Landsdown, Nenagh, Co Tipperary
Mark Bence-Jones. A Guide to Irish Country Houses (originally published as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses volume 1 Ireland by Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 1978); Revised edition 1988 Constable and Company Ltd, London.
p. 182. “(Trench, Ashtown, B/PB) A two storey weather-slated house built 1779 by William Parker, whose initials and the date are cut in one of the decorative lozenges in the weather-slating. Three bay front, the window being attractively spaced; in the centre, a round-headed window flanked by detached sidelights to produce a countrified Venetian window, above a doorcase with a segmental pediment also flanked by sidelights. Eaved roof. For a period, post WII, the home of the 4th Lord Ashtown. Now the home of Co and Mrs White-Spunner.”
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Detached three-bay two-storey over half-basement house, built 1779. Steep hipped roof with central valley, rendered chimneystacks and carved cornice. Slate-hung front façade with diamond-cut panels flanking first floor windows bearing date and initials, rendered elsewhere, with cut limestone quoins. Central bay has grouped openings comprising tall round-headed window to first floor and entrance doorway to ground, both flanked by detached side-lights. Venetian-style also to first floor of south gable. Timber sliding sash windows, six-over-six pane to first floor, nine-over-six to ground, with limestone sills,continuous to first floor central bay. Entrance doorcase with carved limestone surround and segmental pediment with scroll consoles, having square-headed opening with timber panelled door, approached by flight of limestone steps with cut limestone sweep walls. Courtyard of outbuildings to north-east.
Appraisal
An impressive country house whose most distinctive features are its fine slate-hung façade and the Venetian-style arrangement of its middle bay. The date and initials of the builder present in the slate-work, are of particular interest. The fine pedimented cutstone doorcase and steps mark it as a house of apparent architectural merit. The classical-style gate lodge and ornate gates are appropriate to the quality of the house and combine to make an aesthetically-pleasing grouping of demesne structures.
http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/property-list.jsp?letter=L
In 1786 Wilson refers to “Land’s-town” as the seat of Mr. Rolleston. The home of W. Parker in 1814 and of Mrs Parker in 1837. In 1840 the Ordnance Survey Name Books refer to “Landstown, a good dwelling house, the residence of William Parker”. He was also the occupant in the mid 19th century when the house was valued at £55+ and held in fee. John Parker of Brookfield and Landsdown married Helena, daughter of George Washington Biggs of Bellevue. The Parkers were still resident in the 1870s. Bassett’s Directory of 1889 refers to Charles E. Tuthill of Landsdown. In the 20th century the home of the White Spunner family. This house, built in 1779, was for sale in 1991 (see ”Country Life” Volume 185). It is still extant.
Irish Historic Houses 