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Historic Buildings of County Derry
(Londonderry)
Northern Ireland
See Historic Houses of Britain and Ireland - Main Page
Image right - Dungiven Castle
The object of this project is to provide information about historic buildings in the county of County Derry, with links to sub-projects for specific buildings as appropriate. GENi profiles of people associated with those establishments can be linked to this project and/or to individual projects where they have been set up.
If you have information about any of the Buildings mentioned below please share it here. If you have ancestors linked to any of the places please add them to the project.
Full sizes of the thumbnail images can be seen in the Gallery attached to the project or by clicking the thumbnail image. TIP - Use ctrl+the link to open the image in a separate tab, or use "back" to return to this project page) Sources for the images can be found in the image details as seen in the gallery.
Names with Bold links are to Geni profiles or projects. Other links take you to external biographical web pages. Please copy and paste the bullet used - ● - instead of * when adding items to the list. A double break is needed between entries.
Historic houses in alphabetical order
Including Castles, Abbeys, Priories, Manor Houses, Mansions, Stately Homes, Country houses, Estate houses, Courts, Halls, Parks and other listed buildings of historic interest.
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Dungiven Castle dates back to the seventeenth century although most of the current building dates from the 1830s. For centuries the residence of the O'Cahans. In 1601, after the submission of Sir Donnell O'Cahan, the Government placed a garrison there, and Sir Henry Dockwra subsequently gave to Sir John Sidney (4th son of Sir Henry Sidney) a lease of the castle and adjoining lands. At the Plantation of Ulster, this part of County Londonderry in which Dungiven Castle was situated was granted to the Skinners' Company, and their grant from the Honourable the Irish Society was dated 1617. Captain Doddington was knighted and continued to hold the castle and lands from the Skinners' Company. In the survey by Captain Nicholas Pynnar in 1618, Lady Doddington, wife of the late Sir Edward Doddington, was in possession of the castle, having taken a grant of it from the Company for 61 years. On the expiry of Lady Doddington's lease, in 1696, the Skinners' Company devised the "Manor of Pellipar and the Castle, town, and land of Dungiven" to Edward Carey. His son, Henry Carey, in 1742, got a new lease at a rent of £500 on payment of a penalty. The Careys lived in the old castle. Robert Ogilby, in 1794, paid Mr Carey for his interest in the remainder of the lease, which expired in 1803, and Mr Ogilby then got a new lease from the Skinners' Company on payment of a fine. In 1839, Robert Ogilby expended a very large sum of money in rebuilding the castle, and this building is the edifice now standing. Robert Ogilby was bound under his lease from the Skinners' Company to repair, and to uphold and maintain the castle, but he preferred to make his residence at Pellipar. On the expiry of Robert Ogilby's lease in 1873, the lands reverted to the Skinners' Company; but in 1890, when the company sold their estates, the castle and grounds were purchased by Robert Alexander Ogilby JP DL, and were inherited by his son, Robert James Leslie Ogilby. In 1902, Dungiven Castle was inherited by Lieutenant-Colonel Robert James Leslie Ogilby DSO JP DL, who lived in London and had no interest in the place whatsoever. The estate was sold in 1925. The Castle was occupied by the US Army during the 2nd World War, and later used as a dance hall during the 1950s and 1960s. Eventually Limavady Borough Council bought Dungiven Castle and thereafter decided to demolish it.There was public opposition and, with the help of various funding bodies, enough money was finally secured to put the neglected building into good repair. In March, 2001, Dungiven Castle was re-opened to provide budget accommodation. In 2009, Dungiven Castle, which remains in the ownership of Limavady Council, underwent a complete redevelopment and redecoration of the entire property.
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● The Manor House Moneymore, County Londonderry, was built by the Worshipful Company of Drapers in 1835 and designed by W J Booth. The Company disposed of the Manor House ca 1900. In 1882, Sir William Fitzwilliam Conynghan was appointed Agent. Later, the Manor House became a hotel and restaurant. In recent renovations the building has lost its former substantial projecting porch. The Manor House was rebuilt by Arthur Lenox-Conygham and later lived in my his single sisters Charlotte and Alice.
● Mussenden Temple (right above) and Downhill Demesne (left above); Downhill House/Demesne (Manor house) were built by Frederick Augustus Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol in 1785. The Mussenden Temple is a small circular building located on cliffs near Castlerock in County Londonderry, high above the Atlantic Ocean on the north-western coast of Northern Ireland. It forms part of the estate of Frederick Augustus Hervey, the 4th Earl of Bristol, Bishop of Derry. Built as a library and modelled from the Temple of Vesta in Italy, it is dedicated to the memory of Hervey's cousin Frideswide Mussenden.
○ Mussenden Temple, Downhill House and the Earl Bishop BBC News
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● Springhill House Moneymore. Associated name Lenox-Conygham. Built late 17th century (about 1680) by "Goodwill" Conyngham who afterwards played a leading part in the defence of Derry during the Siege. Col. William Conyngham, MP added wings to the house in about 1765. Transferred to the Irish National Trust by W L Lenox-Conynhgham, HML, shortly before he died in 1957.
WIKI William Conyngham
WIKI Sporingfield House
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References and Sources
Co. Londonderry Specific
▶︎ WIKI - List of Grade A listed buildings in County Londonderry
General
▷English Heritage
▷ WIKI Republic of Ireland
▷ WIKI List of historical abbeys, castles and monuments in Ireland
▷ Irish Tourism - Buildings in Ireland
▷ Irish Tourist - Historic Buildings
▷ Irish Central - Historical sites to visit in Ireland
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