About
To celebrate European Heritage Open Days 2025, Triumphal Arch Lodge on the Colebrooke Estate will be open on Sunday 14th September from 10:00 to 16:00. This is a free event offering a look at a striking neo-Classical gateway, originally built to impress visitors to the estate. Nestled beside a forest drive, the lodge is a fine example of symmetry, stonework, and sensitive restoration.
Visitors have the opportunity to see the conservation work of Irish Landmark trust while enjoying a self-guided tour of the restored gatelodge. Built circa 1830 to echo the grand style of the main house, the lodge is approached through a magnificent triple arched gateway and is now available as holiday accommodation.
Irish Landmark Trust is a non-profit organisation that finds interesting and unusual properties that are in need of conservation, and gives them a sustainable new life.
Since 1992, we’ve been turning historic buildings into truly special self-catering holiday accommodation. Our properties range from lighthouses and schoolhouses to castles and gate lodges. The Triumphal Arch Lodge is a Grade B Listed Building and is part of the Colebrooke Estate.
The estate has a long history dating back to the 1640’s when a large portion of confiscated land at Brookeborough was given to the Brooke family as a reward for services during the 1641 rebellion. The estate has remained in the Brooke family ever since and has been home to many notable military and public figures including Field Marshal Viscount Alan Brooke and Northern Ireland Prime Minister Basil Brooke, 1943 –1963. In 1786 the post Chaise Companion described Colebrooke as “a very fine and delightful seat” but Sir Henry Brooke had grand plans for this wooded demesne and from 1819 the eminent Dublin architect William Farrell was commissioned to redesign the main house, park and estate buildings including this gatelodge with an ambitious entrance arch.
The gatelodge and Triumphal Arch entrance were designed to complement the great house beyond and make an impressive approach to the estate. Farrell’s Triumphal Entrance of circa 1830 is a statement in the grand manner. It is built of yellow ashlar sandstone with a semi circular headed central arch and a secondary arch on either side.
Behind this entrance lies the lodge built in the same style but, compared to the archway, with cheaper materials. The stuccoed brickwork has moulded Tuscan pilasters that echo those of the Triumphal Arch. It is a single storey building on a “T” shaped plan that has been sympathetically restored to sleep 4 people in great comfort.
Book Tickets
Guide Prices
| Ticket Type | Ticket Tariff |
|---|---|
| EHOD | Free |
Note: Prices are a guide only and may change on a daily basis.
