Mount Odell, Whitechurch, 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. 215. “(Odell/LG1863) A gable-ended weather-slated house of ca 1678 built by Charles Odell. Gabled projection at rear.
Detached five-bay two-storey house, built 1678, on a T-shaped plan retaining some early fenestration with single-bay two-storey central return to south-west. Part refenestrated, 1998. Pitched slate roof on a T-shaped plan with clay ridge tiles, lime rendered chimney stacks, and cast-iron rainwater goods. Unpainted rendered walls (probably replacement) with slight batter, and section of slate hanging to rear (south-west) elevation. Square-headed window openings with stone sills. 2/2 and 6/6 timber sash windows with replacement uPVC casement windows, 1998, to rear (south-west) elevation. Square-headed door opening with flight of five cut-limestone steps, and replacement timber panelled door, 1998, having sidelight, and overlight. Set back from road in own grounds. (ii) Detached eight-bay single- and two-storey outbuilding, c.1750, to south-west comprising single-bay two-storey gabled central bay with four-bay single-storey lateral wing to left (north-east), and two-bay single-storey lateral wing to right (south-west) having single-bay single-storey gabled end bay. Hipped and pitched slate roofs (behind parapet to central bay) with clay ridge tiles, and cast-iron rainwater goods. Red brick wall to central bay with round-headed recess, and cut-stone coping to parapet. Limewashed lime rendered walls to remainder over random rubble stone construction. Square-headed window openings with no sills, and remains of timber fittings. Square-headed door openings with timber lintels, timber fittings, and square-headed overlights having remains of timber fittings.
Appraisal
Built for Charles Odell (n. d.), this house is an important element of the architectural heritage of County Waterford, straddling two stylistic periods, incorporating archaeological features including battered walls, slate hung elevations, and gable-ended chimney stacks, together with a balanced arrangement to the openings, which alludes to a gentrified form of architecture. Reasonably well maintained, the house presents an early aspect with important salient features and materials intact, although the gradual replacement of the fittings to the openings with inappropriate modern articles threatens the historic character of the composition.
http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/property-list.jsp?letter=M
In 1851 this property was being leased by Rev. Edward Ellis from the Odell estate when it was valued at £9. In 1774 Charles Smith stated it was a seat of the Odell family as did Wilson in 1786. The property is still extant.
Irish Historic Houses 