Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB06/05/017

Address :
Magheramorne House 59 Shore Road Magheramorne Larne Co Antrim BT40 3HW

Townland:
Newlands

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
23/10/1979 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Hotel

Former Use
Country House

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
84/1

IG Ref:
J4281 9851

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

A large two-storey stone building with gabled attics, laid out on an asymmetrical plan. Main entrance faces south-west. Entrance elevation comprises a main two-storey L-shaped block with the main entrance in the angle of the projecting gable to the left. Extending to left hand end, a lower gabled wing, part of original composition; extending to right hand end, a lower twin-gabled wing, a modern mid-to-late 20th century addition which imitates some of the features of the original building, linked at the front to the original entrance by a later long flat roofed stone walled conservatory. Roofs of main block, Bangor Blue slates in regular courses, later replacement material; red terracotta ridge tiles. Walls of snecked rough-faced greystone with red ashlar sandstone quoins, block surrounds to windows, chamfered string courses. Moulded cast iron gutters on chamfered red sandstone eaves courses; rectangular cast iron downpipes with moulded and coved hoppers. Red sandstone copings to gables with stone ball finials; modern metal flood-lighting lamps affixed to apex of main gables on entrance front. Chimneys of similar walling as previous, with tall caps of battered profile; three or four plain pots each stack. Windows are rectangular timber sliding sash, vertically hung, 1 over 1, with horns, with chamfered reveals, set below Gothic relieving arches in greystone. Elevation of main block comprises, from right to left, tall projecting gable with two windows to ground floor and first floor, one window to attic, surmounted by circular red sandstone panel containing a blank shield, with a tall chimney across ridge behind; projecting flat roofed entrance bay with three windows to first floor in wall beyond, without relieving arches, with a gabled dormer above comprising a red sandstone surround to window surmounted by a greystone gable, with slate-hung cheeks; two gables, right hand one broader and higher, each containing one window to first floor and one to attic. Main entrance is contained in a flat roofed porch comprising unfluted Doric columns and pilasters of red sandstone projecting from front plane of main left hand gable with a short bay, one window wide, between porch and gable; short bay and porch surmounted by a red sandstone parapet ornamented with repeated shield panels; in centre of parapet of porch, a large shield carved with heraldic design; large moulded ball finials to each corner of porch. Window to left of porch sashed as previous but lower sash of leaded glazing containing heraldic panel. Projecting from between columns of porch is a modern glazed porch of octagonal plan, timber framed on low walls of reconstituted stone which repeats cill and plinth mouldings of the original building. Double doors to two faces reached by flights of concrete steps. Glazed panels of modern porch have segmental heads, inappropriate design. Stepping back to right of original porch is a modern conservatory constructed of reconstituted stone which continues line of string courses of original porch; conservatory front of lean-to form, timber framed and glazed with segmental heads, in two main runs between projecting piers. Moulded PVC gutters to conservatory; circular PVC downpipe to left hand extremity of conservatory emerging direct from below parapet string course; rectangular metal downpipe with metal hopper to central pier and to right hand pier. To right of conservatory, twin gables of modern wing, constructed of concrete brick: one window and one door to ground floor of each gable; rectangular timber doors, six-panel with fanlight above; rectangular timber windows, top-hung over fixed light; chamfered surrounds; projecting string course as cills, of concrete; rectangular metal downpipe with moulded hopper of different design from main house; circular surround to vent grilles in each gable. Side wall of projecting front return of main block: Bangor Blue slated roof as previous; one window to first floor, as previous; cast iron guttering and downpipes as previous. To left hand side of return gable, a low lateral link block connecting with gabled wing: walls as previous; roofs of Westmorland green slates in diminishing courses with red terracotta ridge tiles; moulded PVC gutter and PVC downpipes; one doorway at ground level to link block, originally a window but now containing rectangular six-panel door with narrow rectangular fanlight of wired glass; red sandstone block surround to right hand jamb, stop chamfered; new smooth cement rendered reveal to left hand jamb. To right of new doorway, a blocked up window. To basement, a window sashed as previous, and a doorway enlarged from an original window; to each side wall of basement court, an original window with Gothic relieving arch, the one to the right sashed, 2 over 2. Basement court traversed by modern steel fire escape stairway and balcony. Gable to left contains two windows sashed as previous, with Gothic relieving arches, surmounted by a red sandstone shield in a circular surround in apex; lower sashes of each window have leaded glazing of heraldic pattern as previous; to right of windows, a circular cast iron soil pipe with trefoil shaped brackets. Large chimney across ridge of wing: as previous but with battered profile to right hand side of stack. Projecting forward from left hand extremity of wing, a low wall of arcaded balustrading in red sandstone surmounting a retaining wall accommodating steep slope down to west elevation. North-west elevation of main block is two-storey; symmetrically designed roof of Bangor Blue slates as previous with four gabled stone dormers, detailed as previous, and two chimneys as previous. Moulded gutter with two rectangular metal downpipes and moulded cast iron hoppers. Four windows to first floor beyond link block, rectangular timber without relieving arches; first and third from front containing recessed red sandstone panel to head; to right of windows on first floor, in front of link block, a red sandstone roundel with plain shield; in ground floor below, a rectangular window with relieving arch. North-west elevation of wing: two-storey: lower storey is the basement; upper storey is level with ground floor of main house and wing; walling as previous to entrance front; roof of Westmorland green slates in diminishing courses between gable upstands; red terracotta ridge tiles; central chimney with battered front face and rear faces; to left of chimney, a gabled wooden dormer containing rectangular timber window sashed as previous; projecting barge boards with wooden collar, supported on shaped brackets; wooden finial with turned ends, tongued and grooved boarding to apex of gable; Westmorland