Survey Data

Reg No

15400330


Rating

Regional


Categories of Special Interest

Archaeological, Architectural, Artistic, Historical


Previous Name

Turbotston


Original Use

Country house


In Use As

Country house


Date

1800 - 1820


Coordinates

242209, 272827


Date Recorded

23/11/2004


Date Updated

--/--/--


Description

Detached three-bay two-storey house country house, built c.1810, with projecting single-bay entrance front with raised parapet over and a single-bay cut limestone tetrastyle Greek Ionic entrance porch the centre of the main façade (southeast). Five-bay two-storey service wing on L-shaped plan attached to the southwest having rendered finish to entrance front screening extensive stable block to the rear of the house (northwest). Hipped natural slate roof, arranged around central rotunda, having overhanging eaves, ashlar eaves cornice, cast-iron rainwater goods and four ashlar limestone chimneystacks having moulded cornices over. Constructed of squared and snecked punched limestone rubble over projecting chamfered ashlar limestone plinth. Square-headed window openings having cut stone sills and nine-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows to the ground floor openings and six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows over to the first floor. Central Wyatt window to first floor over entrance porch. Segmental-headed window openings to service wing having architraved surrounds and replacement windows. Square-headed doorcase, behind entrance porch to southeast, having glazed timber double-doors. Doorcase flanked by narrow sidelights to either side having timber sliding sash windows. The return (south) of the 'L'-shaped service wing complex has a segmental-headed carriage arch, with dressed limestone voussoirs, leading into a cobbled kitchen yard beyond (north). To the east of this is a pointed-arch opening with intersecting Gothic tracery. Turbotstown House is set back from road in extensive mature grounds with substantial complex of outbuildings to the rear and the west (15400331), the remains of a walled garden to the west and main entrance gates and the remains of a gate lodge (15400332)to the south. Located to the northwest of Castlepollard and to the north of the village of Coole.

Appraisal

An accomplished early nineteenth-century country house, built in a Greek Revival style, which retains its early character and form. Turbotstown House is a polished composition with a certain crispness to its design and execution. The fine cut stone Ionic porch is a noteworthy feature, displaying a very high quality of carving, and is of artistic merit. The designs for this fine structure are attributed to the renowned architect Francis Johnston (1760-1829). Johnston carried out extensive work at nearby Tullynally Castle (15400321) around this time and, therefore, it is highly possible that he was involved in the designs for Turbotstown House. Indeed, the central rotunda is a device that Johnston included in a number of country house designs at this stage of his career. Turbotstown House has strong historical connections with the Dease Family, an important and noteworthy family of soldiers, scholars and clergymen, who had their seat at Turbotstown from c.1450 until 1926. The present Turbotstown House occupies the site of an earlier 'castle' marked on the Down Survey Map of the area 1654-6. A number of outbuildings (15400331) to the rear appear to date to the mid-eighteenth century and were probably associated with an earlier house at Turbotstown. The masonry to the south return of the service wing suggests that this may be earlier than the present edifice and may be part of an earlier house. Turbotstown House forms the centerpiece of an important group of related structures and represents an important element of the built heritage of Westmeath.