Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB12/15/020

Address :
Rossclare House Rossclare Killadeas Irvinestown Co Fermanagh BT94

Townland:
Rossclare

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
09/05/1988 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Hospital Building

Former Use
Country House

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
Partially

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OS Map No:
192/1

IG Ref:
H1920 5419

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

Middling-sized two storey hipped-roof country house of 1862-67 with single storey side pavilions, long three storey rear return and typical mid-Victorian Italianate detailing such as bracketed oversailing eaves, decorative window surrounds and cast iron balustrading. The building, which was converted to a sanatorium, then a hotel and later a hospital, is set on an isolated rise overlooking Lower Lough Erne at the end of a long drive to the W of the main Enniskillen-Castle Archdale road, roughly 4 miles SW of Irvinestown. [Though the building actually faces SW, for the purposes of this description SW will be read as W.] The property is basically L-shaped in plan form with the main two storey front section with its flanking single storey ‘pavilions’ set on a N-S axis to W, with the long part three part two storey rear return set on an E-W axis on the lower ground to E. The latter has large relatively recent single storey Portacabin-like extension to the S. The façade is finished in painted lined render with moulded quoins and window surrounds to front wing, the return also rendered also but devoid of any decoration save for some simple window surrounds to the N side. The windows are flat arched and largely filled with sash frames, however an significant number are presently boarded over (though their frames remain underneath). The roof of the main (two storey) section of the front wing and the return is hipped and slated with very shallow triple hipped roofs to the front pavilions. The building bares traces of its previous life as a special care school, most notably a prominent fire escape stair to front and to the return, and to front, a tarmac-covered parking area. The property has been abandoned since c.1998 and is now in poor condition. The front elevation is (generally) symmetrical, consisting of the main two storey section flanked by the large single storey pavilions. To the centre of the ground floor of the main section is a relatively large flat-roofed porch. To the S face of the porch is the main entrance which consists of a relatively modest panelled timber door with plain surround. Above the doorway (and stretching the full width of this face of the porch) is a large recent corrugated metal hood (so large one could almost call it a roof). This side of the porch has plain pilasters to each edge. To the W face of the porch there is a pair of windows (presently boarded) set a shallow recess and sharing a sill. The N face of the porch is cut across by a relatively recent fire escape stair which leads to the porch’s flat roof / balcony. This roof has a decorative cast iron balustrade. To either side of the porch is a relatively shallow single storey flat roofed canted bay with rendered base and sash windows to all faces (mixture of vertical and horizontal glazing bars- 2/2, 4/4, 2/2) separated by timber mullions. The windows are partly boarded. To the right of the right hand bay there is a plain sash window (probably not original). To the first floor there are three windows with that to the centre extended downwards to form a doorway (and now boarded). Each opening has a moulded surround with decorative scrolled brackets supporting a hood-like cornice. Sill band under windows (now cut through by the doorway). The large single storey pavilions each have two tall window openings with moulded surrounds, brackets etc much as those to first floor but with frieze under cornice. The roof of each pavilion has a decorative cast iron balustrade, as porch. The long N elevation consists of the large return with the short N façade of the front wing / pavilion to far right. To far left the return is two storey. To the ground floor of this two storey section there are three windows of various size and a doorway, all boarded up. To the first floor is a small plain sash window and a timber sheeted door with boarding over its glazed panel. This doorway gives access to a fire escape stair. The main three storey section of the return has a long lean-to projection which covers almost all of the ground floor level. This has four widely (and unevenly) spaced windows of various size and shape, with a doorway between the 2nd and 3rd window. All these openings are boarded. The doorway is set slightly below actual ground level and several sunken steps (with side walls) lead to it. To the far right (W) the lean-to abuts a two storey flat-roofed projection set into the intersection of the return and the main front wing. This projection has a boarded up doorway to the ground floor of its N face and a plain sash window to the first floor. The first floor of the return has four symmetrically arranged window openings, all boarded. To the first floor there are four more symmetrically arranged openings with that to far left made into a doorway giving access to the fire escape; the three windows to the right of this have sash frames (Georgian panes- 3/3). The N face of the N pavilion has three very small windows to left (two boarded the other with a modern frame), with a doorway (also boarded) to right of these. All of these openings are probably not original. To the right of these is a canted flat-roofed bay with a window