Gate Lodge at Florida Manor, 12 Florida Road, Kilmood, Killinchy, Co Down, BT23 6RU

Gate Lodge at Florida Manor

A single storey gate lodge of approximately 1820, located north of Florida Manor at a sharp bend in Florida Road. The building is a small structure with canted ends, a hipped roof and Gothic-style lancet openings. It is now vacant and in poor condition.

The front north facade features a central double timber-sheeted door set within a pointed arch. The overpanel of the arch is blank, apparently designed to conceal the floor of an attic storey. On either side of the door is a window set in a similar pointed arch opening, with a modern timber frame dating from approximately the 1950s. The canted west facade appears largely blank, though much of it is obscured by vegetation. A curving rubble wall projects from the centre of this facade. From the canted east facade projects a high rendered wall containing a timber-sheeted door, which leads to a small lean-to-like structure. This wall continues to meet the gate screen, which consists of two plain rubble-built square pillars with pyramidal caps, enclosing simple wrought iron gates.

The rear facade is dominated by a large timber-constructed lean-to extension, partly covered in greenery. The main facade is constructed of rubble with brick dressings and is whitewashed. The hipped roof has a large overhang, Bangor blue slates and a central brick chimney stack with a modern pot. The metal rainwater goods are dilapidated.

This gate lodge is one of a number of vaguely Gothic buildings in Kilmood townland, built by David Gordon, the then owner of Florida Manor, probably around 1820. The lodge is shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1834, though it is not marked as a lodge on that map. A companion lodge to the east of the manor house is also shown on the same map and is now in a ruinous state. Both buildings share the same vaguely Gothic style favoured by David Gordon in the nearby hamlet of Kilmood.

The estate of Florida Manor has a lengthy history. The manor was created in 1638 when Sir James Montgomery, second son of Viscount Montgomery, acquired lands from Con O'Neill. The name 'Florida' was apparently derived from Sir James' love of flowers. During the Commonwealth period (1649–60) the lands were placed in the custody of Colonel Barrow, but were returned to Montgomery hands in 1664 after considerable dispute. In 1691–92 the manor came into the possession of the Crawford family and subsequently passed to Robert Gordon through his marriage to Ann, the niece and sole heiress of David Crawford's estate, around 1770.

It was one of the Gordons who built the present manor house, probably between approximately 1780 and 1800, though some sources date it to 1796 based on an inscribed timber from the stables. The house may have been constructed around an earlier Montgomery dwelling, which may have dated from around 1676 according to a datestone in the adjacent farmyard. The house is shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1834 along with the large farmyard to the rear, the steward's house and gate lodges to the east and north. By the revised Ordnance Survey map of 1859–60, a western return had been built linking the house with the stable block, and the rear conservatory or porch and early Victorian chimney pots may also date from this period.

In the later 1800s, as successive Land Acts were passed, much of the Gordon lands were sold off. By the 1880s the manor house itself appears to have been leased by Thomas Brand. By 1917 the demesne and its buildings had been acquired by William Devenney, a local farmer, who lived in the steward's house. Florida Manor then fell into disrepair until after the Second World War, when it was purchased by Milo Pickaar, who undertook renovations. The current owner acquired the property in 1980.

This particular gate lodge appears to have been lived in until fairly recently, though it now stands vacant. The gate lodge, gates and gate screen are listed together as a group.