Month: June 2016

St Patrick’s Memorial Church Saul Down + Henry Seaver

Post author By Lavender's Blue
Post date June 23, 2016
3 Comments on St Patrick’s Memorial Church Saul Down + Henry Seaver

Saints and Scholars

Saul Church, also known as St Patrick’s Memorial Church, commemorates the Patron Saint of Ireland. It is built on the reputed spot of his first sermon and subsequent church in the country. When he came to Ireland in 432 AD, strong currents swept his boat along the southern tidal narrows of Strangford Lough. He landed off the River Slaney a couple of miles from Saul. Dichu, the local chieftain, converted to Christianity and gave him a barn or sabhal (pronounced ‘saul’ in Gaelic) for holding services. St Patrick famously used a shamrock from the fertile Saul soil to explain the Holy Trinity. He died in Saul 29 years after landing in Ireland and is buried in nearby Downpatrick.

St Patrick’s Jordanstown designed by William Lynn in the 1860s is the first Northern Irish church to embrace the Celtic revival with aplomb. Saul Church designed by Henry Seaver in the 1930s is the last. Both have a round tower. Henry was a prolific architect who designed many red brick bay windowed villas in the Deramore area of Malone, Belfast. He was also architect of St John’s Church on Malone Road. His brother was rector. St John’s is conventionally gothic. Saul is more Romanesque with its semicircular arched windows.

When the Anglo Irish singer Chris de Burgh penned the words to “In a Country Churchyard” he might have had Saul Church in mind. It couldn’t be any more romantic in both senses of the word. A yew lined avenue leads to this tiny place of worship, spick and span, in contrast to the wild garden around the gravestones and remains of St Patrick’s Abbey. Its hilltop setting allows unbroken views across the rolling countryside of County Down. Unsurprisingly the church is popular for weddings led by members of the clergy from far and wide, including the Reverend Andy Rider of Christ Church Spitalfields. A dedication from St Patrick,

Tags architect henry seaver, architect william lynn, chris de burgh in a country churchyard, christ church spitalfields, deramore malone, dichu, lavender's blue, reverend andy rider, sabhal, saul church, st johns church malone road, st patricks abbey, st patricks church jordanstown, st patricks memorial church downpatrick, stuart blakley

Design Luxury People Restaurants

Camilla Fayed + Farmacy Restaurant Notting Hill London

Post author By Lavender's Blue
Post date June 20, 2016
5 Comments on Camilla Fayed + Farmacy Restaurant Notting Hill London

Conscious Coupling

No need to move to the south coast after all to experience the best vegetarian restaurants. Farmacy has opened in Brighton-on-Land, otherwise known as Notting Hill. Brainchild of heiress and entrepreneur Camilla Fayed, the vegan-plus-eggs menu is free from dairy refined sugars, additives and chemicals. Her Alchemy Bar conjures up cocktails mixed with cannabis oil, cayenne pepper and flaxseed. Healthy’s never tasted so good. It helps that the kitchen is headed up by a Michelin trained chef, João Ricardo Alves.

Who needs The Ivy when there’s the scrumptious Farmacy Burger (millet, black bean and mushroom with aioli, goji ketchup, pickles, tomato and potato wedges served in a wholemeal vegan bun: £14)? An accompanying syringe shot of Fire Starter (ginger, turmeric, cayenne and lemon: £5) is just what the doctor ordered. Blueberry tart (with almond nice cream and almond praline: £11) next is pure indulgence. Farmacy sources everything from local organic farms. So its name may be a triple entendre on provenance, healthcare and, possibly, a certain MABA (Middle Aged British Artist) owned restaurant spelt less phonetically. On a balmy Sunday afternoon, the cool leafy green interior is a welcome respite from the heated urban chaos. In an exclusive, CADA Design reveal their thoughts behind the interior design and branding:

Why did Camilla commission CADA Design? “We have an enviable reputation for restaurant design across the globe and with 25 years’ experience our network is extensive. The connection between Camilla and CADA came about through a mutual acquaintance.”
What was your relevant experience? “At CADA we start with the food and work out. Having worked with so many food types in so many sectors we were able to transpose our knowledge to a completely new category to us – exclusively vegetarian and veggan.”
How would you summarise the interior design? “CADA worked closely with Camilla to recognise her vision for Farmacy. The interior was designed to reflect Farmacy’s social and environmental conscience, using untreated woods and natural fibre upholstery. A primary goal was to make the dining room an energising and uplifting experience to reflect the health giving nature of the food.”
How does the branding fit in with the food and drink? “CADA adapted ‘sacred geometry’ as found in nature to create the marque. It symbolises the sun, the source of all our energy and the light that nurtures life. All the graphic components were designed to connect the customer to that source. Ultimately the whole concept is about balance and harmony, whether it’s through the food or the customers’ state of mind while engaging with Farmacy.”

