694-696 ANTRIM ROAD, BELFAST

Detached asymmetrical two-bay one and a half storey Tudor-Revival brick and render former gate lodge built around 1892 as a gate lodge to Belfast Castle. The building has a T-shaped plan with gables to the east and north, and a series of single-storey bays forming entrance porches to the north-east, a single-storey extension to the south-west and west. It is located at the corner of Antrim Road and adjacent to an access road to Belfast Castle on an elevated site overlooking Belfast Lough, next to a pair of rock-faced coursed basalt piers to the west.

The roof is steeply pitched with natural slate and terracotta roll-top ridge tiles. The timber bargeboards to the overhanging verges are painted and moulded, with exposed purlin ends and decorative finials. The overhanging eaves have exposed rafter ends with a painted timber sheeted soffit. Red brick two-stage chimneys have carved stone string courses and coping with circular terracotta pots. Modern uPVC rainwater goods are throughout.

The walls are red brick in Flemish bond with a brick plinth course to the ground floor. The gable apexes have smooth rendered walling with applied timber framing and painted finish. Square-headed openings throughout have ashlar sandstone surrounds with moulded stone drip moulds and integral splayed sills. The windows are timber casements unless otherwise stated.

The north-east elevation comprises a canted bay with a steep pyramidal natural slate roof topped with a metal weather vane finial to the east, and a projecting gable to the centre with a pitched roof. The square-headed opening to the canted bay has a carved stone surround, built out at the base, with a six-panelled timber entrance door. Window openings face east and north. The gabled bay has a pair of square-headed openings to the ground floor with diagonal framing to the gable.

The elevation to the north comprises a gable-fronted bay with a projecting rendered first floor supported on carved timber brackets. A mono-pitched single-storey porch faces east adjoining the north-east facing gable. A single-storey two-bay extension to the west has metal roof-lights. A canted window to the ground floor has a projecting painted stone sill. The porch has a square-headed door opening with a moulded timber head and a six-panelled timber door inset. The first floor of the gable has a square-headed opening with a pair of timber casement windows with painted timber surrounds and a moulded timber sill.

The west elevation comprises a single-bay projecting gabled extension to the north and a two-bay single-storey elevation with a flat roof adjoining a gabled return to the south. The square-headed opening to the extension forms a doorway, approached by brick steps, with a corner window returning to the south. Timber sheeted fencing covers the flat roof. A clerestory window to the main roof is behind, with a chimney stack adjoining.

The south elevation comprises a single-bay one and a half storey gable-fronted central bay with a projecting rendered first floor. The south elevation of the projecting gable to the east is three-bay single-storey with a pair of roof-lights to the roof and part rendered at ground floor level. A single-bay mono-pitched extension to the west of the gable-front central bay adjoins a single-bay projecting gable to the west. The first floor gable has square-headed openings with a pair of timber casement windows with painted timber surrounds and moulded timber sills. The south elevation of the west extension has a square-headed window opening extending to the west corner.

The east elevation facing Antrim Road comprises a gable-fronted bay with a rendered apex and applied timber framing. A five-sided canted bay to the south side at ground floor has a flat roof, a moulded parapet and a lead roof covering, with a painted stone sill. The windows are nine over one or six over one timber casements. Paired square-headed openings to the north side at ground floor lead to the north-east facing elevation described above.

The building is set at the corner of Antrim Road and adjacent to an access road to Belfast Castle. A red brick boundary wall to the north and east has a chamfered cut-stone coping with metal railings over. Square-plan piers form entrances to the north-east and south-east with rendered steps leading to entrance doors. A rubble stone wall extends to the west from the piers and forms an entrance to the rear on a curved plan with square-plan piers, crenellated coping and metal gates. A hedge boundary to the south encloses private gardens. Brick paving is to the west.