Big Houses- Hidden Gems of the Causeway Coast

Project Attributes

Project:

Big houses

Owner:

Limavady Museum

Date:

3rd November 2020

Introduction to Big Houses- Hidden Gems of the Causeway Coast

Pilot exhibition was on display in Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre, 7th November- 30th January 2015

The Big Houses of the Causeway Coast are surrounded by an air of mystery, as they hide behind trees, protecting their privacy, long after the original owners have left. Many that remain are known today for their immense architectural value, with some acting as the only surviving work of famous Irish and European Architects. But it is not just the building itself that is important, it is also the estate and outside grounds that allowed for hunting or playing fashionable sports such as cricket. The Big house was the focal point of a larger estate that served key functions within many local communities.

It is these key functions within the local Causeway Coast communities that Limavady Museum wish to bring out through this pilot exhibition. This exhibition gives the opportunity to view period images of these houses of which many share a common history and will act as a starting point, developed to gather photographs and information from those who lived or worked in the buildings and their surrounding estates to highlight the relationship of the Big Houses with their local communities.

Big Houses of the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council include:

Ardnargle House, Limavady, County Londonderry

Bannfield House, Coleraine, County Londonderry

Stranocum Hall, Ballymoney, County Antrim

Leslie Hill, Ballymoney, County Antrim

Bellarena House, near Magilligan, County Londonderry

Drenagh, Limavady, County Londonderry

Clare Park, County Antrim

Downhill Demesne, Castlerock/Articlave, County Londonderry

Jackson Hall, Coleraine, County Londonderry

Roe Park House, Limavady, County Londonderry

Flowerfield, Coleraine, County Londonderry