Charles Lanyon
Encyclopedia
Sir Charles Lanyon DL
, JP
(6 January 1813 – 31 May 1889) was an English
architect
of the 19th century. His work is most closely associated with Belfast
, Northern Ireland
.
, Sussex
(now East Sussex
) in 1813. His father was John Jenkinson Lanyon, a purser in the Royal Navy
, and his mother was Catherine Anne Mortimer.
Following his education, he became an apprentice civil engineer
with Jacob Owen in Portsmouth
. When Owen was made senior Engineer and Architect of the Irish Board of Works and moved to Dublin, Lanyon followed. In 1835 he married Owens' daughter, Helen Elizabeth. They had ten children, including Sir William Owen Lanyon, an army officer and colonial administrator. Charles Lanyon was County Surveyor in Kildare
briefly, before moving on to Antrim
in 1836. He remained County Surveyor of Antrim until 1860 when he resigned from the post to concentrate on private work and other interests.
Lanyon was elected Mayor of Belfast
in 1862, and Conservative
MP
for the city between 1865 and 1868. In 1868 he was also knighted and served on the Select Committee on Scientific Instruction, which laid the groundwork for the Education Act for Universal Education of 1871.
He lost his seat in Westminster, but became a councillor in Belfast Town Council from 1861 to 1871. From 1862 to 1886 he was Belfast Harbour Commissioner. He served as Deputy Lieutenant for County Antrim and was appointed High Sheriff of Antrim
in 1876. He was also a Justice of the Peace for many years.
His other business interests included being director of the Blackstaff Flax Spinning Company and chairman of several railway companies. He was made director of the Northern Counties Railway in 1870, but resigned in 1887 because of ill-health.
Alongside his business activities he was an active Freemason and even became the Grand Master
of Freemasons in Ireland.
Lanyon lived at 'The Abbey' a grand house in Whiteabbey
, which eventually became a sanitorium during World War I
and is now part of Whiteabbey Hospital. He died there on 31 May 1889 and is buried in Newtownbreda
graveyard. His will is recorded in the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland:
, Glenarm
, Carnlough
, Glenariff
to Ballycastle
. It involved removal of thousands of tonnes of rock using explosives, and building sea walls. Part of this route included the Glendun Viaduct.
to Ballymoney
, the straightest route was over the large Frosses Bog. Lanyon planted 1500 large Douglas Fir trees in two lines so that the roots would intermingle, and would create a surface for a road to be built.
Lanyon also designed the Palm House in Kew Gardens, London which is similar to the one on Belfast.
on which he based Queens College. Unlike Queens, it was not kept well and it was demolished in 1965.
in 1849, the design for the central tower was based on Magdalene College in Oxford, and is repeated in the smaller towers. The back of the building is not as intricate as the front, as the college had problems with funding. The building is famous for its Gothic Revival
facade and Great Hall.
The main atrium of the Lanyon building houses a marble statue of Galileo. Most notable for his advances in Physics, he was also a deep thinker and Philosopher, resulting in the statue portrayed seated. It has been said that rubbing the statue's outstretched right foot brings the student good luck. Recent rumours have been spreading about the student body that when the clock above Galileo's head strikes the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour, the statue appears to wink. Some have put this down to simply being a optical illusion.
The Great Hall underwent an extensive £2.5m renovation in 2002, restoring it to Lanyon's original plans. The restoration was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund
and the hall was reopened by The Prince of Wales
. Lanyon also designed the nearby Union Theological College
.
The Library at Queens was also originally built by Charles Lanyon, but a few years later they tendered for an extension. QUB put out an ‘anonymous tender’, and the winner was Charles Lanyon again. Hence, the building is called the “Lanyon and Lanyon Library”.
Lewis, Samuel,
“A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Vol:II”,
London:S Lewis & Co. 1837, p712
This house was designed and built in 1850 for Richard Davidson a MP, on the site of another MP, Samuel Getty, who had a gentleman’s cottage on the site. It was named “The Abbey” because it was on the site of an ancient Cistercian Abbey which stood nearby from 1215 to 1925. Its entrance is very like Abbeydene, but with no pillars.
Ordnance Survey, Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of County Antrim 1, 1838-9
In 1897, the house was purchased by Granville Hotel Company for use as a tuberclosis hydrotherapy
centre, employing Sebastian Kneipp
's naturopathy technique.
