Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB20/08/004

Address :
Clotworthy House Randalstown Road Antrim BT41 4LH

Townland:
Town Parks

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
10/12/1974 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Gallery/ Museum

Former Use
Stables

Conservation Area:
Yes

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
96-13SE

IG Ref:
J1432 8691

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Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

A one and 2-storey building in Tudor Revival style comprising a quadrangular arrangement of four wings. Main entrance faces approximately south. South elevation: a symmetrical composition consisting of a central Tudor arched gabled gateway with flanking 2-storey square towers, linked by screen walls to 2-storey gabled end wings. Roofs of Bangor blue slates in regular courses. Walling is of coursed basalt rubble with granite dressings, granite quoins to extremities of end bays and of towers; projecting granite stringcourses, and copings. End bays have large ashlar granite corbelled kneelers of square section, with chamfered edges, sunken panels and weatherings; stepped and curvilinear gables surmounted by large shaped openwork granite finials; two windows to ground floor, one to first floor, rectangular timber, mullioned and transomed, containing four lights of nine panes each set in block surrounds with keystone, the ground floor windows having relieving arches of rubble; apex of each end wing gable contains a small narrow unglazed lancet with two large carved head label stops, depicting in each case a blind man and an ‘ugly’ woman. Screen walls are ramped at each end. Central gateway has a moulded recessed four-centred arch with keystone surmounted by a stringcourse and shaped gable which contains a modelled coat of arms of the Massereene family with coronet, and the family motto miss-spelled in this instance as ‘Per Augusta’ instead of ‘Per Angusta Ad Augusta’; flanking square towers have rectangular windows to ground floor, containing timber louvers set in block surrounds; semi-circular arched windows to first floor with similar louvers, in raised surrounds. Similar round headed windows to outer faces of first floor of towers. Granite ashlar roofs to towers, of square ogee cupola design, surmounted by wrought iron finials. Entrance archway contains a set of four rectangular ledged timber doors boarded in herringbone pattern, with a two-light timber trellis work fanlight over. West elevation: a long plain 2-storey wall of similar stonework to entrance front, containing one doorway: pair of rectangular ledged timber doors, opening outwards, with a blind fanlight above; concrete ramp to doorstep. Roof slated as previous; moulded cast iron gutter and two downpipes. North or rear elevation consists of a long single storey range with 2-storey gabled end wings. Walling and roofing as previous. Wing to right contains two windows to ground floor as previous to entrance front; first floor has a similar block surround opening with relieving arch, containing a rectangular timber tongued and grooved sheeted panel. Apex of gable contains what appears to be a modern circular louvred opening functioning as a ventilator. Wing to left is similar to wing to right except one window to ground floor as previous, but the other opening has been later enlarged to form a doorway containing a pair of rectangular ledged timber doors with a two-light small paned fanlight over. Paved doorstep. First floor window opening as previous except blocked with basalt rubble. Between end wings is a single storey height wall of coursed basalt rubble with a moulded granite cornice; black painted timber fascia or eaves board; moulded cast iron gutter with cast iron downpipe to each end. Wall contains a doorway containing a pair of rectangular ledged timber doors, set in a granite block surround; doorway approached by a long concrete ramp across face of building with modern tubular steel railings. To right of doorway is a small window: rectangular timber 9-pane horizontally pivoting, set in concrete bock surrounds without keystone. East elevation: 2-storey of similar walling and roofing as previous except two chimney stacks on ridge, of what appears to be ashlar granite, with four chimney bases to each stack marked by stop chamfering; pots removed. First floor has four windows, rectangular timber 2-light, each light 12-pane, set in block granite surrounds without keystones. Ground floor has one window, rectangular timber 2-light casements, 15 over 15, set in granite and smooth cement rendered block surrounds with granite keystone and concrete cill. Moulded cast iron gutter and cast iron downpipes. Courtyard elevations: south side is single storey. Walling is roughly coursed basalt rubble with granite dressings to gabled gateway and what appears to be cast stone dressings to flanking canted bays. Gateway contains a tall chamfered Tudor arch flanked by weathered diagonal buttresses; shaped kneelers to gable with moulded coping stepping up and ramping over a blind oculus at the apex. Arch contains a set of four doors and trellis fanlight similar to main entrance front. Short link blocks and canted bays contain a Tudor arched doorway and two windows, in block surrounds: small paned timber windows, door and sidelight. North side: single storey lean-to block. Roof slated as previous; one modern flush rooflight. Walling of coursed basalt rubble with granite dressings to openings; white painted timber eaves board; moulded cast iron gutter and downpipe. Openings are from left to right: rectangular window, 2-light, 6 over 6 casements, set in block granite surrounds, without keystone; a wide full height recess, brick paved, with painted roughcast side and rear walls, smooth plastered ceiling, and modern flush timber door to left; rectangular doorway containing a rectangular ledged timber door with 4-pane fanlight over, set in chamfered block granite surround; a similar doorway containing a 2-light small paned window with plain panel below; a modern full-height glazed timber doorway and glazed timber screen is recessed slightly behind a circular cast iron post, with a 4-light small paned window set in rubble walling to the right of that. West side: 2-storey of similar roofing and walling to previous. Six windows to first floor, rectangular timber coupled 12-pane casements, set in block granite surrounds, without keystones; also in first floor is a larger opening containing tongued and grooved sheeted panel and a modern dovecote. Ground floor has two 4-light windows as previous to entrance front, and two doorways with paired sheeted doors. Cast iron rainwater goods. East side: 2-storey of similar roofing and walling to previous. Cast iron rainwater goods. Six windows to first floor, as to west side. Ground floor has a Tudor arched arcade of four openings dressed in granite. Two central arches contain modern timber framed, fixed light glazing, with modern two-tier concrete cills. Two outer arches contain modern glazed timber doors set in timber framed glazed screens, with paved ramp access. SETTING: The building stands within the former demesne of Antrim Castle, to the west of the area of formally laid out gardens, facing the Six Mile Water river and set back from it with grassed areas in front and to the east; and mature trees to the sides and between it and the river; car park to the west, and tarmac yard to the north which contains a number of single and 2-storey outbuildings of no special quality. The single storey outbuilding is connected to the north-west corner of this building, externally only, while a storey-height screen wall to the yard projects from the east elevation, built of basalt rubble and containing two open doorways. Paved path across front face of building, with axial path from main entrance to riverside walkway. Modern ramp access projects from rear or north elevation. Internal courtyard surfaced with concrete paving surrounded by gravel borders.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

