Belleville Cottage

Detached five-bay single-storey house, built c.1820, having a bowed projection to either end elevation (east and west) and a five-bay two-storey return to rear (south). Hipped natural slate roof with circular roof over bowed sections and rendered chimneystacks having moulded cut stone coping and terracotta chimney pots over. Roughcast rendered walls over a smooth rendered base. Square-headed window openings with rendered reveals, cut stone sills and six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows. Central elliptical-headed doorcase with cut limestone surround having raised grape motifs, a timber double leaf door and a webbed fanlight over. Three limestone steps flanked by cast-iron railings give access to doorcase. Set back from road in mature grounds to the south of Mullingar. Main entrance gates to the southwest comprising four ashlar limestone gate piers (on square-plan with projecting plinth to base and moulded capstones over) supporting cast-iron double gates with acanthus detailing. Coursed rubble limestone walls on quadrant plans with cut stone coping over link piers to either side of central entrance.

A fine small-scale country house, of probable early nineteenth-century date, which retains its early form, character and fabric. The bow projections are distinctive features that help to add variation to the plan and they pleasantly terminate the gable ends. The handsome cut stone doorcase displays particularly good quality craftsmanship while the grape detailing to the panels to either side is an interesting feature of artistic merit. This fine house forms part of an interesting and extensive collection of country houses on the shores of Lough Ennell to the south of Mullingar. The good quality ashlar gate piers and cast-iron gates to the southeast are an interesting feature along the main road from Mullingar to the north and they complete the setting of this appealing composition.