Wilmont, Lady Dixon Park, Belfast

This detached Italianate country house with basement was built around 1859, possibly designed by Thomas Jackson of Belfast. The building is constructed in red brick with sandstone dressings, topped by a hipped natural slate roof with heavy overhanging eaves and several tall chimneys. The composition is asymmetrical: the main block lies to the west and is largely rectangular on plan, abutted by a lower U-shaped return to the east that forms a central courtyard, with a three-storey corner tower at the northeast.

Originally built as two semi-detached dwellings with north and south entrances, internal alterations by the Dixon family around 1920 and conversion to a nursing home around 1960 mean it no longer reads as such.

Setting and Context

The house sits within extensive parkland of 134 acres, now a public park on the west side of Upper Malone Road. The park is known today as Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park, after the owners who gifted it to Belfast Corporation in 1959—an event commemorated by wall-mounted bronze plaques at the northernmost gate screen.

The contemporary walled garden (HB26.16.005D), located southwest of the house, survives complete with a later gardener's shed. The southernmost entrance on Upper Malone Road retains its gate lodge (HB26.16.005B) and leads to a car park with the remains of a former stable block (HB26.16.005C), now converted to a café and offices. The grounds are bounded by the M1 motorway to the west, Upper Dunmurry Lane to the northeast, and the Lagan Navigation (SMR reference DOW009:500) to the southwest. A former lock-keeper's house of 1756 (HB26.16.006) sits at the extreme southwest on the Lagan towpath. Although no longer within the current boundary, the former estate workers' dwellings of Wilmont Cottages (HB26.16.007) mark the northwest corner. Further information on planned landscape features and descriptions of various scheduled monuments is available from the Northern Ireland Heritage Gardens Inventory (reference AN-068).

Roof and Chimneys

Main Block

The roof is hipped on all four sides with a lower central platform having a flat-roofed lift shaft. There is a slated curved roof over the bay to the west and a small gabled dormer to the east, near the southeast corner. Seven chimneys in total rise from the main block: two each on the south, east, and west sides—rectangular on plan, centred on the ridge and symmetrically placed—and another rising from the eaves to the east.

Return

The return's roof is hipped on three sides with an open courtyard to the centre and a square hipped-roof tower to the northeast. Six chimneys serve the return: one tall external stack on the south side of the courtyard; two at the tower; one centred on the ridge of the south wing; one square-on-plan at the southeast hipped corner; and one rising from the eaves at the east wing. Partial infill at the courtyard appears to be flat-roofed.

All chimneys are of red brick in two stages with moulded sandstone between the stages, a cornice with a plain band below, and octagonal yellow clay pots, unless otherwise stated.

Materials

Roof: Natural slate, including the return. The porch roof was not seen.

Rainwater Goods: Cast iron, comprising ogee gutters and circular-section downpipes.

Walls: Red brick laid in Flemish bond with buff-pink Giffnock sandstone dressings.

Windows (Main Block): Single-glazed double-hung sliding sashes, flat-arched to the ground floor with 2/2 panes, and segmental-arched to the first floor with 6/6 panes.

Windows (Return): Single-glazed double-hung sliding sashes, flat-arched with 6/6 panes to the south, 6/3 panes to the north, east, and courtyard; 2/2 panes to the attic tower with round-arched fanlights over (unless otherwise stated).

Note: Built as a pair of semi-detached villas, both north and south elevations are equally prominent.

South Elevation

The south elevation comprises the main block to the left (west) and the return to the right.

Main Block

Largely symmetrical, with a central entrance flanked by three windows on each side at ground floor. Those to the left are bowed and contained within a single-storey projection with a balcony over (a later addition). At first floor, a single window to the centre is flanked by two openings on each side; those nearest the centre are narrower with 4/4 panes. French doors above the flat-roofed projection replace a window, although the original surround remains. Openings generally align over ground and first floors. Storm glazing is fixed to the lower sashes at the single-storey projection.

Sandstone dressings include: toothed quoins to the east and west corners of the main block and of the single-storey projection; a moulded base plinth; a string course between ground and first floors and between cills at ground floor windows; moulded window surrounds, cills, and brackets; and apron panels below ground floor windows.

The entrance door surround is entirely of sandstone, with ashlar walling and a moulded round-arched opening at double doors (timber-framed, six-panelled with a plain fanlight). It features a projecting keystone and moulded impost, a string course above the arch, and a cornice. An indented roundel lies to the right of the arch—the left side is abutted by the single-storey projection, resulting in an uneasy juxtaposition. Three concrete steps lead to the entrance.

A painted plain cornice band (possibly stone) runs at the eaves with a profiled lower edge, moulded timber brackets to the overhanging eaves, a painted timber soffit, and an eaves board supporting the cast iron gutter. The chimney near the hipped junction of the roof at the east side has three to four courses of grey brick below a projecting sandstone cap.

Return

Markedly lower, with the eaves set just above first floor level of the main block. A grass bank descends to a path at basement level, with hedging along the upper edge. The basement comprises randomly spaced openings, all bricked or boarded up. Five windows appear on each of the ground and first floors, equally spaced, aligned, and offset slightly to the west; those second from the left are boarded up. The easternmost bay has notably different brickwork, suggesting the eastern wing is a later addition.

