Gate Lodge, Banbridge Cemetery, 101 Newry Road, Banbridge, Co Down, BT32 4LJ

Gate Lodge, Banbridge Cemetery

A two-storey, two-bay gabled gate lodge built in 1883 at the entrance to Banbridge Cemetery on the south side of Newry Road, north of Banbridge town centre. The building was designed by Young and Mackenzie in the Gothic style and is constructed of random coursed basalt rubble with yellow brick dressings and a chamfered yellow brick plinth.

The pitched natural slate roof has terracotta ridge tiles and is terminated by two tall red-brick chimneystacks with yellow brickwork detailing, moulded caps and terracotta pots. The gables feature bracketed timber struts and bargeboards. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods sit on projecting eaves with exposed rafter ends.

The principal elevation faces north. The right gabled bay contains a first-floor window, while the ground floor has a two-centred depressed gothic arched opening encompassing a two-over-two square-headed timber window to the left and a replacement six-panelled timber door to the right, surmounted by a slated lean-to canopy on timber brackets. The left bay, set back from the main elevation, contains a square-headed ground-floor window. Above this sits a sandstone plaque with a decorated shield and scrolled band reading "1883 PER DEUM ET INDUSTRIAM".

Windows throughout are two-over-two timber sliding sash with horns, set on projecting stone sills with yellow brick surrounds. First-floor windows feature two-centred depressed gothic arches. Most windows have been fitted with modern decorative steel security bars. The east elevation contains symmetrically placed ground and first-floor windows. The west elevation is symmetrical with a wall-headed chimneystack and flanking blind windows to the first floor. The south (rear) elevation is largely obscured at ground level by a modern portacabin; the exposed right bay is blank and surmounted by a wall-headed chimneystack. The first floor of the gabled bay to the left contains two windows.

The lodge is situated within the stone boundary wall of the cemetery, surrounded on three sides by a stone wall with a metal gate to the front. The entrance is marked by square stone piers on a smooth plinth with gabled sandstone caps carved with Gothic panels, supporting original cast-iron gates. A small tarmacadam yard lies to the front with steps to the rear leading into the cemetery.

The cemetery was established following a petition in 1879 from Banbridge ratepayers to the Local Government Board for a public burial ground. It replaced the town's previous graveyard on Church Street. The cemetery first entered the valuation records in 1883, with the gate lodge following in 1884, valued at £5/15s. At its establishment, the cemetery comprised approximately half its current size; further land was added to the west before the 1960s-70s Ordnance Survey map edition. When built, the cemetery lay outside the town, but has since been incorporated within Banbridge's suburban development.

The interior has been substantially refurbished in recent years with significant alteration to the ground-floor plan. The building now serves as an information centre and waiting room for cemetery visitors. Although designed by prominent local architects, the loss of its interior detailing and modification of the floor plan have compromised its original character.