Tags cada design, camilla fayed, chef joão ricardo alves, conscious coupling, farmacy burger, farmacy restaurant notting hill, fire starter, lavender's blue, stuart blakley

Architecture Country Houses

Baronscourt Agent’s House Tyrone + Gervase Jackson-Stops

Post author By Lavender's Blue
Post date June 14, 2016
No Comments on Baronscourt Agent’s House Tyrone + Gervase Jackson-Stops

Landed and Grounded

Writer Gervase Jackson-Stops observed in 1979, “A narrow by-road climbs up out of the broad vale of Omagh with its maze of small green fields and hedges to reveal a wholly different scene spread out on the other side of the ridge: a narrower valley entirely clothed in woods, with belts of grazing in between, sunlight reflected on a lake far below, perhaps a glimpse of curling smoke, a pediment and chimneys among the trees near the shore. Parkland is too tame an English word; here if ever, the Irish ‘demesne comes into its own.”

Little has changed at Baronscourt in the intervening decades. Time stands still on the County Tyrone estate, or, at least, moves, very, very, slowly. The main avenue gently meanders down through the valley before coming to a temporary halt outside the Agent’s House. This single storey Palladian villa erected in the 1740s by build-architect James Martin – outer Omagh’s grandest bungalow? – isn’t all it seems. Records suggest it once had an upper floor which was ignominiously lopped off when the current big house was built. The apparent piece of contemporary art on the lawn in front of the Agent’s House isn’t all it seems either. It’s actually the anchor of the ship the 4th Earl of Abercorn, ancestor of the owner of Baronscourt, fled on to France with James II after the Battle of the Boyne.

Tags agents house, baronscourt, duke of abercorn, lavender's blue, omagh, stuart blakley, tyrone

Architects Country Houses Hotels

The Titanic + Enniskeen House Hotel Newcastle Down

Post author By Lavender's Blue
Post date June 9, 2016
2 Comments on The Titanic + Enniskeen House Hotel Newcastle Down

Pink Panter

Halfway up the forested Shimna Valley, close to the Tollymore estate which is forever haunted by the wandering Blue Lady, and just beyond the seaside resort of Newcastle is Northern Ireland’s most charming hotel. Discreet yet assured. Spa-free. Anti-ostentatious. Bling where art thou? Hotels should be about three things: food, place and people. Easy. Not golf courses. Enniskeen House Hotel scores top marks in all classes. It knows its French fried onions. It’s perfect for admiring the great outdoors from the great indoors. And the staff are a delight.

1895 three storey house is built in typical very late Victorian style with a proliferation of randomly placed gables, dormers, bays and a turret. More of the turret later. Might be by William Batt who designed the mildly Romanesque Ballynafeigh Orange Hall and the roughly Italianate Clifton Street Orange Hall and the loosely eclectic Monaghan Orange Hall and the vaguely gothic Portaferry Orange Hall. Client is Virginia born Robert Wallace Murray, tobacco and rope magnate.
1899 architectural practice Hobart Heron is founded.
1905 Murray’s Erinmore tobacco politically-not-so-correct slogan is launched, ‘Don’t stop smoking because tax on tobacco has increased. It is your duty to the State to keep on smoking.’
1911 Titanic sets sail with officers puffing on Murray’s Erinmore tobacco and guests eating off Liddell linen tablecloths.
1913 Mr Liddell buys Enniskeen House.
1930 Colonel Panter becomes owner, breathing new life into the interior. Hobart Heron reconfigures the main hall and adds panelling to the reception rooms.
1940 Lindsay family take up residence but after three years widowed Mrs L moves out to a bungalow nearby.
1958 Esme Porter purchases the down-at-heel house and gets busy sensitively converting it to a 12 bedroom hotel.
1961 Colonel’s daughter Eveleigh Finola Margaret Panter marries Major William Stephen Brownlow.
1966 Enniskeen House Hotel is now fully established and ready for the next half century of hospitality.
1974 modern but sympathetic single storey porch and bathroom wing is added to the entrance front. Traces of tracery lend a suitably vague gothic air to the doorway and windows. The building is now an intriguing blend of 1890s, 1930s and 1970s styles. Welcome to informal retro.
1978 A Guide to Irish Country Houses by Mark Bence-Jones is published but no mention of the elusive Enniskeen.
1983 Esme’s son Ian Porter takes over the running of the hotel and the gardens of dewy multicoloured perfumed rhododendrons falling down to the Shimna River are restored.
1994 Kimmitt Dean gives Enniskeen a mention in his publication on gatelodges, ‘To a faintly Scots Baronial roughcast pile, a contrasting Picturesque | Neoclassical stuccoed gatelodge.’
2016 Hobart Heron continues to thrive as an architectural practice in Belfast.
2016 Lavender’s Blue come to stay in the octagonal turret room, admiring the view through 12 panes of original liquidy glass, and have a rollicking good time.

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