Walled Garden & Dovecote / Ice-house, Downhill Demesne, Seacoast Road, Castlerock, Co. Londonderry, BT51 4RP

Quadrangular plan walled garden and circular stone dovecote, erected c.1780. Set on a northwest/southeast axis on the east side of Seacoast Road to the west of Downhill House (HB03/12/015A) forming part of the Downhill Demesne (HB03/12/015A-J). Now run by the National Trust as a visitor attraction within the Downhill Demesne. Dovecote/Ice-house Double-height circular rubblestone structure surmounted by a domed roof constructed with vaulted double-baked black brick on a cement base and having an octagonal black brick blind lantern with cement top. To the south elevation is a series of dove niches constructed in redbrick with slate ledges. To the north elevation is a battered rubblestone retaining wall, accommodating the sloping terrain with stone steps and gravel area providing access to the ice-house at the lower level. Over the retaining wall is a parabolic arched footbridge constructed in redbrick with timber balustrade, providing access to the dovecote. The west elevation is abutted by the northern boundary wall to the garden with a pedestrian opening constructed in redbrick having a timber gate. The pedestrian bridge gives access to a square-headed door opening formed in voussoired basalt. At the lower level is a rubblestone projection with a camber-headed door opening formed in voussoired basalt and brick lined walls opening into the ice-house. Garden The rectangular plan is divided by a tall rubblestone wall with redbrick courses running across the centre, creating a north garden and a south garden with a range of single-storey lean-to rubblestone structures to the north garden, providing public facilities. The south garden is further divided by rubblestone walls into three compartments. The east boundary wall has a one-and-a-half-storey rendered former gardener’s house to the north end with its west gable fronting into the north garden. The central dividing wall has a pair of segmental-headed openings with voussoired stone and a single red and yellow brick chimneystack abutting the north elevation. The southern boundary wall has a pointed-arched pedestrian opening with rock-faced basalt surround and a bitmac car park to the south. The West boundary is enclosed by a wire fence only. Setting Located on the east side of Seacoast Road on an elevated site to the south of the north Londonderry coast and accessed via Lion Gate (HB03/12/015D) to the south. Beyond the north boundary wall is a further single-storey rubblestone outbuilding with an enclosed yard to the east. The former gardener’s house has an enclosed front garden and a separate access lane running along the south and east boundary walls. Roof Vaulted black brick RWG None Walling Rubblestone Windows None