Ladywell, Athlone, Co Westmeath 

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.

Supplement 

p. 299. “A two storey Italianate villa of ca 1850 by Sandham Symes, overlooking an inlet of Lough Ree. Irregular entrance of five bays with a two bay projection and a lower wing; graceful iron canopy over entrance door, entablatures on console brackets over ground-floor windows. Eaved roof. Adjoining front symmetrical, of three bays with projecting central window with iron balcony. Gothic boathouse by lake. The seat of a branch of the Mahon family.” 

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/15402231/ladywell-house-bunown-westmeath

Detached six-bay two-storey over (partial) basement country house on L-shaped plan, built c.1845, having open entrance porch/copy supported by cast-iron pillars to the centre of the east elevation and a single-bay extension to the north end. Shallow hipped natural slate roof with overhanging eaves and rendered chimneystacks having terracotta chimney pots over. Ruled-and-line rendered walls with cut stone detailing, including a projecting sill course at first floor level. Square-headed window openings having cut stone sills and six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows to ground floor openings and four-over-eight pane timber sliding sash windows to first floor openings. Ground floor openings have entablatures over supported on console brackets. Projecting single-bay breakfront to the centre of the south facing elevation having a square-headed opening with French door having pediment over at first floor level giving access to a cast-iron balcony. Set back from road in extensive mature grounds with complex of outbuildings to the north and a Gothic boat house to the south (not viewed). Located on the north shores of Killinure Lough, to the west of Glassan. 

Appraisal 

An elegant Italianate country house, which retains its early form, fabric and character. This handsome country house was built to designs by Sandham Symes (1808-1894), a renowned architect of his day, for the Mahon Family in 1845. This building is distinguished by the breakfront to the south elevation and by the entablatures to the ground floor openings, which helps to enliven the otherwise restrained detailing to this fine building. This house is very well sited on elevated ground with extensive views over Killinure Lough to the south. It forms the centre piece of a good collection of related structures along with the gate lodge to the north (15402208), the Gothic boat house to the south and the complex of outbuildings to the north. It remains an integral part of the architectural heritage of Westmeath and is a worthy addition to an important group of country houses in this part of Westmeath.