Whitfield Court, Kilmeadan, 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. 284. “(Christmas/LG1863; Chavasse/IFR, Dawnay, sub Downe, V/PB) Originally the seat of the Christmas family who were among the richest of the Waterford merchants by the beginning of C18; and who, by 1746, when Charles Smith published his History of Waterford, had a “well-built” house here, its hall “painted in Clara Oscura with several of the heathen deities” and containing “two statues of Neptune and Amphitrite.” Around it was a garden with a large and beautiful canal, a “jet d’eau” a wilderness and shell house; the latter no doubt similar to that at Curraghmore. In 1830s the course of the road from Waterford to Cork was altered, and the new road cut off the house from the walled garden; so William Christmas built himself a new house ca 1841, on higer ground to the south of the new road; the old house being allowed to fall into ruin. His architect was Abraham Denny, of Dublin, who produced a delightful villa in the Greco-Italian style, well suited to its picturesque setting. The two outer bays of its two storey three bay entrance front are raised a storey higher than the centre to form two sturdy Italianate towers with shallow pyramidal roofs; their top storeys being in the form of three arched belvederes but with the arches glazed as windows. The roof parapet between the two towers is balustraded; below is a single-storey Ionic portico. The entrance front is prolonged beyond the right-hand tower by two more bays, set a little back, and then by a lower service wing. The adjoining front is of five bays and made lop-sided by the fact that it has a tower on one side but not on the other; but this adds to its “picturesqueness.” The three centre bays are recessed, with a single-storey curved bow fronted with a curved Ionic colonnade. The other front is of six bays. Apart from in the centre of the entrance front, the roof is eaved, on a plain cornice. Most of the windows have entablatures or pediments over them. The principal rooms are arranged round an impressive staircase hall with an imperial staircase; the gallery of which is supported by Corinthian columns and pilasters; there being more Corinthian pilasters framing the upstairs corridor openings. The reception rooms have ceilings of shallow coffering, in a simple geometrical design reminiscent of Soane. Romantic cliff-top garden with terraces. Leased 1897-1913 to the Chavasse family. Sold 1916 to Lady Susan Dawnay, who built a pleasant loggia at one end of the house and carried out various improvements to the garden. During the civil war, ater Whitfield had been occupied successively by units of the Republican and Free State armies, who fought a battle on the lawn…”
On an Taisce Buildings at Risk register
- Vacant with no identified new use
- Suffering from neglect and/or poor maintenance
Assessment
- Condition of Structure: Very Poor
- Level of Risk: High
Appraisal
The building is suffering from major conservation problems. Most of the external fabric remains, but there are obvious signs of deterioration such as slipped slates, vegetation growth, broken windows and vandalism. There is no immediate danger of collapse but condition is such that unless urgent remedial works are carried out the building will sharply deteriorate.
A distinguished 19th century house built for Christmas family circa 1840 with Italianate towers to entrance front, bow fronted elevation to terraced garden and top lit central Imperial staircase. Several planning applications have been proposed for this site but none have proceeded. The chimney pieces have been stolen from main rooms. Structural movement has occurred through water damage to the beam behind ground floor bow window that supports the upper floor. The property is currently for sale. This building urgently requires new uses to be identified to prevent further deterioration of its character.
There currently a legal dispute ongoing, between Anthony Sheedy and the receiver for the property relating to the sale of the house, reported in the Irish Independent in May 2017.
