Gortgowan

This interesting seaside villa, of early-to-mid nineteenth-century date, retains much of its early form and character despite some recent alterations. Its unusual form with central pediment with Diocletian window and canted bay windows contained under the roofline helps to create a distinctive composition of some aesthetic appeal. Despite the loss of some of its original fenestration, its architectural presence means that it is still a significant contributor to the built heritage of Moville. The weather slating to the west gable may be a later addition, possibly in response to prevailing wind and rain. The graded natural slate roof is another interesting feature of this curious building. The house is marked on the Ordnance Survey first edition six-inch map of c. 1837. This charming building dates to the mid-nineteenth century, a period when Moville was becoming a fashionable seaside resort among the middle classes with daily steam boats arriving from Derry and Portrush during the summer months. This building forms part of a notable collection of middle class houses in the environs that dates to this period of Moville’s history, and it is one of the best examples in this group. It was the home of the Revd. Charles Galway in 1846 (Slater’s Directory), who was probably the Church of Ireland rector at the church (see 40810013) in nearby Greencastle. This suggests that this house may have functioned as a rectory, perhaps temporarily. It was later the residence of a John Smyth, c. 1860, and of a Captain Ernest Cochrane (Royal Navy) in 1876 and until1894 at the earliest (Slater’s Directory). With its privileged location on the shore of Lough Foyle, this building is an integral element of the built heritage of the local area. The simple two-storey outbuilding to the rear adds to the setting and context, and completes this composition. There was formerly a gate lodge serving the main entrance to the north-east of the house, now demolished.