The little gatehouse I'll eventually be living in is actually part of a set--opposite of that little dwelling is this nearly identical one with its bright red door. I really enjoy the fact that we will be living in one gatehouse, but be able to look out of our front window at another one. It's hardly surprisingly however since many gatehouses were built as a set; one on either side of the gate. Because two were built they were usually quite small in size; it actually became a point of critique that landowners were building dwellings inhumanely small and a gatekeeper might live with his family divided between two homes. Styles changed over the years though and older models were sometimes made taller to accommodate loft bed space. If I sound like an expert on the topic it's all due to a book on the Gate Lodges of Ulster that Thomas bought. I've been reading up on gatehouse achitecture and what information there is on our own gatehouse. There are six predominant styles of architecture for gatehouses (Gothick, Neo-Classical, Tudor, Picturesque, Italianate, and Castellated) and ours falls under the most elaborate: Tudor style. Gatehouses in this style provided a symbol of wealth and power to the landowner and extended gable areas were a suitable setting for a family crest or coat of arms. You can see the family crest on this gatehouse above the large front window. These gatehouses were built in 1842, although they obviously have remolded interiors--I don't mind living in a tiny house, but having the traditional outdoor privy wouldn't be fun...
What has been fun: seeing different styles of gatehouses around Northern Ireland and being able to name what style they were built in. For example, the Summerisland gatehouses I featured last week are Gothick in style. You can usually recognize that style by the lancet (or arched) windows--quite similar to what you'd see in a cathedral. Some gatehouses are a mix of styles, but when you know what details to look for it's easy enough to guess the predominant influence. I'm looking forward to seeing and photographing more gatehouses around Northern Ireland and learning about them as I go!
CONVERSATION