green slated roof on projecting rafters; similar slates to cheeks. Moulded cast iron gutter, broken near left hand end; square cast iron downpipe with moulded hopper in corner with projecting gable to right. Elevation comprises, from left to right: small rectangular timber louvres in undressed opening to extreme left hand side of lower storey, followed by two rectangular windows to each floor, with Gothic relieving arches and splayed cills to lower storey; slightly projecting gable to right, containing a triplet of rectangular windows, sashed as previous, with relieving arch to each one, in upper floor, surmounted by shield in roundel; narrow rectangular window, sashed as previous, with splayed cill, to lower storey, grouped with rectangular doorway below wide relieving arch. Timber ledged door with rectangular fanlight. Narrow rectangular opening with splayed cill, containing wooden louvres to right hand side of gable with downpipe and hopper in angle as previous to other side; low single-storey bay to right hand extremity containing rectangular doorway with timber louvred door; relieving arch over, surmounted by arcaded balustrading. North-east elevation, facing garden, presents two gables broken forward from the main face each containing two-storey splayed bays with steep roofs, dressed in buff sandstone. Recessed main face is symmetrical, with four windows to first floor, rectangular timber sashed as previous, without relieving arches; three windows below with a doorway to right hand side, all with relieving arches. Main face and quoins to flanking gables dressed in red sandstone as entrance front. Roofs of Bangor Blue slates in regular courses. Two stone dormers to main roof, as previous, with two chimneys as previous. Moulded gutter with square cast iron downpipe and moulded cast iron hopper in angle with left hand gable; circular PVC soil pipe to centre, later addition causing red sandstone string course to have been crudely broken through. Canted bays dressed in buff sandstone ashlar; with relieving arches over windows in ground floor; moulded chamfers to windows with rectangular top corners to ground floor but rounded top corners to first floor. Door in main face is rectangular timber, varnished oak, panelled and glazed, with original ornamented bronze doorknob; rectangular fanlight; recessed red sandstone reveals; two flights of buff sandstone steps, with short sandstone plinth wall, leading up from terrace and grassy slope below. To right hand side of north-east elevation, set back from main face by depth of one window is a two-storey link and gabled wing: roofs of Westmorland green slates as previous; moulded cast iron gutter and rectangular cast iron downpipe. Two windows to upper floor of link, sashed as previous, with a door and window below; all without relieving arches. To right, a taller gable containing two windows each floor, sashed as previous, with relieving arches to upper floor; surmounted by a smaller sashed window with relieving arch to apex of gable. To left hand side of north-east elevation, set back slightly from main face, a single-storey link block ending in a taller twin gabled wing, all in concrete brickwork. Four rectangular windows to link block, with two windows and doorways to upper floor of each gable of wing, all similar in detailing to entrance front. Large steel fire escape stairway on large steel supports, dog-legs up to south-east face of main block. Bangor Blue slates to front sloping face of roof of link block with flat lead roof and flat roof covered in stone pebbles beyond. Roof of wing, Bangor Blue slates and red terracotta ridge tiles as previous. South-east elevation of original building has ground floor obscured by lower link block; first floor has three windows and a doorway enlarged from a window; windows sashed as previous, without relieving arches; door flush wooden ply with top-hung fanlight; moulded gutter with rectangular cast iron downpipe and hopper; circular PVC soil pipes. Roof of Bangor Blue slates as previous, with three gabled sandstone dormers, detailed as previous; one chimney, as previous. South-east elevation of wing is of similar character to its other faces. Setting: the building stands on an elevated site within its own extensive grounds, and set well back from the main road, mostly hidden by trees but with its roofline and upper areas just visible above them. To the front of the house is a tarmac car parking area fringed by grassed areas; lawn to south contains a circular pool with carved stone wellheads, in Renaissance style, of European origin, standing close by. To the rear of the house is a terraced garden of lawns and modern pavings bordered by trimmed hedges, containing an ornamental fountain in a revived Renaissance style of late 19th century date but in very damaged condition, and various stone plant pots on pedestals, of classical style. A small pedestrian gateway with a pair of ornamental wrought iron gates leads down steps to a terrace garden with distant views to Larne Lough. Main feature of lower garden is a stone statue on a pedestal, in classical style. Grounds beyond the terraced gardens and forecourt are picturesque, with meandering paths, ponds, and flowing stream close to the house. Hidden among trees to the west of the main driveway is a small single-storey garden store, presumably contemporary with the main house, built of basalt rubble with red brick quoins and dressings to doorway and window; red brick eaves course; hipped roof of Bangor Blue slates; timber windows now derelict; timber ledged door; concrete floor and whitened rubble walls to interior; semi-derelict and of no special interest. In the most northerly corner of the grounds stands the original main entrance gateway, with the contemporary gate lodge adjacent; gate lodge in separate ownership (HB06/05/016). Original main entrance gateway comprises a pair of square piers, now without gates, with short basalt rubble walls to each end, ramped up to the piers and breaking forward at the extremities with curved screen walls which terminate in smaller piers. Main piers of red sandstone with basalt rubble plinth and swept pyramidal sandstone cap surmounted by ball finial; end piers of similar character but plainer treatment; dressed sandstone copings and weatherings to plinth. Low basalt boundary walls with basalt rock copings return forward from end piers and extend along front boundary to left; rougher quality boundary walling of basalt and limestone rubble to right. To south-east of original gateway is a new entrance driveway with wide splayed basalt rubble entrance gateway comprising two sets of circular piers with shallow conical caps, not very appropriate design. No gates. Polished marble name plaque in each splayed wall of entrance, inscribed ‘Historic Building 1880. Restored 1981’. Boundary walling continues to left of new gateway. New driveway lined with modern lamp standards in antique style. To the south-east of the main house stands the contemporary outbuildings (HB06/05/023) and to the north-east corner of the grounds stands an ice house (HB06/05/033).