The Irish Builder, April 15, 1897
The Irish Builder, December 1, 1899, p200
The private treatment centre became Whiteabbey Sanatorium during World War 1, then developed into Whiteabbey Hospital in the 1930s, with the construction of the Lanyon Building. It is currently a non-acute medical and surgical hospital with an accident and emergency unit.
and opposite Courthouse
between 1846 and 1850. Built in an innovative style at the time and based on London's
Pentonville
prison, the design is known as the “radial cellular system”, and “The Crum” was the first to be built in Ireland. The building has four separate wings, each one either 3 or 4 stories high. In total there are 640 individual cells which have small windows on the doors, leading to the inspection hall. An underground tunnel links the gaol to the courthouse on the opposite side of the road. The building is currently derelict. However due to its historical and architectural significance a major restoration and redevelopment is planned. The two buildings are linked by an infamous tunnel.
People commented that Lanyon’s experience with churches and lecture halls had influenced his design for the courthouse. Charles was instructed that the cost should not exceed £16,000 but he tendered £16,500 which was accepted. The building is two storied and in Neo-Palladian classical style. It was enlarged in 1905 when new blocks were added to either side of the façade. It was closed in June 1998 after nearly 150 years of use. It was sold to a private developer, Barry Gilligan in 2003. On the 8th February 2004 there was a large fire which broke out in the Courthouse. The building was poorly secured and was used by local youths as a drinking den, but also was an attraction for Northern Ireland urban explorers. On the 12th March 2009 the Courthouse was once again set on fire, destroying some of the front offices. Finally, on the 15th August 2009, a major fire broke out destroying much of the remainder, and resulting in the building becoming hazardous.
, renamed in 1948 when it became a nursing home. It was recently renovated and is now a single residence again.
style, the building features carved statues of Britannia
, Neptune
and Mercury
. Until the 1950s the steps of the building served as Belfast's Speaker's Corner. It was here that trade union leader James Larkin
addressed crowds of up to 20,000 people during the 1907 Belfast Dock strike
. The writer Anthony Trollope
was employed here before finding fame. Today Customs House Square and the adjoining Queen's Square are Belfast City Centre's
main venue for free concerts and public events. McHugh's Bar
and The Albert Clock
are also located here.
, the church has a distinctive maritime theme. The lectern
is made in the shape of a ship's prow
. It also features a brass wheel
and capstan
from a World War I
wreck, navigation lights from a Guinness
barge, and the ship's bell from the pre-World War I battleship HMS Hood
.
Lanyon designed the castle in 1870 for John Leslie MP. Leslie was a descendant of Bishop Charles Leslie
.
Other works by Lanyon in Belfast include the Linenhall Library, Belfast Castle
, the Palm House at the Belfast Botanic Gardens
, Stranmillis House
, The Assembly Rooms in Waring Street, the Masonic Hall in Arthur Square and both the Queen's Bridge and Ormeau Bridge. He also designed Falls Road Methodist Church, Divis Street, Belfast, which was opened in 1854 and closed in 1966 when it was replaced by Divis Tower.
Outside of Belfast, Lanyon is famous for planting the Frosses Trees in 1839. Lanyon planted approximately 1,500 Scots Pine
trees along the edge of what is now the A26 road
, just north of the town of Ballymena
. The overhanging trees are a well known landmark for travellers en route to the north Antrim coast. For safety reasons the majority of the original trees have been cut down, with just 104 remaining. The campanile
of the University of Dublin, Trinity College, was designed by Lanyon and completed in 1852.
Lanyon redesigned Killyleagh Castle
and designed Drenagh
Estate, bridges, viaducts and mausoleums and over 50 churches in Belfast and throughout Ireland.
. During this period Belfast was expanding greatly, becoming Ireland's most important industrial
city, briefly becoming larger in population than Dublin. Lanyon formed a partnership
in 1854 with his former apprentice William Henry Lynn
. In 1860 the two incorporated
with Charles' son John Lanyon as Lanyon, Lynn & Lanyon, Civil Engineers and Architects
. Lanyon, Lynn & Lanyon was dissolved
in 1872.
A blue plaque
commemorating Lanyon is displayed at his former offices in Wellington Place. The location of Belfast's Waterfront Hall
was named Lanyon Place in his honour. The Sir Charles Lanyon Memorial Prize is awarded to a final-year BSc
Architecture student from the School of Architecture at Queen's University each year.
