Lodge at Castle Dobbs, 73b Tongue Loanen, Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, BT38 9BU

Lodge at Castle Dobbs

A detached three-bay single-storey gate lodge built around 1830, located at the north entrance of the Castle Dobbs estate. The rectangular-plan building is simply detailed in classical style and remains well preserved despite recent extensions. It makes a positive contribution to the architecture of this important estate group.

The main structure is single-storey with a single-storey return to the south and flat-roofed and lean-to extensions to the east. The roofs are hipped and covered in natural slate with deep overhanging eaves; clay ridge tiles sit on a single rendered chimneystack with replacement pot. The walling is smooth rendered throughout.

The principal elevation faces north and is symmetrical. The central entrance is recessed within a semi-circular niche and contains a vertically sheeted timber door positioned to the left, flanked by a pair of simple columns supporting a lintel. The outer bays each contain a single window. Windows throughout are square-headed timber-framed dipartite 4/4 sliding sashes separated by timber mullions, with painted masonry sills. The left side is abutted by a flat-roofed extension containing a casement window and door, and a lean-to containing a 4/2 sliding sash window.

The east elevation is abutted by extensions containing a vertically sheeted door and timber casement window; a return abuts at the right containing three timber casement windows. The south elevation is abutted by a return. The west elevation is blank but abutted at the right by a return containing three timber casement windows.

Rainwater goods consist of cast-iron half-round gutters and round downpipes.

The building sits at the north entrance of the Castle Dobbs estate, fronted by an estate rubble boundary wall with rounded coping to the west. The estate is accessed through a pair of square rockfaced granite pillars with castellated coping, supporting a pair of wrought iron gates.

A building of similar plan and orientation appears on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1832, identified as 'Gate House' in the second edition of 1857. The 1836 Townland Valuation records a dwelling house and offices owned and occupied by Richard Dobbs Esq., valued at £46 14s, later revised to £53. Griffith's Valuation of 1859 lists a house, office, gate lodge and land initially valued at £45, later revised to £12 5s. An accompanying note states that the old farm lot and offices had been pulled down and new ones built.

Valuation Revisions from the 1870s record Conway Dobbs as occupier, held in fee, with valuation of £120, revised in 1878 to £128. In 1886 the occupier changed to Montague Dobbs. By 1904 the gate lodge entry was crossed out and changed to a house, with a note indicating "gate lodge deducted in 1904". At this time the building is recorded separately as occupied by William Snoddy and valued at £3, when a gardener's house was entered in the main estate description. A smaller house was also annexed from the main estate valuation, occupied by Jacob Johnston and leased from M.W. Dobbs, valued at £2 10s; its location is unclear. By 1914 the gate lodge is recorded as occupied by Johanna Holt, then by John Bowes in 1915.