Lodge, Tamlaght Wood, Milltown, Bellarena, Limavady, Co Londonderry

This is a small, vernacular cottage situated within Tamlaght Wood, near Milltown, Bellarena, in County Londonderry. Likely dating to between 1780 and 1799, it is probably of late 18th century origin and is shown on the 1831 Ordnance Survey Sheet. Constructed of basalt with galleting at the quoins, the cottage is single-story and comprises two units. It features a central door flanked by windows on either side, with gable ends each featuring a chimney, and a corrugated iron roof. The windows are double-casement types, with flat brick arches one brick deep, sandstone cills, and splayed internal reveals. A matched window can be found on the near side. A porch and a corner fireplace are distinctive features that differentiate its plan from other cottages on the Bellarena estate. The cottage is set on the edge of wooded slopes, overlooking an undulating meadow that falls away to flat lands. A stone path, now overgrown with grass, originally led up to the cottage through a clearing in the trees. Behind the cottage and on a slightly lower level are the ruinous walls of a two-room outhouse. Historically, the cottage was previously thatched. It may have served as a hunting cottage for the Gage family, and was occupied by the Begley sisters for several decades. Currently, it is privately owned and undergoing restoration and renovation.