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(6 January 1813 – 31 May 1889) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
architect
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
of the 19th century. His work is most closely associated with Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
Biography
Lanyon was born in EastbourneEastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
(now East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
) in 1813. His father was John Jenkinson Lanyon, a purser in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, and his mother was Catherine Anne Mortimer.
Following his education, he became an apprentice civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
with Jacob Owen in Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
. When Owen was made senior Engineer and Architect of the Irish Board of Works and moved to Dublin, Lanyon followed. In 1835 he married Owens' daughter, Helen Elizabeth. They had ten children, including Sir William Owen Lanyon, an army officer and colonial administrator. Charles Lanyon was County Surveyor in Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
briefly, before moving on to Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
in 1836. He remained County Surveyor of Antrim until 1860 when he resigned from the post to concentrate on private work and other interests.
Lanyon was elected Mayor of Belfast
Lord Mayor of Belfast
The Lord Mayor of Belfast is the leader and chairman of Belfast City Council, elected annually from and by the City's 51 councillors.The Lord Mayor is Niall Ó Donnghaile of Sinn Féin, while the Deputy Lord Mayor is Ruth Patterson of the Democratic Unionist Party, who were elected in May 2011.The...
in 1862, and Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
for the city between 1865 and 1868. In 1868 he was also knighted and served on the Select Committee on Scientific Instruction, which laid the groundwork for the Education Act for Universal Education of 1871.
He lost his seat in Westminster, but became a councillor in Belfast Town Council from 1861 to 1871. From 1862 to 1886 he was Belfast Harbour Commissioner. He served as Deputy Lieutenant for County Antrim and was appointed High Sheriff of Antrim
High Sheriff of Antrim
The High Sheriff of Antrim is the Sovereign's judicial representative in County Antrim. Initially an office for lifetime, assigned by the Sovereign, the High Sheriff became annually appointed from the Provisions of Oxford in 1258...
in 1876. He was also a Justice of the Peace for many years.
His other business interests included being director of the Blackstaff Flax Spinning Company and chairman of several railway companies. He was made director of the Northern Counties Railway in 1870, but resigned in 1887 because of ill-health.
Alongside his business activities he was an active Freemason and even became the Grand Master
Grand Master (Masonic)
In Freemasonry a Grand Master is the leader of the lodges within his Masonic jurisdiction. He presides over a Grand Lodge, and has certain rights in the constituent lodges that form his jurisdiction....
of Freemasons in Ireland.
Lanyon lived at 'The Abbey' a grand house in Whiteabbey
Whiteabbey
Whiteabbey is a townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is within the urban area called Newtownabbey and the wider Newtownabbey Borough...
, which eventually became a sanitorium during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and is now part of Whiteabbey Hospital. He died there on 31 May 1889 and is buried in Newtownbreda
Newtownbreda
Newtownbreda is an electoral ward of the Borough of Castlereagh in Northern Ireland. At one time "Newtownbreda" referred to a small village to the south-east of Belfast. However, it is now part of the Greater Belfast conurbation and Newtownbreda now tends to refer to the wider area from Hydebank to...
graveyard. His will is recorded in the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland:
8th August 1889, LANYON, Sir Charles, Effects £53,785 1s 3d. The will (with 5 codiciles) of Sir Charles Lanyon, late of the Abbey, Whiteabbey, Co. Antrim, Knight, to died 31st May 1889 at the same place, was proved at Belfast by John Lanyon of Lisbreen, Fortwilliam Park Belfast, CE Herbert Owen Lanyon or Castletown Terrace, Belfast, Merchant, and Elizabeth Helen Lanyon of the Abbey, Whiteabbey, Spinster.
Famous works
Antrim Coast Road (1832 - 1842)
The north Antrim coast was difficult to reach for many years. The Irish Commissioners of Public Works promoted the construction of the Antrim Coast Road between 1832 and 1842 by civil engineer William Bald. Lanyon was the County Surveyor for part of this time (1836 to 1842) and would have had a considerable supervisory role. The route runs from Larne up through BallygalleyBallygalley
Ballygalley or Ballygally is a village and holiday resort in County Antrim, Northern Ireland which lies on the Antrim coast, approximately 3 miles north of Larne...
