Collon House

Corner-sited attached five-bay three-storey house, built c. 1770. Rectangular-plan, extended by two-bays into two-storey terrace to east, three-bay two-storey wing to north, extended former mews buildings surrounding courtyard to north, single-storey flat-roofed entrance porch to west elevation. Pitched slate roofs, clay ridge tiles, smooth rendered corbelled chimneystacks, cast-iron gutters on ashlar stone corbel course, cast-iron downpipes. Unpainted roughcast rendered walling, smooth rendered projecting plinth; smooth rendered walling to porch, paired corner pilasters, recessed panel over door, moulded architrave at roof. Square-headed window openings, stone sills; windows to south elevation, smooth rendered reveals and soffits, painted timber two-over-two sliding sash windows; windows to west elevation, block-and-start ashlar jambs, stepped voussoirs to heads, painted timber sliding sash windows four-over-four to gable, two-over-two to ground floor and three-over-three to first floor, wrought-iron grilles to ground floor windows. Square-headed door opening to porch, painted timber double doors each with single bottom panel and ten glazed upper panels; round-headed entrance door opening within porch, painted timber panelled door, double arched overlight. Set back from street; smooth rendered ruled-and-lined retaining wall to south, sandstone copings surmounted by cast- and wrought-iron railings, wrought-iron gates on square stone pillars to west; bounded to south-west and west by rubble stone wall and hedge, gardens to west and north.

This imposing house, the principal home of the Foster family, at the heart of Collon, has historical associations with John Foster, the last man to speak in the Irish House of Commons. It contains many details of interest, such as stone window dressings. Its prominence at the heart of the village is of intrinsic importance to the architectural heritage of Collon.