Survey Data
Reg No
14941001
Rating
National
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic
Original Use
Country house
In Use As
Country house
Date
1805 - 1810
Coordinates
202407, 192575
Date Recorded
30/08/2004
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached three-bay two-storey over basement country house, built in 1807, with bow to east-facing side elevation and recessed entrance porch. Hipped slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles, rendered chimneystacks, cast-iron rainwater goods and open eaves. Ruled-and-lined roughcast rendered walls with tooled limestone plinth course and quoins to basement. Timber sash windows with hammer dressed limestone surrounds and sills. Keystones to windows on ground floor. Windows to front elevation and bow with chamfered limestone surrounds. Continuous sill course to first floor windows on front and side elevations with shouldered arch detail above entrance. Ground floor windows flanking bow set within blind arches. Segmental-headed window openings to basement of east-facing side elevation with limestone block-and-start surrounds and horizontal sliding sash windows. Cambered-arch window openings to front and rear elevations with horizontal sliding sash windows. Recessed entrance porch consists of a segmental-headed arched opening with hammer dressed limestone architrave, deeply coved stucco surround leadings into the porch with a groin-vaulted ceiling. Segmental-headed arch with panelled soffit frames square-headed door opening with architrave surround flanked by pilasters with console brackets supporting dentil cornice and decorative foliate frieze. Glazed double doors with classical panel set within egg-and-dart frame above. Greek key skirting to porch. Door accessed up six limestone steps. Basement area enclosed by rendered plinth wall. Sundial set on a fluted limestone column to front site. Ruined summerhouse to rear site. Coursed rubble stone wall enclosed front site to west. Limestone piers and wrought-iron gates and railings to front site. Walled garden and stable yard to west of house.
Appraisal
Designed by Sir Richard Morrison for William Trench and completed 1807, Cangort Park in an important villa designed by one of the most prolific and successful villa architects practicing in the early nineteenth century. Almost identical to Bellair in north County Offaly, Cangort Park also shares many similar features with other Morrison designed villas. The deeply recessed entrance porch with a coved surround accessed up limestone steps and containing an ornate door surround with classical plaque above, is a striking entrance to the villa. The bowed side elevation, open eaves, limestone string courses and limestone chamfered window reveals and surrounds all contribute to the appealing design of the house and the significance of the structure. However it is the interior plan and decoration of the villa that is of most interest. The wonderful domed stair hall located in the centre of the building contains a sweeping cantilevered staircase and is decorated with the Greek key motif. Off the west side of the axial corridor lies a library with superb barrel-vaulted ceiling, reputed to be elegantly decorated by James Talbot. Although in poor condition now, the quality of the stonework, detail of design and elegant interior make Cangort Park an important part of the architectural heritage of County Offaly.