Castlegrove — Letterkenny

Detached four-bay two-storey former country house, built c. 1750 and altered c. 1825, with two-storey wings on L-shaped plan to the north-west, two-bay single-storey flat-roofed wing to the north-west end of the north-east elevation, and with altered single-storey glazed conservatory attached to the south-west side of entrance front. Possibly containing fabric of earlier house to site, c. 1695. Now in use as a hotel and restaurant. Hipped purple natural slate roof with central valley to main elevation having ashlar eaves course\cornice, raised dwarf parapet, and with rendered chimneystacks having cornice coping over. Pitched artificial slate roofs to two-storey wings, flat roof to two-bay single-storey addition, and mono-pitched glazed metal or timber roof to conservatory. Smooth rendered ruled-and-lined walls to main block over smooth rendered plinth course and with smooth rendered block-and-start quoins to the corners. Roughcast rendered walls over smooth rendered plinth course to two-storey wings. Square-headed window openings to main block with six-over-six pane timber sash windows, stone sills, and with stucco entablatures on console brackets over ground floor window openings to main block. Square-headed window openings to two-storey wings having replacement timber casement windows. Central square-headed doorway to the south-west elevation of main block, c. 1750 but moved to current location c. 1825, having timber panelled door with bolection mouldings, flanking four-over-four pane timber sliding sash windows\sidelights, and with tripartite cut stone Tuscan doorcase comprising central projecting Tuscan porch with Tuscan columns (on circular-plan) supporting entablature and pediment over, and with flanking sections to sidelights having engaged Tuscan pilasters (on square-plan) with entablatures over. Square-headed door openings to wings with replacement timber doors. Moulded plaster cornices, timber panelled doors, linings and window shutters, timber pilasters and teardrop fanlight in segment-arched opening to stair hall to interior. Set well back from road in extensive mature landscape grounds to the north-east of Letterkenny and to the south of Ramelton overlooking the western shores of Lough Swilly a short distance to the east. Complex of outbuildings (see 40905331) and former estate manger’s residence (see 40905383) to the rear (north-west), walled garden (see 40905330) to the south-west having altered two-storey former gardener’s house, and with gateway (see 40905340) and gate lodge to the west.