Survey Data
Reg No
21903721
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic, Historical, Social
Original Use
Country house
In Use As
Country house
Date
1810 - 1830
Coordinates
139711, 130264
Date Recorded
13/08/2009
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached eight-bay two-storey country house, built in 1818, having two-bay two-storey breakfront end bay, first floor oriel and two-bay two-storey projecting bay to rear (north). Lean-to glasshouse to side (west). Lean-to addition to rear (north). Hipped slate roofs with tooled limestone chimneystacks, projecting rendered eaves and uPVC rainwater goods. Roughcast rendered walls throughout. Square-headed window openings having tooled limestone sills and six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows. Timber casement windows to first floor of side (west) elevation. Tripartite timber casement windows to first floor of rear elevation and oriel. Multiple-pane timber casement windows to front and side (west) elevations of glasshouse. Round-headed door opening with tooled limestone doorcase to front elevation, comprising engaged fluted Doric columns supporting moulded architrave with decorative frieze with papyrus and acanthus derived motifs surmounted by moulded architrave. Having double-leaf timber panelled doors surmounted by spoked fanlight with tooled limestone archivolt and tooled limestone stepped approach. Square-headed door openings elsewhere, having tooled limestone hoodmoulding step to side (east) elevation with timber panelled door surmounted by multiple-pane overlight. Glazed timber door to side (east) elevation of projecting end-bay surmounted by tripartite overlight. Glazed timber door to front elevation of glasshouse. Enclosed courtyard to rear having multiple-bay stable blocks. Camber-headed carriageway arches to east and west having tooled stone voussoirs with keystones. Surmounted by bell tower with crow stepped finial and ogee-headed arch. Glasshouses to east. Freestanding square-profile possible former folly/eye-catcher/hunting lodge to west of house having rubble stone walls, quoins and pointed arch door opening to side (east) having tooled stone voussoirs.
Appraisal
Originally a five-bay country house built by the Lloyd family in the nineteenth century, with a later extension to the east in the 1830s, this fine building makes a strong and positive contribution to the architectural heritage of County Limerick. Having been well maintained, Heathfield House has retained many notable features of architectural interest including crafted limestone sills, timber sash windows and a fine slate roof. Although not original to this house, an elaborate limestone doorcase with classically inspired motifs to the architrave forms the main focal point of the façade. A large enclosed courtyard to the rear with and associated bell tower forms another notable historic architectural feature.