Beach Park, 6 Seaport Avenue, Portballintrae, Bushmills, Co. Antrim, BT57 8SB

Beach Park, 6 Seaport Avenue, Portballintrae

Beach Park is a group of two two-storey former outbuildings to the neighbouring Seaport Lodge, originally constructed in the Georgian period and predating 1830. They were almost certainly built as coaching stables serving Seaport Lodge, probably around the same time as the main house, which historians Brett and Girvan date to around 1770, with a later western service wing added in 1827. Both blocks are situated on the north side of Bayhead Road at the entrance to the Seaport Lodge estate in Portballintrae, to the southeast of the main house, with shared access from Bayhead Road. In recent years the buildings have been substantially refurbished and converted — the south block into a restaurant, and the north block into a dwelling with office space — though they retain their original proportions and efforts have been made to preserve their Georgian character. Their principal interest lies in their strong group value with Seaport Lodge, and they also contribute to the architectural character of Portballintrae.

Both blocks have hipped natural slate roofs with leaded ridges and hips, and tall ashlar sandstone chimneystack (rendered to the south block) with tall clay pots. Eaves are projecting, with cast-iron half-round rainwater goods. External walls are finished in roughcast render on a contrasting plinth. Windows throughout are replacement 6/6 timber-framed sash in contrasting surrounds with flush painted sills unless otherwise noted.

The south block, now a restaurant, has its principal elevation facing south. At first floor there are four segmental-headed windows, and at ground floor two 6/6 sash windows flank a modern, sympathetically styled semi-circular entrance porch. A modern flat-roof service block abuts the ground floor on the left. The west elevation is accessed at first floor level via a grassy verge; there is a modern metal door at the left with a small abutment at the right, and an opening to the north with a modern timber door. The south elevation has a variety of modern window openings and an off-centre modern timber-sheeted door with fanlight. The east elevation is fully abutted by a modern uPVC conservatory.

The north block, converted into a dwelling and office, has its principal elevation facing south. This is organised into three bays: the far left and far right are round-headed recessed bays, with the left bay containing a window at both ground and first floor, and the right bay containing a window at first floor over a modern timber-sheeted half-door. The central bay has three glazed oculi at first floor, below which are two round-headed windows and a round-headed entrance containing a timber-sheeted door with cast-iron door furniture, surmounted by a four-paned fanlight. The west elevation has a central square-headed recess containing a modern timber sash window. The north elevation has three segmental-headed modern 6/6 sash windows. The east elevation has a round-headed window at ground floor left.

The setting includes a roughcast rendered boundary wall topped with undressed stone coping along Bayhead Road to the south, and a modern rubblestone wall to the entrance at the east. There is a large gravel parking area in front of the south block, and a yard between the two blocks laid with reclaimed square setts.

Seaport Lodge was built by James Leslie, probably shortly after the completion of his other principal residence, Leslie Hill, in 1772. The Ordnance Survey Memoirs of around 1832 describe Portballintrae as consisting of only a few houses chiefly occupied by pilots, with Seaport House noted as the summer residence of James Leslie Esquire, situated to the west side of the bay. A later memoir entry from 1835 records the house as having been built around 1790, and describes its location as exposed but well suited to use as a bathing lodge. The coaching stables — the present Beach Park buildings — were first depicted on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1832, showing that no major alteration to the layout of the site has occurred in almost two centuries. The historian Brett notes that Leslie likely overstrained the family finances in constructing both Leslie Hill and Seaport Lodge within such a short period. Local tradition holds that Seaport Lodge was built gradually over many years.

The contemporary Townland Valuation of around 1830 did not value the stables separately from the main house, recording a joint value of £38 for the whole Leslie estate. By the time of Griffith's Valuation in 1859, the combined value of Seaport Lodge and its outbuildings had risen to £40, and occupation had passed from James Leslie to Henry Leslie. Henry Leslie remained at Seaport Lodge until his death in 1864, after which the property passed to his widow Harriet Ann Leslie. Annual Revision records continued to list Henry Leslie as occupant until as late as 1882, when Colonel E. Douglas Leslie came into possession. He resided there until 1908, when James G. Leslie took over. Despite these changes, Seaport Lodge remained in intermittent use as a summer residence, being recorded as vacant during both the 1901 and 1911 censuses, both conducted in April. James Leslie continued to be recorded as occupant through to the end of the Annual Revisions in 1929, when the value of the site remained at £40.

Seaport Lodge remained in the Leslie family's possession until the mid-20th century. By the 1970s the two coaching stable blocks had been converted into a private dwelling known as Beach Park and designated No. 6 Seaport Avenue. The First Survey Record of 1972 described the north block as a two-storey rendered and whitened house with a hipped slated roof, making no reference to its earlier use as coaching stables. The north block was listed in 1977 and has continued to be privately occupied since then. In the late 20th century the south block was converted into a restaurant called Sweeney's. As part of the conversion, a modern glass conservatory was added to the east elevation of the south block and the interior was completely refurbished. The First Survey Image notes that a number of new windows were installed in the north block, though its general Georgian character has been maintained.