to each of its faces- the outer windows boarded, that to the centre with the remains of a sash frame (2/2- vertical glazing bars). The N face of the main two storey front section has three windows of differing size, that to left with a modern frame, that to the centre with what appears to be a Georgian-paned sash frame [?6/6] with a plain sash frame to that to right. The long S elevation consists of the short S face of the front wing to far left, with the return to right of this. The S face of the S pavilion has a flat roofed canted bay to left (whose windows are largely boarded), with a doorway and a window to right- also boarded. To the S façade of the main two storey section of the front wing there is a plain sash window to left, a Georgian-paned sash window to centre-right (6/6) with two much smaller windows with modern frames to right of this. The ground floor of the S façade of the three storey section of the return has a projecting flat roofed corridor to left which links to a large, relatively recently built, single storey extension (which looks like a large Portacabin). To right of this there is a boarded up doorway, then a single storey lean-to with large boarded up window to its S face. To right of the lean-to are three windows of varying size- all boarded. To the first floor of the three storey section there are six similar symmetrically arranged window openings- three boarded, three with sash frames (two 6/6- Georgian panes, one 6/1- Georgian panes to top sash only). To the second floor there are what appear to be six original symmetrically arranged window openings, with a much narrower and probably much later window (now boarded) set between the 5th and 6th of these. The original windows all have sash frames (Georgian panes- 3/3). The original first and second windows have much dilapidated moulded surrounds. To the two storey section of the return there are four unevenly spaced boarded up window openings of various size, with five uniform (but unevenly spaced) windows to the first floor (all with Georgian panes- 3/3). The ground floor of the short E façade of this two storey section is largely covered by a single storey hipped roof projection with a boarded up doorway to its N face and three very small boarded up windows to the S face. To the first floor of the return there is a small window, as first floor S façade. The rear elevation of the main section of the front wing has a large boarded up window to left on the ground floor (whose double sash Georgian-paned frame is still largely intact behind the boarding). To the first floor above this there are two sash windows, both originally 8/8 Georgian panes, but with lower sash of that to left boarded and the lower sash of that to right largely broken. To right of these is a small narrow window with modern frame. To right again there is a two storey bay with a large metal water tank to its roof flat roof. To the ground floor of the E face of this bay there is a boarded up window opening, with a sash window to the first floor (6 panes to top sash with the lower one boarded). To immediate right of the bay (and attached to it) there is a single storey bay with shallow lean-to roof (this appears to be a boiler house). This bay has a large doorway to its E face with timber sheeted double door. To right of this there is a very large window opening, now boarded, whilst to first floor there are three windows, that to left smaller and with a modern frame, the two to right identical- both having 8/8 Georgian-paned sash frames. The rear face of the S pavilion has two windows, now boarded. The rear face of the N pavilion has a boarded up doorway to left, then three unevenly spaced same-sized windows- two boarded up the other with a sash window with only the upper sash surviving (6 Georgian panes). From this (E) one can see the pavilion’s shallow hipped roof. As mentioned above, the front wing is in painted lined render with in-out quoins and a bevelled base, with the return in similar render but without the quoins. A small part of the render has fallen away from the N façade of the three storey portion of the return revealing what appears to be -from a distance- granite in-out quoins with squared limestone to the main portion of the wall. The roof of the main two storey front section of the house is hipped and slated with a large overhang with paired brackets and two centrally located [?]limestone chimneystacks with tall bases and cornice course. There is a tall brick stack to the rear of this roof, rising from a projecting painted brick chimney breast which rises from the single storey lean-to projection. Also to the rear of the roof there is a large centrally located skylight. The return has a hipped slated roof with a less pronounced overhang with exposed rafter ends and three large brick-built chimneystacks. The rw goods are largely cast iron. To the immediate (W) front and N of the building there is a tarmac–covered car parking area, with a relatively steep grass slope to the W and N of this and the curving drive to W again. To the rear (E) of the building there is a relatively large single storey gabled outbuilding with rendered façade and various (mainly large) window openings. Set on sloping ground to the NW side of the main drive to the house is a very long low single storey gabled building in timber, constructed in 1913 as a pavilion for patients suffering from tuberculosis (Rossclare House was a female sanatorium between c.1912/3 and 1925/60). To the W of the house (beyond the drive) the ground slopes down to the lough where there is the remains of a small jetty along with several small single storey sheds.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

