Ardnargle House, Seacoast Road, Ardnargle, Limavady, Co Londonderry, BT49 OLA

Ardnargle House is a large mid-Georgian country house built in 1790 on a wooded, secluded site overlooking a small valley leading to the River Roe. It stands on the Seacoast Road near Limavady, County Londonderry.

The main house is a two-storey, five-bay structure with smooth rendered walls and a centrally placed projecting flat-roofed stone-faced porch, reached by a long curving avenue from the Seacoast Road. Each gable section is the equivalent of four bays wide, accommodating two rooms in depth. The east gable features a stone-faced central canted bay. The south facade is not quite symmetrical, as the porch is slightly off-centre, causing the window spacing to the east to vary accordingly.

The porch doorway is crowned with a pediment supporting modillions, a restrained cornice and frieze. Under the eaves, one row of equally spaced moulded modillions carries a sandstone cornice, which are returned on the gables. These modillions were removed in 1966 and have since been replaced. The ground and first floor windows are timber sashes divided into 12 panes, as are most other windows throughout the house. However, the windows of the east bay are divided into 4 panes, and the large stairway window is round-headed. All roofs are pitched and slated with lead hips and ridges, and the main roof contains an internal valley. Several tall chimney stacks with high pots punctuate the roofline.

A long two-storey back return extends from the main house. The east side of this return overlooks a broad balustraded terrace, which formerly commanded fine views of the winding River Roe, though these are now obscured by mature plantations. The ground below the terrace falls away steeply to trees. Some windows on the back return are blank. From the west gable of the main house extends a high wall with a gateway, screening the first farmyard and an impressive two-storey range of rubble stone outbuildings at right angles to the back return. These outbuildings have slated roofs and cast iron rainwater goods.

The driveway sweeps into a generous gravelled forecourt in front of the entrance facade, which opens onto a broad expanse of lawn. The estate is set within a fine backcloth of mature and varied trees.

The house was built in 1790 by John Ogilby, who had purchased the farm from a Wilson in 1781 and planted the trees. Robert Ogilby extended the house in 1840 and created the terrace. The property is currently occupied by the Boyle family and remains a private country house.

The listing encompasses the house and coachouses to the rear.