, Glenarm
Glenarm
Glenarm is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies on the North Channel coast north of the town of Larne and the village of Ballygalley, and south of the village of Carnlough. It had a population of 582 people in the 2001 Census. Glenarm takes it name from the glen in which it lies,...
, Carnlough
Carnlough
Carnlough is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It has a picturesque harbour on the shores of Carnlough Bay. Carnlough is situated on the Coast Road beside the North Channel and at the foot of Glencloy, the second of the nine Glens of Antrim...
, Glenariff
Glenariff
Glenariff is a glen in the County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Like all glens in that area, it was shaped during the Ice Age by giant glaciers....
to Ballycastle
Ballycastle
Ballycastle can refer to:*Ballycastle, County Antrim, a small town in Northern Ireland*Ballycastle, County Mayo, a village in the Republic of Ireland...
. It involved removal of thousands of tonnes of rock using explosives, and building sea walls. Part of this route included the Glendun Viaduct.
Ballymoney Court House (1838)
This building one of Charles Lanyon’s earlier buildings was completed in 1838. It cost £1,125, plus £40 for the bench and fitting up. It is made mostly of basalt blocks with brick dressings. The main doorway is surrounded by a thick stone frame. A lot of the window frames and sills are made of brown basalt. Strangely enough it is not currently a listed building.Frosses Road (1839)
When a road was needed from BallymenaBallymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
to Ballymoney
Ballymoney
Ballymoney is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 9,021 people in the 2001 Census. It is currently served by Ballymoney Borough Council....
, the straightest route was over the large Frosses Bog. Lanyon planted 1500 large Douglas Fir trees in two lines so that the roots would intermingle, and would create a surface for a road to be built.
Glendun Viaduct, Glendun (1839)
This huge arch-shaped viaduct was finally completely built in 1839.Palm House, Botanic Gardens, Belfast (1840)
The palm house was probably Lanyon's only building of this type. It is a Curvilinear Iron and Glass Structure, and is one of the oldest surviving examples in the world.Lanyon also designed the Palm House in Kew Gardens, London which is similar to the one on Belfast.
St. John’s Church, Whitehouse (1840)
This Church of Ireland Church was opened in 1840, by licence. It cost £716.16.0 to build. This was and still is one of the most successful churches in the Carnmoney Parish. It was designed for free by Lanyon who was a member of Carnmoney Parish. At the side of the church Lanyon built a small school hall for £300, which was used as a school until 1930. Then it was used as a NAAFI mess for the troops in the second world war, but it was demolished in 1965 to make way for a new church hall.Raloo Parish Church, Glenoe (1842)
This church was built in 1842 for the cost of £436.0.0. and was designed to hold the entire population of the village (less than 200).Gills Almshouses, Carrickfergus (1842)
This was designed to replace the old charity houses in 1842 which were in very bad repair. The front is symmetrical on either sides with black bricks on the edge it is made of normal sandstone, painted white. The Almshouse was not always white. The original sandstone was crumbling away, so it was rendered. This explains why the white walls stand out from the cornerstones instead of the other way around.
Gill's Almshouses: A : 1842; Charles Lanyon, architect. The charitable endowment of Henry Gill who, dying in 1761, bequeathed "to fourteen aged men, decayed in their circumstances, £10 each per annum and also houses and gardens", in Ellis Street (see No. 23a). Later this further block was built facing the harbour. The pretty Tudor revival style is reminiscent of contemporary churches and schools designed by the same architect, then County Surveyor of Antrim. The middle and wing bays of the symmetrical five-bay front project slightly and have tall double-shouldered gables with curious finials like inverted gate posts. Beneath the datestone the central front doorway has a four-centred arch, recessed surround, and a hood moulding with big cabbage-like bosses all dulled by dark paint. The intermediate bays have square windows with plain chamfered frames. Each wing bay has a triple window, the centre light taller than its neighbours, embraced by a label moulding which echoes the stepping of the gables. Single pointed lancets with mouldings akin to that on the front door light the gables. Above the steep tiled roof rise two chimneys with a pair of diagon¬ally set stacks apiece.
Nowadays it appears that the almshouses rival the inmates in their decayed circumstances, for, while the black and white paint-work is tidy, the facade shows an alarming inclination to land at the feet of those who stand in front to admire it. This is a good little build¬ing, adding much to the town's seafront, and worthy of careful renovation. Happily the James Butcher Housing Association is now undertaking this work.
