In Ireland’s Ancient East, gracing the entrance on the Dublin side of the estate to the magnificent Palladian Castletown House, sits Batty Langley Lodge. Along with the lodges known as The Round House, The Pottery and The Gate House, which line the Celbridge entrance to the estate, it forms an important part of the landscape of one of the most important eighteenth-century estates in Ireland.
While these protected structures had undergone various alterations over the years, including replastering with pebbledash, widening of window openings, internal alterations and a rear extension, their elevations mainly remained intact and were sensitively restored by The Irish Landmark Trust.
As a heritage charity, we give these properties new life as self-catering accommodation, and so at times work is required to make them more comfortable for the guests that keep them alive. That is why this year we were delighted to upgrade the bathroom at Batty Langley Lodge and install a modern shower.
Restoration of Batty Langley Lodge
The restoration of the lodge was funded by the Office of Public Works and undertaken with Irish Landmark Trust. It had been empty for many years and was derelict and boarded up. Incredibly two original windows had survived intact, one upstairs and one downstairs and these were used as templates to re-create the other windows.
To adapt the historic structure to a feasible and sustainable new use, repair works and minor alterations were carried out, but as always, as little as possible of the original structure was altered.
Inside historic features such as moulded cornices, early timber panelled doors, original floorboards and original lath and plaster ceilings were conserved and restored. The staircase is mainly original to the building, with the handrail and bannisters taken from the backstairs at Castletown House.
Previous to this restoration, alterations had been carried out to the stairs in the 1980’s with the insertion of the first-floor bathroom. At this point, the stairs were foreshortened, and a new landing was introduced.
The Batty Langley Lodge is now fully restored and makes the ultimate romantic getaway for two people.
Photo: Batty Langley Lodge, January 2007
Q&A About the Batty Langley Lodge Restoration Project
We spoke to our Operations Manager Lorraine Bell about the project.
What was the bathroom like before this project?
Batty Langley bathroom, photos taken 2024
What made ILT decide to upgrade the bathroom?
Nowadays when Irish Landmark undertakes a restoration, we will fit a shower from the start where possible, as a modern comfort that is preferred in self-catering stays. After many years of visitors staying at Batty Langley, we began to receive more and more feedback about the small bath which was not suitable for all guests. After careful consideration, it was decided that the time had come to upgrade the bathroom and install a shower in place of the bath.
Are there constraints on when you can get these jobs done?
Irish Landmark bathrooms are assessed every 10 years. Constraints to upgrade involve the old thick walls being unsuitable, or the risk of causing damage to the historic building itself, which goes against our conservation values. The other constraint is the property’s schedule, as we ensure to work around prebooked holidays to find a suitable amount of time for the building to be available. We closed the bookings for this maintenance well in advance.
We sought several quotes for the works. Due to the location of the bathroom, which was added in the 1980s above the downstairs hall void, this was never going to be a straightforward upgrade and the cost was quite substantial. As a charity the budgets must be carefully consulted.
What were some of the challenges faced in this project?
Typical of old buildings, disaster struck when the fixtures and fittings were removed, and the floorboards were lifted. Almost all the bathroom joists were rotten and crumbling with woodworm. All of the joists had to be removed, and the only internal wall had to be taken with them. The picture shows where the bathroom was positioned above the hall. This gives a sense of the lodge’s original interior.
Photo of Batty Langley interior 2024.
The bathroom fitters immediately arranged to get the joists and the internal wall replaced and all fittings replaced to enable them to complete the work before the next booking was due. This included additional lime plastering on the internal staircase wall and painting all the areas affected.
As a heritage charity, do you have guidelines on design and types of materials?
Our contractor had a portfolio of work in listed buildings, and was experienced in the correct materials to use in period properties. A plain white bevelled tile with grey grout was chosen for the walls, and a green and cream tile checkerboard design was chosen for the floor, similar to the original tiles that were in place. This kept the overall design very simple, and easy to clean. A dual power shower, combining a handheld and rainfall heads, was chosen for an invigorating, luxurious shower experience for our guests.
The fittings are of a Victorian style where possible. The wall repair to tile the very uneven surface was done with lime plaster, in keeping with the conservation materials.
What do you hope returning guests will notice when they stay at Batty Langley now?
We hope our returning guests will enjoy the freedom and space now provided to wash as opposed to a small bath many guests were unable to fit into. Guests can wash their hair in the way we are used to. The new sink unit also offers more space than our previous one, as some guests mentioned lack of room for toiletries. These improvements make the property a more attractive option for an extended stay in the area, especially for Batty Langley’s regular repeat guests.
Special mention to Heatwaves NI & Johnny Kerr for their expert handling of the additional and unexpected repair work. We greatly appreciate them arranging additional trades to complete the project on time.
Eager to experience this modern upgrade to a charming cottage? Book your stay at Batty Langley Lodge.