Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB09/05/015

Address :
Rockdale House 39 Rockdale Road Cookstown BT80 9BA

Townland:
Rockdale

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
01/10/1975 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Country House

Former Use
Country House

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
Yes

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
141/02

IG Ref:
H7775 7277

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

A three-bay three-storey Georgian house with a basement storey, in an austere classical style of stone with ashlar dressings. It stands in a very rural area set well back from the public road within its own extensive farmland. The main entrance faces north. The north elevation is symmetrical with one window to each side of a central entrance. Walling is of coursed rubble stonework which was originally harled but is now exposed, with raised stone quoins, plain stone frieze and moulded cornice, stone block surrounds to windows, and a projecting stringcourse at plinth level to the top of the basement. There are traces of later paint on the surface of the stone dressings. Windows are rectangular timber vertically hung sliding sash, 1 over 1, with horns, set in stone block surrounds with a keystone except for those in the top storey where the heads are part of the frieze. The entrance is set in an engaged portico, the original panelled and glazed door being flanked by circular Tuscan columns surmounted by a triangular pediment, with plain narrow sidelights flanked by Tuscan pilasters. Above the entrance in the first floor is a Palladian window comprising a semi-circular arched centre light with panelled pilasters and a moulded keystone, flanked by narrow sidelights which are sashed 1 over 1 with horns. Above that, in the second floor, is a semi-circular lunette of coupled casements each 1 over 1, set in a keystone surround of similar detailing to the window below. The main entrance is approached by a wide flight of stone steps bounded by curving plinth walls of cut sandstone, carrying original ornamentally treated iron railings which terminate in openwork cast iron pillars with arched tops, embellished with anthemion and other vegetal motifs. The steps form the top of a projection from the basement, its sides exposed within the basement well. These sides have walling of cut sandstone and each contain one window, a rectangular 2-pane fixed light. The basement area of the main block toe ach side of the steps contains a narrow window, sashed 1 over 1, with horns, partly recessed under the steps, in addition to its main windows in line with those in the storeys above. One of the steps within the basement well next to the east side of the basement projection is inscribed '1791 R'. The roof is of hipped form and covered with Bangor blue slates in regular courses, surmounted by two wide lateral chimney stacks which are smooth cement rendered and carry nine tall pots each, the pots being of water-leaf design. Rainwater goods are of cast iron. The east elevation of the main block has similar walling and roofing to the entrance front, with the addition of a tall projecting chimney breast which is smooth cement rendered and carrying a cluster of water-leaf pots. There are two windows at second floor level sashed as previous and in stone block surrounds, and a doorway at ground level at the right hand side. it contains an original 12-panelled partly glazed timber door set in block surrounds with a keystone, approached by a short flight of stone steps and ironwork railings. Much of the main wall is covered by a 19th century extension, 4 windows wide and of two-storey height plus a basement. Walling of the extension is similar to the main block but without raised quoins. The extension is flat topped, its hipped slated roof being hidden behind a parapet. The extension contains windows on all three exposed sides, all in block surrounds with keystones, and sashed 1 over 1 or 2 over 2, with horns, and some in semi-circular or segmental arched surrounds, with margin lights included in the glazing. There is a doorway in the basement on the north side, and a doorway in the ground floor on the east side which contains a modern panelled door with a radial fanlight incorporated. The south or rear elevation is four windows wide and three storeys high plus a basement. Roofing and walling and window types are as previous to the entrance front. The west elevation is also of similar materials to the entrance front, but is mainly blind, except for one window at ground floor level and one below it in the basement, sashed as previous. SETITNG The house is approached by a long driveway wending through the farmland and terminating in an extensive hard standing in front of the house and to the east side. Beyond that, on all sides are grassed areas leading to farmland. At the north-east corner of the extension there is an open basement yard approached by a curving flight of stone steps, all bounded by sandstone plinth walls surmounted by iron railings. The steps descend beneath a segmental archway into a stone flagged sunken yard which is surrounded by smooth rendered walls. Within the walls are segmental arched openings leading into segmental rubble stone vaults. To the west of the house is a farmyard which contains much altered stone outbuildings, one archway of which displays the date 1827 inscribed on a keystone. Further to the west is a derelict walled garden, with mainly rubble stonework to the outer faces of the surrounding wall and mainly red brickwork to the inner faces. The elliptically arched gateway displays the date 1823 inscribed on the inner and outer keystones. MAIN ENTRANCE GATEWAY This comprises a pair of ironwork gates with leaf-topped railings stamped 'Kennan & Sons, Fishamble St, Dublin' mounted on a pair of panelled ashlar sandstone piers flanked by double-curved screens of sandstone plinth walls surmounted by ironwork railings of similar style to the gates, terminating in end piers similar to the gate piers. The detailing of the gates is early 18th c in style. Inside the main entrance gateway to the grounds is a mid-19th century single-storey gate lodge which has now been incorporated into a one-and-a-half storey house of 2002 to its rear and is thus visually subservient to the new building. SECONDARY GATEWAY There is also a secondary entrance further to the west which may have been the original main entrance gateway. It is in poor condition and comprises a pair of rusticated sandstone piers with swept caps, now missing their gates, flanked each side by concave curved screens of low plinth walls and plain railings, incorporating central pedestrian gates, and terminating in similar piers to previous. Set in front of the screen walls forming a vestigial gateway to the main gateway is a pair of very large boulders, possibly alluding to the name of the house 'Rockdale'.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