Ulster Institute for the Deaf, Dumb and Blind, Lisburn Road, Belfast (1845)
Lanyon built this large redbrick building on the Lisburn Road, on the site currently occupied by the Medical Biology Centre (MBC), Queen's University of BelfastQueen's University of Belfast
Queen's University Belfast is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The university's official title, per its charter, is the Queen's University of Belfast. It is often referred to simply as Queen's, or by the abbreviation QUB...
on which he based Queens College. Unlike Queens, it was not kept well and it was demolished in 1965.
Randalstown Viaducts, Randalstown (1847)
Out of these two bridges, only the taller, newer one is designed by Sir Charles. This one bridge is a 4 arch viaduct.Queen's University (1849)
Lanyon designed the main building of Queen's University of BelfastQueen's University of Belfast
Queen's University Belfast is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The university's official title, per its charter, is the Queen's University of Belfast. It is often referred to simply as Queen's, or by the abbreviation QUB...
in 1849, the design for the central tower was based on Magdalene College in Oxford, and is repeated in the smaller towers. The back of the building is not as intricate as the front, as the college had problems with funding. The building is famous for its Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
facade and Great Hall.
The main atrium of the Lanyon building houses a marble statue of Galileo. Most notable for his advances in Physics, he was also a deep thinker and Philosopher, resulting in the statue portrayed seated. It has been said that rubbing the statue's outstretched right foot brings the student good luck. Recent rumours have been spreading about the student body that when the clock above Galileo's head strikes the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour, the statue appears to wink. Some have put this down to simply being a optical illusion.
The Great Hall underwent an extensive £2.5m renovation in 2002, restoring it to Lanyon's original plans. The restoration was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
and the hall was reopened by The Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
. Lanyon also designed the nearby Union Theological College
Union Theological College
Union Theological College is the theological college for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and is situated in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was established in 1853 as Assembly's College. The building served as the location for the early Northern Ireland Parliaments.The college offers a full range...
.
The Library at Queens was also originally built by Charles Lanyon, but a few years later they tendered for an extension. QUB put out an ‘anonymous tender’, and the winner was Charles Lanyon again. Hence, the building is called the “Lanyon and Lanyon Library”.
The Abbey, Whiteabbey (1850)
Whiteabbey, a village in the parish of Carnmoney, Barony of Lower Belfast, County of Antrim and province of Ulster, 4 miles (N.) from Belfast on the shore of Belfast Lough; containing 71 houses and 391 inhabitants. It takes its name from an old abbey whose picturesque ruins consist of a chapel, the remains of which denote the early English style of architecture, but at what time or name or by whom founded it is not known.
Lewis, Samuel,
“A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Vol:II”,
London:S Lewis & Co. 1837, p712
This house was designed and built in 1850 for Richard Davidson a MP, on the site of another MP, Samuel Getty, who had a gentleman’s cottage on the site. It was named “The Abbey” because it was on the site of an ancient Cistercian Abbey which stood nearby from 1215 to 1925. Its entrance is very like Abbeydene, but with no pillars.
Abbey, the residence of William Getty Esquire, is a spacious and handsome residence, possessing much taste in its style of construction and presenting a handsomely ornamented and stone-finished front. It is situationed in a handsome lawn of about 10 acres, which is well laid out and planted. Abbey was erected in 1835.
Ordnance Survey, Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of County Antrim 1, 1838-9
In 1897, the house was purchased by Granville Hotel Company for use as a tuberclosis hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy, involves the use of water for pain-relief and treating illness. The term hydrotherapy itself is synonymous with the term water cure as it was originally marketed by practitioners and promoters in the 19th century...
centre, employing Sebastian Kneipp
Sebastian Kneipp
Sebastian Kneipp was a Bavarian priest and one of the founders of the Naturopathic medicine movement...
's naturopathy technique.
The residence of Sir Charles Lanyon at Whiteabbey near Belfast has been purchased by a syndicate for conversion into a hydropatholic establishment. It stands on 33 acres and in a most picturesque situation.
The Irish Builder, April 15, 1897
Whiteabbey – At Whiteabbey near Belfast, the mansion known as “The Abbey” formerly the seat of Sir Charles Lanyon was purchased by Granville Hotel Company and converted into a Hydro with all the latest improvements. Ranges of baths had been inserted and a new wing will shortly be built.
