Eden Lodge, 129 Circular Road, Jordanstown, Co Antrim, BT37 0RE

Eden Lodge is a detached four-bay two-storey Arts and Crafts house built in 1926 and designed by R.H. Gibson. It stands set back slightly to the east of Circular Road, with its principal garden elevation facing east. The building is rectangular on plan with full-height canted bays to the east, a single-storey extension to the south with a gambrel roof, and a full-height off-centre projection to the north.

The roof is hipped Westmoreland natural slate with overhanging eaves, terracotta ridge rolls, lead valleys and gablets to the apex. Three abutting gables rise from the main pitch on the west elevation, a hipped projection sits to the north, and a pitched single-storey roof extends to the south with a blind gable. A pair of projecting gables covers the full-height canted bays on the east elevation, supported on large timber brackets with timber dowels. All gables feature weather-slating in green natural slate with terracotta ridge roll finishes.

Tall red brick chimneystacks have ogee-moulded cornices, terracotta pots and lead flashing. Cast-iron rainwater goods include decorative box-hoppers with floral motifs. The walling is painted rough-cast rendered with a central square bronze sun-dial to the east garden elevation.

Windows are square-headed with flush mullioned timber frames having iron casement windows, leaded glazing and no sills. Ground floor windows have a projecting terracotta drip course, while first floor windows abut the eaves. A single bipartite window opening to the right of the front entrance has a flush sandstone ashlar surround and central sandstone mullion. The pair of double-height canted bays to the east garden elevation have continuous mullioned windows with weather-slating between floors and a lead drip course to the first floor windows only. The single-storey sun room has a double-leaf iron frame patio door with leaded glazing. All windows have timber dowels and bronze casement stays and latches.

The principal garden elevation facing east is symmetrical, with full-height bays to either side and a central bay containing a single window to the ground floor and two windows to the first floor, with French doors to the extension. The south elevation is abutted by the extension with windows at each floor to the left side. The west elevation has a recessed left bay with windows to each floor, and the main section has a principal entrance to the right of centre, an offset large window lighting the half-landing, and various other windows.

The main entrance is a segmental-headed front door within a deep recess of ruled and lined cement render. The original oak panelled door is glazed to the upper section in decorative green crown glass with a decorative bronze letter box, opening onto a white marble and Kilkenny limestone step. A segmental-headed sandstone ashlar canopy is supported on a pair of large sandstone corbels. The door opens onto a red concrete footpath through a small garden area, accessing the road via an original oak pedestrian gate with timber dowels and cast-iron furniture and hinges on a pair of timber posts.

The north elevation comprises the main block with a single ground floor window and a projecting north bay which is blank to the main face except for a vertically-sheeted timber door set in a square-headed recess. The left cheek of this bay has two windows to each floor. The door opens onto a concrete platform and steps enclosed by a vertically-sheeted timber balustrade within an enclosed yard set behind a gate screen wall and the front of the garage. The gate screen wall abuts the north end of the front elevation with painted pebbledash render and concrete coping. A pair of tall piers supports an original pair of timber vehicular gates with timber dowels and open grille, with a further pedestrian door of vertically-sheeted timber.

The single-storey garage fronts into the small yard to the north of the house with a hipped natural slate roof and overhanging eaves, cast-iron rainwater goods and painted pebbledash rendered walls. A square-headed vehicular opening has a pair of vertically-sheeted timber doors with a further pedestrian door opening into the rear garden. The south side elevation of the garage has three windows detailed as per the main house and a further square-headed door opening with a vertically-sheeted timber door.

The house is set within private landscaped grounds of approximately one acre. The rear elevation features a raised gravel area with stone steps to a large square lawn enclosed on all three sides by mature trees. The west elevation is enclosed to the road by a hedge with vehicular access and a bitumac parking area onto Circular Road. An NIE sub-station is positioned within the grounds with a steel gate and concrete wall fronting onto Jordanstown Road. A concrete wall dating to around 1980 continues along the entire north boundary of the site. A detached single-storey garage is positioned to the northeast of the house behind a gate screen wall.