The precise date of building is not recorded but it appears on the OS map of 1833-4. It was built for James Corry Lowry. An exterior step in the basement well at the front next to the cold-room under the main entrance steps is inscribed '1791 R', however, there are features typical of an earlier house that support the argument for a mid-18th c date. A stone outbuilding is dated 1827 and the walled garden dated 1823. The gate lodge stylistically may be dated to the mid-19th century as may the extension to the main house on its east side. References - Primary Sources 1. Inscribed date of 1791 on a step in basement well. 2. Datestone of 1823 on archway of walled garden. 3. Datestone of 1827 on archway of outbuilding. 4. OS Map of 1833-4. Secondary Sources 1. S. Lewis, A topographical dictionary of Ireland (London, 1837), Vol 1, p 455. 2. UAHS, Dungannon and Cookstown (Belfast, 1971), p 45. 3. M. Bence-Jones, Burke's Guide to Country Houses, Vol 1: Ireland (London, 1978), p 243. 4. A.J. Rowan, The Buildings of Ireland: North-West Ulster (Harmondsworth, 1979), p 484. 5. J.A.K. Dean, The Gate Lodges of Ulster: A Gazetteer (UAHS, Belfast, 1994), p 148. [Added by Philip Smith 25.11.2015] Despite the internal features indicating a mid-18th century date, there appears to be no documentary evidence to suggest that thebuilding is earlier than the mid-1780s. For instance, no country house is shown within the vicinity on Taylors and Skinner's road map of 1777, and nothing is mentioned in William Wilson's 'Post Chaise Companion' of 1786 - both of which would not knowingly have omitted a pile of this size and local importance. The 'Belfast News-Letter' notices - which contain many
references to country houses - first mention 'Rockdale' in 1787, which taken with its non-appearance in Wilson's publication, would seem to imply it was completed in this year or shortly before. On the balance of all this information It seems highly likely that the house was built on the occasion of the marriage of James Lowry and Martha Leslie in 1785. James was a younger son of Rev. James Lowry (1707-87), Rector of Clogherny and later Desertcreate, and the brother of Robert Lowry of Pomeroy House. Pomeroy House (now demolished) was constructed around 1780, was of similar scale and appearance as Rockdale, and quite possibly by the same architect / builder.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

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

Historic Interest

W. Northern Ireland/International Interest X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This is an impressive and well proportioned early/mid 18th century house in an austere classical style. As a tall house it is typically 18th century and the double pile form, heavy cornice and sparse detailing all signify its age. It displays some special features outside such as an engaged portico at the main doorway, Palladian window and semi-circular lunette all effectively combined on the entrance front, together with an array of prominent water-leaf chimney pots, as well as the more typical feature of sashed windows throughout. Its setting emphasises its austerity and gives it a commanding presence within its own grounds and farmland, introduced by a main entrance gateway of appropriate formality, and stands as a fine example of its period and type.

General Comments

Further historical info added by PS, 25.11.2015.

Date of Survey

09 March 2008