The Irish Builder, December 1, 1899, p200
The private treatment centre became Whiteabbey Sanatorium during World War 1, then developed into Whiteabbey Hospital in the 1930s, with the construction of the Lanyon Building. It is currently a non-acute medical and surgical hospital with an accident and emergency unit.
Crumlin Road Gaol and Courthouse (1848/1850)
Lanyon designed the Crumlin Road GaolCrumlin Road Gaol
HMP Belfast, also known as Crumlin Road Gaol, is a former prison situated on the Crumlin Road in north Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the only Victorian era prison remaining in Northern Ireland and has been derelict since 1996...
and opposite Courthouse
Crumlin Road Courthouse
The Crumlin Road Courthouse was designed by the architect Charles Lanyon and completed in 1850. It is situated across the road from the Crumlin Road Gaol and the two are linked by an underground passage....
between 1846 and 1850. Built in an innovative style at the time and based on London's
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Pentonville
Pentonville (HM Prison)
HM Prison Pentonville is a Category B/C men's prison, operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service. Pentonville Prison is not actually within Pentonville itself, but is located further north, on the Caledonian Road in the Barnsbury area of the London Borough of Islington, in inner-North London,...
prison, the design is known as the “radial cellular system”, and “The Crum” was the first to be built in Ireland. The building has four separate wings, each one either 3 or 4 stories high. In total there are 640 individual cells which have small windows on the doors, leading to the inspection hall. An underground tunnel links the gaol to the courthouse on the opposite side of the road. The building is currently derelict. However due to its historical and architectural significance a major restoration and redevelopment is planned. The two buildings are linked by an infamous tunnel.
People commented that Lanyon’s experience with churches and lecture halls had influenced his design for the courthouse. Charles was instructed that the cost should not exceed £16,000 but he tendered £16,500 which was accepted. The building is two storied and in Neo-Palladian classical style. It was enlarged in 1905 when new blocks were added to either side of the façade. It was closed in June 1998 after nearly 150 years of use. It was sold to a private developer, Barry Gilligan in 2003. On the 8th February 2004 there was a large fire which broke out in the Courthouse. The building was poorly secured and was used by local youths as a drinking den, but also was an attraction for Northern Ireland urban explorers. On the 12th March 2009 the Courthouse was once again set on fire, destroying some of the front offices. Finally, on the 15th August 2009, a major fire broke out destroying much of the remainder, and resulting in the building becoming hazardous.
Abbeydene, Whiteabbey (1850)
Abbeydene was built in 1850 for John Finlay, who was a flax and tow merchant. The building is made from gold sandstone, and has a grand front entrance with a tall wooden door and several sandstone pillars. From 1895 until 1915 Edward Robinson of “Robinson and Cleavers” lived here. Abbeydene was originally called Lismara when it was home to Sir Crawford McCullagh, 1st BaronetCrawford McCullagh
Sir Crawford McCullagh, 1st Baronet was a Unionist politician in Northern Ireland.McCullagh was the director of several businesses in Belfast, including Maguire and Patterson, a dry goods firm , and the Classic Cinema at Castle Place, as well as owning McCullagh and Co., a silk mercers, milliners...
, renamed in 1948 when it became a nursing home. It was recently renovated and is now a single residence again.
Customs House
Considered by many to be Belfast's finest architectural feature, Lanyon designed the Custom House in 1857. Built in the Italian RenaissanceItalian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 13th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe...
style, the building features carved statues of Britannia
Britannia
Britannia is an ancient term for Great Britain, and also a female personification of the island. The name is Latin, and derives from the Greek form Prettanike or Brettaniai, which originally designated a collection of islands with individual names, including Albion or Great Britain. However, by the...
, Neptune
Poseidon
Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
and Mercury
Mercury (mythology)
Mercury was a messenger who wore winged sandals, and a god of trade, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is related to the Latin word merx , mercari , and merces...
. Until the 1950s the steps of the building served as Belfast's Speaker's Corner. It was here that trade union leader James Larkin
James Larkin
James Larkin was an Irish trade union leader and socialist activist, born to Irish parents in Liverpool, England. He and his family later moved to a small cottage in Burren, southern County Down. Growing up in poverty, he received little formal education and began working in a variety of jobs...
addressed crowds of up to 20,000 people during the 1907 Belfast Dock strike
1907 Belfast Dock strike
The Belfast Dock strike or Belfast lockout took place in Belfast, Ireland from May to August 1907. The strike, which began at Sailortown, beside the Docks was called by Liverpool-born trade union leader James Larkin who had successfully organised the dock workers to join the National Union of Dock...