Dressings are confined to the ground and first floors only and are plainer, with toothed quoins to the east; square-cut window surrounds with a matching string course between cills that steps up at the far east. The eaves projection is shallower than at the main block and lacks a cornice or brackets. Two chimneys rise: one square-plan with four pots, centred on the ridge, and the other rectangular with two pots near the hipped edge.

South Elevation of Tower

The roof and eaves match the main block, abutted by the east wing of the return up to first floor level. The attic above has a pair of round-arched windows, with a string course as seen on the north and east faces. A wall-mounted cast iron bell sits next to the windows.

North Elevation

The north elevation comprises the main block to the right (west) and the return to the left, including the tower block.

Main Block

Symmetrical, with overhanging eaves and sandstone dressings as noted on the south elevation. A projecting porch with a raised parapet and Renaissance balustrade is centred at ground floor, with a single window to the west and a tripartite window to the east, and three equally spaced openings at first floor. A carved stone roundel adjacent to the entrance bears the initials 'JB' for James Bristow.

Double entrance doors within a segmental-arched opening at the west face of the porch open onto a level access platform with concrete steps and a ramp having a modern metal handrail and uprights. The porch is now painted but is thought to have been originally ashlar sandstone; a tripartite window is centred on the west face, with delicate leaded and stained glass to the lower panes.

Twin rectangular-plan chimneys are centred on the ridge, both with three pots.

Return

Four bays wide, recessed between the main block and tower, and detailed as per the south elevation of the return, including windows and surrounds.

Three-Storey Tower

Similarly detailed, with toothed quoins and an additional floor comprising twin round-arched windows to the centre, with a shared cill and continuous string course at impost, sandstone arched heads, and keystones. The tower roof and eaves are detailed as the main block. The ground floor is abutted by a later flat-roofed building enclosing plant equipment, of little historic interest.

East Elevation

Of all four sides, the east is the most 'back-of-house' in appearance. The three-storey tower is to the right (north) and a three-bay-wide return to the left.

Tower

Detailed as the north face, including quoins above eaves level at the return. A single opening at first floor is largely concealed by ivy. An adjacent porthole window was viewed inside the building; plans also show two windows at ground floor (not seen).

Return

Detailed as the south elevation, with three equally spaced windows at first floor. At ground floor: three openings aligned with the windows above and one additional smaller window. The opening to the far south contains a flush door, opening onto a bridge that spans a basement well. The small window has 4/2 panes and the adjacent window to the south has 1/1 panes. The bridge is formed in steel with tubular metal uprights and handrails, all painted. Concrete steps and a raised kerb are adjacent to the bridge; the remainder of the grassed bank has a mature hedge aligning the upper edge. Openings to the basement are randomly placed, with soldier-coursed brick headers.

Three chimneys rise: one near the southeast corner at the hipped roof (described at the south elevation); a second rising from the eaves between windows with two pots; and a third at the southeast corner of the tower.

West Elevation

Symmetrical, with a full-height bowed bay to the centre and formally arranged openings. The bay has three windows on each of the ground and first floors, flanked by single windows. Ground floor windows at the bay and that to the north are embellished by decorative carved timber pelmets set flush with the outer face of the reveal; painted.

Dressings are as described on the south elevation, including plinth, quoins, window surrounds, string courses, and overhanging eaves. The basement is not exposed, although some Scrabo rubblestone is visible below the plinth at the north corner. The plinth, string course, and toothed quoins continue at the west side of the single-storey flat-roofed projection, although the brick is slightly different and notably cracking along the line of the rainwater pipe.

The west face of the porch at the opposite end (north) comprises a segmental arch with timber-framed panelled double doors (replacement) and a moulded panel above.

Courtyard

Access to the courtyard was not possible; the survey was obtained from views through first floor windows. Windows appear on all four sides of the brick walls, informally arranged and mainly having 3/6 panes to the basement, 4/2 panes to the ground floor, and 6/3 panes to the first floor, where seen. A large red brick external chimney stack rises. An external metal escape stair descends to the basement with fire exits at upper floors.

Grounds and Landscape

The house is surrounded by a tarmac path and lawns enclosed by mature trees. Brick and sandstone walling remains intact to the northeast corner and at the south entrance; elsewhere, walls and steps have been replaced in concrete. A path from the south leads to a yew walk with a cast iron gate and a raised pond having a dressed stone surround and crown centrepiece. The walled garden (reference HB26.16.005D) lies to the southwest of the yew walk.

Some remains of outbuildings (HB26.16.005C) to the southwest of the house are now substantially altered with modern accretions used to store park maintenance equipment. Strap pointing has been applied to the basalt stone walls; the hipped roof and multi-paned windows have been replaced with appropriate natural slate and timber frames. Inside, a largely modernised café occupies the ground floor; upstairs was not accessed.

Red brick and reconstituted stone pillars and walling mark the entrance to the park at the northernmost gate lodge. Embossed bronze plaques dated 1959 commemorate the donation of the park by Lady Dixon to Belfast Corporation. Modern gates and a bungalow stand in place of the original gate lodge.