Detached three-bay two–storey Italianate house, built 1841 – 1843, on a complex plan retaining original aspect comprising single-bay two-storey entrance bay with single-storey prostyle tetrastyle flat-roofed Ionic portico to ground floor, two-bay two-storey recessed flanking end bay to south-west, five-bay two-storey side/Garden (north-east) elevation with three-bay single-storey recessed central bay having single-bay single-storey shallow bow to ground floor with prostyle tetrastyle Ionic frontispiece, and six-bay two-storey rear (south-east) elevation. Renovated, c.1865, with single-bay single-storey blocks added to top floor to end bays of Entrance (north-west) Front forming single-bay three-stage engaged corner ‘towers’ on square plans. Hipped slate roofs (behind parapet to entrance bay; pyramidal to ‘towers’) with clay ridge tiles, rendered chimney stacks, and cast-iron rainwater goods on overhanging cut-stone eaves having consoles to ‘towers’. Flat roofs to portico and to frontispiece not visible behind cornice parapet. Unpainted rendered, ruled and lined walls with cut-granite dressings including plinth, stringcourse to ground floor, quoins to corners, moulded stringcourse to first floor, frieze, and moulded cornice. Square-headed window openings with cut-stone sills forming sill courses (on consoles to ground floor), moulded cut-stone surrounds with some to ground floor having triangular and segmental pediments on consoles, and some to first floor having entablatures on pediments. 6/6 timber sash windows with 4/4 timber sash windows to ground floor rear (south-east) elevation. Grouped (three) round-headed window openings to top floor to ‘towers’ with cut-stone sills, moulded archivolts, and 6/6 timber sash windows. Square-headed door opening to entrance bay under cut-granite prostyle tetrastyle Ionic portico having entablature, frieze, moulded cornice, blocking course, moulded surround to door opening with entablature over on consoles, and timber panelled double doors. Square-headed door openings to bow to side/Garden (north-east) elevation behind cut-granite Ionic frontispiece having frieze and dentilated moulded cornice over, moulded surrounds, and glazed timber double doors with overlights. Interior with timber panelled shutters to window openings. Set back from road in own grounds with gravel forecourt, and landscaped grounds to site including terrace to north-east with flight of cut-stone steps. (ii) Attached three-bay two-storey lower service range, built 1841, to south-west retaining original aspect with single-bay two-storey advanced end bay to right (south-west). Pitched and hipped slate roofs with clay ridge tiles, rendered chimney stack, and cast-iron rainwater goods on rendered eaves. Unpainted rendered, ruled and lined walls with rendered quoins to ends, and to corners. Square-headed window openings with cut-stone sills, 3/6 and 6/6 timber sash windows.
A fine, well-appointed house built for William Christmas (n. d.) to designs prepared by Daniel Robertson (fl. 1820 – 1849), replacing an earlier house on site. The form and massing of the house as originally intended, including the incorporation of a service wing, recall Robertson’s contemporary work at Ballinkeele (House), Ballymurn, in neighbouring County Wexford. A highly-detailed, Italianate house, the composition is distinguished by features including an elegant portico, and a graceful bow, both incorporating the Ionic Classical order, all of which enhance the architectural quality of the site. Additions by Abraham Denny (1820 – 1892) producing ‘towers’ that draw parallels with the architect’s scheme for Saint Catherine’s Hall, Catherine Street/Waterside, Waterford (22504428/WD-5632-22-442), provide an elegant focal point to the Entrance (north-west) Front, yet are not successfully integrated when viewed from the north-east and south-west. Very well maintained, the house retains the original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior, and remains an important element of the architectural heritage of the county.
To distinguish an Italianate house from that of any other, one would look for slight sloping roofs along with mild over-hanging eaves (supported by brackets or corbels) and cut stone dressings. Whitfield Court has all of the above with an ionic portico to ground floor. The highest floor of this home showcases another feature of the Italianate period, which is the tall rounded windows.
Whitfield Court was designed for William Christmas who apparently saw Robertson’s work on completed St. Matthias Church in Co. Dublin and was attracted to the new style of architecture. This place of worship had its design drawn up in 1840, a mere year previous to Whitfield Court.
As Robertson was not only an architect of homes but of gardens also, it is no surprise that he included a flight of cut-granite steps leading to the gardens which features in many of his works.
In recent years, Whitfield Court has unfortunately been subject to many acts of vandalism. After attempts to establish a prominent golf resort on the grounds were rejected due to appeals from locals, the house and grounds were placed into receivership and put up for sale. With no activity taking place at the site for almost a decade the house has suffered greatly, with rot and leaks being apparent. Some of the 19th century stone fire places were stolen along with extensive damage to the cast-iron balustrades.
Government body An Taisce have raised concerns about the future of Whitfield Court, as well as The Irish Georgian Society expressing how it would be a great investment for a developer who may have the resources to transform it into a stately hotel. As many of the original features have been lost due to negligence, damage or lack of funds, Whitfield Court would not be suitable to open to the public as it would not exude its original character.
Conservation specialists have been heavily involved in the restoration of Whitfield Court, it is hoped that following best practice guidelines will result in a positive outcome for this fine building.
Irish Historic Houses 