Galgorm Collection plans to bring original Georgian Roe Park House entrance back to life

Concept drawing of Roe Park House demonstrating how the property would look if Galgorm Collection planning proposal approved.

Galgorm Collection’s multi-million-pound transformation of Roe Valley Resort has taken another visible step forward, with plans submitted to restore the original Georgian entrance of historic Roe Park House.

A Listed Building Consent application has been lodged with Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council seeking approval to reinstate the former main entrance of the Grade B2-listed 18th-century country house at the heart of the Limavady resort.

The proposals form part of Galgorm Collection’s wider vision for the site following its recent acquisition of Roe Valley Resort, with the hospitality group already outlining plans for a multi-million-pound investment programme to transform the well-known destination.

At the centre of the latest application is the restoration of the original formal entrance to Roe Park House — a defining architectural feature of the late Georgian property which planning documents say had, over time, been reduced to functioning as “essentially a fire escape”.

The heritage statement submitted with the application says the purpose of the works is to “restore the prominence of the former main entrance and front rooms of the Georgian house”.

It adds: “This scheme aims to re-establish this as the primary formal guest entrance to a new reception area, reinstating its significance which has been lost due to previous interventions.”

Set in countryside immediately west of Limavady, the historic house occupies a striking position within the wider resort grounds, enjoying what heritage documents describe as an “uninterrupted panorama” across the River Roe towards Limavady, with the dramatic outlines of Benevenagh, Keady, Donal’s Hill and Benbradagh visible in the distance.

That landscape setting is highlighted as one of the enduring heritage strengths of the building, despite its integration into the modern hotel complex.

The Department for Communities’ Listed Buildings Database notes that the late Georgian Roe Park House has been “almost swallowed up” by later luxury hotel development, with the simplicity of the original house increasingly immersed within the wider functions of the modern resort.

However, it also notes that the most prominent front section of the house has been successfully retained, including the long two-storey elevation and the semi-circular projecting bay which originally formed the main entrance.

Under the latest plans, a large Georgian-style hardwood entrance door with matching ironmongery would be installed at the original front elevation.

Low painted rendered boundary walls and curved pillars are also proposed to frame the entrance and reinforce its sense of formality and arrival.

Internally, the application proposes the creation of a new reception and guest arrivals area through the formation of two new openings to the left and right of the entrance.

These openings have been designed with new architrave profiles and heights aligned with the existing front door to ensure the historic proportions and architectural relationship of the entrance are maintained.

Further internal works include the reinstatement of a fireplace within an existing chimney breast in the lounge to the left-hand side of the entrance hall.

Planning documents state that a reclaimed or reproduction Georgian-style fireplace will be used to restore the warmth and period character of the original country house.

The statement says the wider aim is to “enhance flow of hotel guests and reconnect the user with the historic areas of Roe Park House”.

The proposal is considered compliant with Policy BH8 relating to the alteration of listed buildings, with the design statement concluding that the heritage impact is minor and outweighed by the long-term preservation benefits.

It adds that the works will help protect the special architectural and historic interest of the building while enhancing the appeal of Roe Valley Resort and contributing positively to tourism and the local economy.

For readers familiar with the site, the plans offer one of the clearest early signs of how Galgorm Collection’s investment could reshape the resort — not simply through modern upgrades, but by restoring prominence to one of its most distinctive historic features.