The gate lodge at Magheramorne Estate in Larne
An application for listed building consent has been submitted to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for the gate lodge at Magheramorne Estate in Larne.
The application is for new internal floors, internal re-rendering and external re-pointing works to the lodge of the estate at Shore Road.
The lodge forms part of the entrance at the current Magheramorne Estate. It is B1 Listed for its “style, proportion, ornamentation, plan form, setting and group value”.
A design and access statement says it was designed by leading Irish architect Samuel P Close and built between 1860 and 1878 in a Gothic Revival style.
The statement says the proposed works “align with the homeowners’ long-term aim to maintain the building in good condition and prioritise the historic fabric to preserve it for the future”.
“The proposed works will enhance the setting of the listed gate lodge and ensure that the longevity of the heritage asset is secured for future generations,” it was noted.
Magheramorne House, also designed by Samuel P Close, was built by James Henry in 1880. The 19-bedroom mansion was the former residence of Sir James McGarrel Hogg, first Lord of Magheramorne.
Other surviving buildings within the estate include former stables and an ice house.
Magheramorne House opened as a hotel in the Seventies on a 40-acre site before changing hands to Forever Living, an American company, in 2000 and listed as its Ireland home office. It was on the market in 2019 for almost £1m. In December 2021, Magheramorne Estate officially opened as a luxury, private-hire venue.