Architects

Close, Samuel P

Historical Information

Designed c 1878 by Samuel P. Close and built in 1880 for Sir James McGarel Hogg, the first Lord Magheramorne; builder, James Henry. Drawings for the house were exhibited by Close at the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin in 1878 and 1880. Was an old people's home in the 1960s: later converted to a hotel. Built to replace a previous Magheramorne House which was further east on the estate on a site alongside the present outbuildings, and which was itself a replacement erected by 1857 for Ballylig House which was built in 1817. Stairway and roof of main block replaced following a fire in late 1970s; modern porch added c 1987. References - Primary Sources 1. Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland, Vol 26: Parishes of Co Antrim X (Belfast, 1994), pp 5, 13 and 14 (
references to Ballylig House a predecessor on the estate). 2. The Architect, Vol XXVIII, 2 October 1880, p 211. Secondary Sources 1. A.E. McGuinness, Samuel P. Close: Architect (1842-1925), unpublished MA thesis, The Queen’s University of Belfast (1990). 2. Northern Ireland Heritage Gardens Committee, Heritage Gardens Inventory, 1992: AN 109. 3. J.A.K. Dean, The Gate Lodges of Ulster (UAHS, Belfast, 1994), p 21. 4. P. Larmour, A worthy Victorian architect (Samuel P. Close, 1842-1925), Perspective (The Journal of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects), Vol 6, No 5, May/June 1998, pp 72-75.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation H-. Alterations detracting from building I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting K. Group value

Historic Interest

V. Authorship X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This is a structure which displays a distinct style and proportion together with a commensurate plan form and spatial organisation, despite later additions to the exterior. Its value is enhanced by the retention of a range of original ornamental features in the interiors. It stands in an attractive and picturesque setting and forms part of an important group along with the other estate structures with which it is associated. Designed by a leading Irish architect it is of considerable local interest as forming the centrepiece of an important local demesne.

General Comments

Date of Survey

30 May 1998