Built as the carriage house and stables for the Viscount Massereene of Antrim Castle; precise date not recorded but it appears on the OS map of 1857; stylistically it may be dated to the period from the end of the 1830s to the early 1840s. In 1838 the Ordnance Survey Memoirs had described the offices a little to the north of the castle as “suitable as to size but in other respects unworthy of notice and in bad repair”; presumably this new complex was built soon after that. Originally the east wing was the coach-house, with four large entrance arches, while the west wing comprised loose boxes downstairs with a hayloft and tack room above. There was also originally a clock in the north gable of the gateway, a louvred ventilator turret on the ridge of the roof above the clock; there were also previous, prominent chimney pots on the two-storey wings, those on the east wing presumably being original to the building, those on the west wing presumably being later additions, with their stacks, built when the stables were converted to living accommodation in the 1920s. After the fire which destroyed Antrim Castle in 1922, the family converted Clotworthy House, as this complex became known, to living accommodation, using it as their home until the death, in the house, of the 12th Viscount Massereene in 1956. It subsequently was occupied for 13 years by Canon Collis and his family; converted into an arts complex during the course of the years 1975 to 1981; refurbished again in 1992. The family motto with the coat of arms over the main entrance was miss-spelt at the time of erection, reading ‘Per Augusta Ad Augusta; instead of ‘Per Angusta Ad Augusta’ which means ‘Through hard times to prosperity’. References – Primary Sources 1. OS Map 1857, Co Antrim 50. Secondary Sources 1. C.H. O’Neill, ‘Antrim Castle’, reprinted from the Dublin University Magazine (Dublin, 1860), p 32 (refers to the arched gateway as “surmounted by a handsome clock”). 2. UAHS, Antrim and Ballymena (Belfast, 1969), pp 7 and 8. 3. M. Bence-Jones, Burke’s Guide to Country Houses, Vol 1: Ireland (London, 1978), p 6. 4. Belfast Telegraph, 12 September 1980, p 8. 5. S. Chapman, ‘The Ghost at Antrim Castle’, Belfast Telegraph, 31 October 1983. 6. A. Smyth, The Story of Antrim (Antrim 1984), pp 48-49, 80-81. 7. C.E.B. Brett, Buildings of Country Antrim (Belfast, 1996), pp 200-201.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form H+. Alterations enhancing the building J. Setting K. Group value

Historic Interest

W. Northern Ireland/International Interest V. Authorship

Evaluation

This is an early Victorian building in Tudor Revival style originally built as a coach house and stables but now converted for use as an arts centre. It retains most of its original exterior features, and despite the loss of its original interiors, still retains something of its original character and importance as an integral part of an important country house demesne. Aside from its local value as a rare architectural element in this now diminished demesne, it is a particularly handsome and impressive example of its type in Northern Ireland.

General Comments

Date of Survey

06 November 2004