A large house is shown on site of the front wing on the OS map of 1835 however it is of a different plan form than the present, consisting a central section with two recessed side portions. The contemporary valuation tells us that this earlier house was a low, single to one and a half storey dwelling (13½ft in height) with single storey additions, possibly at least over 25 years old at that point. It appears to have been built as a summer residence by local landowners the Darcy-Irvine family (of Castle Irvine, Irvinestown), but though the valuers describe it as ‘very nice’ it was also ‘much exposed in winter and rather dilapidated’. By 1861 the old building was ‘down’ and in the following year the valuers were able to report that Henry Darcy-Irvine had commenced building a ‘large new house’. This new dwelling was finally completed in 1867 and like its predecessor appears to have served as a summer residence for the family, with the unusually large return probably used to house the servants and entourages of other holidaying relatives and friends. However, although the property remained in Darcy-Irvine hands until the early 20th century it is recorded as ‘vacant’ in 1871, as a hotel from 1879 and 1881 and the home of a Mr William R. Cooney between 1902 and 1905. In 1907 it became a hotel for the second time, however from 1910 to 1912/3 it appears to have reverted to a private residence again. Between 1913 and 1925/6 Rossclare was used as a female sanatorium, under the control of the ‘Women’s National Health Association’, who, wishing to take full advantage of the clear air blowing off the lough, built the long timber pavilion to the SW side of the main drive ‘containing bedrooms open air shelters, recreation rooms, kitchen etc., heated by water [and] electrically lighted’. By 1927 the building had become a hotel once again, this time run by ‘Lough Erne Hotel Co.’. In the later decades of the century [?c.1975] it was converted to a Special Care School and remained as such until the mid 1990s. It was recently acquired by a private owner. References- Primary sources 1 PRONI OS/6/4/15/1 OS map, Co Fermanagh, sh 15, 1835 2 PRONI VAL/1B/419 First valuation, Derryvullan parish, 1835 3 PRONI VAL/1A/4/15 First valuation map, Derryvullan parish etc., 1835 4 PRONI VAL/2B/4/23C Second valuation, Derryvullan parish, 1861-62 5 PRONI VAL/2A/4/15C Second valuation map, Derryvullan parish etc. 6 PRONI VAL/12B/27/9A-E Annual valuation revision notebooks, Irvinestown Electoral District, c.1866-c.1929 7 PRONI VAL/12A/4/19 Valuer’s office notebook, Irvinestown Rural District, 1907 8 PRONI VAL/12A/4/21 Valuer’s office notebook, Irvinestown, Rural District, 1913 Secondary sources 1 Alistair Rowan, ‘North West Ulster’ (London, 1979), p.329 [This book states that Rossclare House was built in the 1840s, but the valuations contradict this.]

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

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

Historic Interest

V. Authorship X. Local Interest Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

Middling-sized two storey hipped-roof country house of 1862-67 with single storey side pavilions, large three storey rear return and typical mid-Victorian Italianate detailing such as bracketed oversailing eaves, decorative window surrounds and cast iron balustrading. During the past century this building has served as a sanatorium, then a hotel and latterly a special care school, as a result it has been extensively altered internally and -to a much lesser degree- externally, and now has an ‘institutional’ air. Despite the alterations associated with It's changes of use the, former house still retains special architectural and historic interest.

General Comments

Date of Survey

12 February 2003