. The writer Anthony Trollope
Anthony Trollope
Anthony Trollope was one of the most successful, prolific and respected English novelists of the Victorian era. Some of his best-loved works, collectively known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire, revolve around the imaginary county of Barsetshire...
was employed here before finding fame. Today Customs House Square and the adjoining Queen's Square are Belfast City Centre's
Belfast City Centre
Belfast city centre is the central business district of Belfast, Northern Ireland.The city centre was originally centred around the Donegall Street area. Donegall Street is now mainly a business area, but with expanding residential and entertainment development as part of the Cathedral Quarter...
main venue for free concerts and public events. McHugh's Bar
McHugh's Bar
McHugh's Bar is a public house in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Located on Queen's Square in Belfast City Centre, it is one of the city's best known pubs and the oldest building in Belfast.-History:...
and The Albert Clock
Albert Memorial Clock, Belfast
The Albert Memorial Clock is a tall clock tower situated at Queen's Square in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was completed in 1869 and is one of the best known landmarks of Belfast.-History:...
are also located here.
Sinclair Seaman's Presbyterian Church
Lanyon designed Sinclair Seaman's Presbyterian Church in 1856. Thomas Sinclair commissioned the church in memory of his father John Sinclair, who was a merchant from Belfast. Located on Corporation Square in Belfast's docks area, locally known as SailortownSailortown, Belfast
Sailortown was a working-class dockland community located in the Docks area of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Established in the mid-19th century on partly reclaimed land, it had a mixed Protestant and Catholic population...
, the church has a distinctive maritime theme. The lectern
Lectern
A lectern is a reading desk with a slanted top, usually placed on a stand or affixed to some other form of support, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading aloud, as in a scripture reading, lecture, or sermon...
is made in the shape of a ship's prow
Prow
thumb|right|295pxThe prow is the forward most part of a ship's bow that cuts through the water. The prow is the part of the bow above the waterline. The terms prow and bow are often used interchangeably to describe the most forward part of a ship and its surrounding parts...
. It also features a brass wheel
Ship's wheel
A ship's wheel is the modern method of adjusting the angle of a boat or ship's rudder in order to cause the vessel to change its course. Together with the rest of the steering mechanism it forms part of the helm. It is typically connected to a mechanical, electric servo, or hydraulic system...
and capstan
Capstan
Capstan may refer to:*Capstan , a rotating machine used to control or apply force to another element*Capstan , rotating spindles used to move recording tape through the mechanism of a tape recorder...
from a World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
wreck, navigation lights from a Guinness
Guinness
Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...
barge, and the ship's bell from the pre-World War I battleship HMS Hood
HMS Hood (1891)
The second warship to be named HMS Hood was a modified Royal Sovereign-class battleship of the Royal Navy, and the last of the eight built. She differed from the Royal Sovereign class in that she had cylindrical gun turrets instead of barbettes, a lower freeboard and a higher metacentric height...
.
Castle Leslie
Situated in Glaslough, County MonaghanCounty Monaghan
County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...
Lanyon designed the castle in 1870 for John Leslie MP. Leslie was a descendant of Bishop Charles Leslie
Charles Leslie
Charles Leslie was an Anglican nonjuring divine.-Life:He was the son of John Leslie , bishop of Raphoe and afterwards of Clogher, born in July 1650 in Dublin, and educated at Enniskillen school and Trinity College, Dublin. Going to England he read law for a time, but soon turned his attention to...
.
Other works
Belfast Castle
Belfast Castle is set on the slopes of Cavehill Country Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland in a prominent position above sea level. Its location provides unobstructed views of the city of Belfast and Belfast Lough.-History:...
, the Palm House at the Belfast Botanic Gardens
Belfast Botanic Gardens
Belfast Botanic Gardens is a public park in Belfast, Northern Ireland.Occupying of south Belfast, the gardens are popular with office workers, students and tourists. They are located on Stranmillis Road in Belfast's university area, with Queen's University nearby...
