Woodbine Hill, Ardmore, Co Waterford 

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. 285. “(Roch/LGI1958) A plain late-Georgian house built 1846 by George Roch, replacing an earlier house on a lower site which was “spared for old affection’s sake.” The house is in a fine position overlooking the mouth of the River Blackwater. Now the home of Mr and Mrs Roch-Perks, who run it as a riding stables.” 

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/22904002/woodbine-hill-house-prospecthall-co-waterford

Detached three-bay two-storey over basement house, built 1846, on a symmetrical plan retaining original fenestration with two-bay two-storey side elevations, and four-bay two-storey over raised basement rear (north) elevation. Renovated, c.1895, with single-bay single-storey gabled projecting glazed porch added. Hipped slate roof on a quadrangular plan with clay ridge tiles, rendered chimney stack on axis with ridge, and cast-iron rainwater goods on rendered eaves. Pitched (gabled) glazed roof to porch in timber frame with iron ridge, decorative timber bargeboards having finial to apex, and cast-iron rainwater goods. Painted rendered walls with cut-stone stringcourse to basement and to first floor. Square-headed window openings (one round-headed window opening to side (east) elevation with oculus window under) with cut-stone sills (some forming sill course). 6/6 and 9/6 timber sash windows with 12/8 timber sash windows to basement. Square-headed openings to porch with glazed timber panelled double doors having overlights, and fixed-pane timber windows to remainder on cut-limestone sill having decorative glazing. Segmental-headed door opening to house with panelled pilaster doorcase having engaged flanking Doric columns supporting cornice with archivolt over, replacement glazed timber double doors, c.1970, sidelights, and fanlight. Interior with timber panelled shutters to window openings. Set back from road in own grounds with gravel forecourt, and landscaped grounds to site. 

Appraisal 

A well-proportioned, middle-size house, built by George Roch (n. d.), which has been well maintained to present and early aspect, with important salient features and materials intact, both to the exterior and to the interior. A later porch incorporates distinctive joinery to the glazing and to the bargeboards, which enhances the design quality of the composition, and which poses a foil to the reserved external treatment of the house. The house, which replaced an earlier house in the grounds, forms an appealing feature in the landscape, and is of additional importance for its associations with the Roch family.