed basalt rubble with old recessed lime mortar pointing, surmounted by rhyolite copings and crenellations. Two outbuildings built against wall: of basalt rubble walling with crude brick dressings to openings; one has a lean-to roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses, the other a single pitch roof of similar slates; sheeted timber door to each outbuilding. To the rear of the flanking wall beyond the octagonal pier is the lodge, built up against it. Main entrance to lodge faces east. Entrance, or east, elevation of lodge: single storey, three-bay, with a central entrance. Hipped roof behind a crenellated parapet. Walling of snecked basalt with rhyolite dressings and string courses as previous to gateway, including battered base. Tudor arched doorway contains a rectangular timber studded door with twelve chamfered and raised panels, surmounted by a Tudor-arched 3-pane fanlight with studded timber rails and mullions, in a chamfered timber frame set in rhyolite block dressings with label moulding and panelled spandrels; modern tiles to doorstep. Above the doorway the crenellated parapet steps up, to contain a relief carved armorial plaque. To each side of the entrance is a two-light window with cusped heads, of similar detailing to previous on entrance front. Twin octagonal chimney stack in smooth cement render, lined, with two tall hexagonal pots. South elevation of lodge is of similar walling and detailing as previous. Main portion contains a three-light cusp-headed window as previous, with a shorter and lower wall set back to the left containing a rectangular window set in rhyolite block dressings, sashed 6 over 6 with horns. Extending to the left and set back slightly is a later extension: hipped roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses; wall of smooth cement render, painted; timber eaves board; cast iron gutter and downpipe. Rear, or west, elevation of lodge: smooth rendered wall of extension, with hipped roof slated as previous; cast iron gutter and downpipe; PVC soil pipe, four windows, modern rectangular timber fixed lights with top-hung vents; projecting concrete cills; modern rectangular flush timber door with glazed panel; concrete doorstep. North end of extension has a blank wall rendered as previous. Rear of curved screen wall has a small lean-to outbuilding attached to the extension, with slated roof and smooth rendered walls, lined and blocked: rectangular flush timber door; rectangular metal window, fixed light with top-hung vent, projecting concrete cill. Attached to outbuilding is an open lean-to shelter of coarse timber construction with corrugated iron roof, attached to a modern gabled wooden garage. SETTING: The gateway and lodge stand near the edge of the town, facing the main road but set back from it with a stony forecourt area in front. In the angles between the archway and the screen walls are grassed areas bounded by plinth walls of rhyolite carrying stone bollards surmounted by iron ball finials connected by iron chains. Plinth wall to left is low to ground but one to right develops into a high retaining wall of squared random rubble due to the slope of the ground toward the main road. Screen walls to each side of grand entrance gateway and lodge are abutted by the estate boundary walls. Estate boundary wall to right extends to abut a railway viaduct. A pair of cast iron lamp standards stand in front of the archway, flanking the driveway. Through the archway the driveway is surfaced in concrete, with a concrete paved area across the front of the lodge and along its end; driveway beyond is of tarmac with a hardstanding adjacent to the lodge. Driveway beyond that is bordered by grass with mature trees filling the view in the distance. A stony path to the rear of the tower leads on to a grassy area to the rear of the screen wall on the east side. Area to rear of lodge is bounded by a modern timber fence, with thick bushes beyond leading to the river bank and a railway viaduct.

Architects

Sands, James

Historical Information

Built as a gateway and lodge to Shane's Castle estate; precise date of building not known, but it appears on the OS map of 1858, and is referred to as a main entrance to the estate by a travel writer in 1854. Stylistically it may be dated to the 1840s, and may be a work by the architect James Sands who was involved with the estate in 1848 and to whom other lodges at Shane's Castle have been attributed. Known locally as the 'Grand Entrance' to Shane's Castle estate, it has also been referred to in the past as the 'Randalstown Gate' and is identified on recent OS maps as Ballygrooby Lodge. Original timber portcullis replaced in 1993 having been removed some years before following decay. Western bartizan turret rebuilt in 1994 with steel and concrete reinforcing members, having been dismantled in 1990 and the numbered stones put in storage; original Tardree rhyolite stones at base of western turret replaced in 1994 with Mourne granite. References – Primary Sources 1. OS Map 1858, Co Antrim 43. 2. Original photograph in Lawrence Collection, National Library of Ireland. 3. J.B. Boyle, Tours in Ulster: a hand book to the antiquities and scenery of the north of Ireland (Dublin, 1854), p 107 (refers to visitors to Shane's Castle demesne entering by 'the Randalstown gate'). Secondary Sources 1. UAHS, Antrim and Ballymena (Belfast, 1969), p 27 (item no 24). 2. J.A.K. Dean, The Gate Lodges of Ulster (Belfast, 1994), pp 27-8 (reproduces Lawrence Collection photograph). 3. C.E.B. Brett, Buildings of County Antrim (UAHS, Belfast, 1996), p 224.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form F. Structural System H-. Alterations detracting from building I. Quality and survival of Interior K. Group value

Historic Interest

W. Northern Ireland/International Interest

Evaluation

This is a mid-19th century gate lodge in a Tudor style, attached to a towered and arched gateway which is ornamented with crenellations and mock machicolations, all flanked by turreted screen walls. Together with associated bollards, chains, and lamp standards, the lodge and gateway form a very attractive group which enjoys a pleasant setting at an entrance to a wooded demesne; it is of national interest as one of the most impressive estate entrance complexes in Northern Ireland.

General Comments

This record was originally numbered as HB20/04/025.

Date of Survey

07 October 2000