, Stranmillis House
Stranmillis University College
Stranmillis University College is a university college of Queen's University Belfast. The institution is located on the Stranmillis Road in Belfast, and has approximately 700 students today and offers the BEd, PGCE and TESOL, as well as other courses....
, The Assembly Rooms in Waring Street, the Masonic Hall in Arthur Square and both the Queen's Bridge and Ormeau Bridge. He also designed Falls Road Methodist Church, Divis Street, Belfast, which was opened in 1854 and closed in 1966 when it was replaced by Divis Tower.
Outside of Belfast, Lanyon is famous for planting the Frosses Trees in 1839. Lanyon planted approximately 1,500 Scots Pine
Scots Pine
Pinus sylvestris, commonly known as the Scots Pine, is a species of pine native to Europe and Asia, ranging from Scotland, Ireland and Portugal in the west, east to eastern Siberia, south to the Caucasus Mountains, and as far north as well inside the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia...
trees along the edge of what is now the A26 road
A26 road
For the road in Northern Ireland see A26 road The A26 road is one of the three cross-country two-digit numbered roads in the southeast of England, the others being the A25 road and A27 road. It carries traffic from Maidstone in Kent in a generally south-westerly direction to Tunbridge Wells and...
, just north of the town of Ballymena
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
. The overhanging trees are a well known landmark for travellers en route to the north Antrim coast. For safety reasons the majority of the original trees have been cut down, with just 104 remaining. The campanile
Campanile
Campanile is an Italian word meaning "bell tower" . The term applies to bell towers which are either part of a larger building or free-standing, although in American English, the latter meaning has become prevalent.The most famous campanile is probably the Leaning Tower of Pisa...
of the University of Dublin, Trinity College, was designed by Lanyon and completed in 1852.
Lanyon redesigned Killyleagh Castle
Killyleagh Castle
Killyleagh Castle is a castle in the village of Killyleagh, County Down, Northern Ireland. It dominates the small village and is believed to be the oldest inhabited castle in the country, with parts dating back to 1180. It follows the architectural style of a Loire Valley château, being redesigned...
and designed Drenagh
Drenagh
Drenagh is a 19th century house and garden in Limavady, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The property is located on the road to Coleraine....
Estate, bridges, viaducts and mausoleums and over 50 churches in Belfast and throughout Ireland.
Legacy
Alongside William J. Barre, Lanyon is considered Belfast's most important architect of the Victorian eraVictorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
. During this period Belfast was expanding greatly, becoming Ireland's most important industrial
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
city, briefly becoming larger in population than Dublin. Lanyon formed a partnership
Partnership
A partnership is an arrangement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests.Since humans are social beings, partnerships between individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments, and varied combinations thereof, have always been and remain commonplace...
in 1854 with his former apprentice William Henry Lynn
William Henry Lynn
William Henry Lynn was an Irish-born architect with a practice in Belfast and the north of England. He is noted for his Ruskinian Venetian Gothic public buildings, which include Chester Town Hall and Barrow-in-Furness Town Hall .In 1846 Lynn was articled to Sir Charles Lanyon in Belfast; under...
. In 1860 the two incorporated
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
with Charles' son John Lanyon as Lanyon, Lynn & Lanyon, Civil Engineers and Architects
Lanyon, Lynn and Lanyon
Lanyon, Lynn & Lanyon, Civil Engineers and Architects was a 19th-century firm working mainly in Dublin and Belfast, and the leading architectural firm in Belfast during the 1860s. Its partners were Charles Lanyon, William Henry Lynn, and Charles' son John Lanyon.Charles Lanyon was the head of the...
. Lanyon, Lynn & Lanyon was dissolved
Dissolution (law)
In law, dissolution has multiple meanings.Dissolution is the last stage of liquidation, the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed....
in 1872.
A blue plaque
Blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....
commemorating Lanyon is displayed at his former offices in Wellington Place. The location of Belfast's Waterfront Hall
Waterfront Hall
The Waterfront Hall is a multi-purpose facility, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by local architects' firm Robinson McIlwaine. Practice partner Peter McGukin was the project architect....
was named Lanyon Place in his honour. The Sir Charles Lanyon Memorial Prize is awarded to a final-year BSc
BSC
BSC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:Science and technology* Bachelor of Science , an undergraduate degree* Base Station Controller, part of a mobile phone network; see: Base Station subsystem...
Architecture student from the School of Architecture at Queen's University each year.