Main Record - County Longford |
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| Melrose, Ardagh, County Longford
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| 13312015 |
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| Reg. No. | 13312015 |
| Date | 1860 - 1870 |
| Previous Name | N/A |
| Townland | ARDAGH DEMESNE |
| County | County Longford |
| Coordinates | 220222, 268666 |
| Categories of Special Interest | ARCHITECTURAL ARTISTIC HISTORICAL SOCIAL |
| Rating | Regional |
| Original Use | steward's house |
| In Use As | house |
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Description
Detached three-bay two-storey former steward's/agent's house on L-shaped plan, built c. 1863, with advanced gabled bay with canted bay window to the south end of the main elevation (east), single-storey canted corner porch and gabled half dormer window to attic. Now in use as private house. Pitched natural slate roofs, with two decorative yellow brick chimneystacks, cast-iron rainwater goods, and pierced decorative timber bargeboards to gables. Hipped slate roofs to porch and canted bay window. Snecked rock-faced stone walls with dressed limestone quoins to the corners. Carved limestone scrolled panel with heraldic shield and moulded cornice to front elevation, displaying an open hand palm up, and three curled feathers. Pointed segmental-arch window openings to upper floor and attic, square-headed windows to ground floor. Chamfered dressed limestone window surrounds with stone sills and replacement windows. Shouldered entrance opening to porch, with chamfered dressed limestone surround and timber battened door, accessed via stone step. Flanked by shouldered window opening with chamfered dressed limestone surround, and timber frame window. Set back from the road, with landscaped garden to front. Random rubble stone boundary wall to road frontage having chamfered dressed limestone coping, with wrought-iron gates. Complex of single and single-storey with attic level outbuildings to the rear (west). Located to the north of the centre of Ardagh.
Appraisal
This building type is characteristic of Victorian estate architecture, which is relatively rare in Ireland. It dates from a specific period of rebuilding and restructuring of the village of Ardagh in the early 1860s. Despite the recent replacement of its windows, this structure retains much character. Its former use as the house where rents were paid to the landlord's (Fetherston) agent accounts for the heraldic panel to the front elevation, and is interesting for the social history of the village. Rents were apparently collected at a door to the rear (west). It was erected to designs by the architect James Rawson Carroll (1830 - 1911), who carried out various works at Ardagh for Sir Thomas Fetherston (between c. 1860 - 1865) in order to improve the village as a memorial to his uncle, Sir George Fetherston. It is one of a number of houses, of varying designs, in the village of Ardagh that collectively represent one of the most interesting collections of its type in north Leinster. Its orientation towards Ardagh House (13312039), particularly the orientation of the canted porch, is significant in that it affords this building a high status in this estate village. Much character has been retained to this structure, and its former use as a post office is interesting for the social history of the village. The simple boundary walls and the complex of outbuildings to the rear complete the setting and add to this appealing composition. |
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