Saw Mill at Killymoon Castle

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey, three-bay, gabled and slated building partly built into a slope to provide a ramp to a first floor doorway at one end.

It stands within the demesne of Killymoon Castle beside a stream against a backdrop of mature trees.

Walling is rubble stone with ashlar sandstone detailing and quoins. The roof is of Bangor blue slates in regular courses. Rainwater goods are of cast iron.

The main entrance faces approximately south. The south elevation is symmetrical, of two storeys, with one window to each side of a central entrance. Walling is rubble stone with ashlar sandstone detailing to the entrance arch and ground floor windows, platband at ground floor window head level, quoins to corners and a moulded eaves course. Windows are modern replacement rectangular timber fixed lights with top-hung vents with no original window frames surviving. Those to the first floor are set in smooth rendered reveals. The entrance is a rectangular opening without a door surmounted by a semi-circular arch with blocky voussoirs and keystone.

The west elevation is comprised only of the upper storey of the gable, the lower storey being embedded in the hillside or ramp of earth to provide an approach to its central opening. Walling is as before with red brickwork to the apex of the gable. There are ashlar sandstone quoins carrying a short return of the moulded sandstone cornices from the front and rear elevations. The entrance contains a pair of rectangular timber doors surmounted by a semi-circular wooden trellis-work tympanum, all set in ashlar surrounds as before with a semi-circular red brick arch over. The doors are partly blocked up with corrugated iron sheeting. Barge boards are of timber.

The north or rear elevation is of two-storeys, of stonework, with roof slated as previous and rainwater goods as previous, but damaged.

The east elevation is of two-storeys and an attic, with a buttress extending from the right hand side. Walling is of rubble stonework up to eaves level, with sandstone quoins to the left hand; the attic storey of the gable is of exposed brickwork, with rough cement rendered copings. The buttress is of rubble stonework and incorporates a segmental arch at its base to span a small stream along the rear elevation. There is an unglazed rectangular opening in the apex of the gable; a closed up rectangular window opening in each of the two main floors; and evidence of other rectangular openings in the ground floor, now walled up.

SETTING: The area immediately in front of the building is a hard standing, with a similarly compacted driveway leading up the ramp to the west doorway. To the rear the ground is overgrown with shrubs and trees.

Historical information

The precise date of building is not recorded but it appears on the OS map of 1833-4. Stylistically it may be dated to the mid-to-late 18th century, and was part of the 18th century development of the Killymoon estate by the Stewart family, before the building of the present Killymoon Castle.

References - Primary Sources
1. OS Map of 1833-4.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A two-storey, three-bay, gabled and slated stone building. This is a nicely proportioned building of around mid-18th century date in a simple classical style with characteristic dressed stone features and an imposing arched main entrance with voussoirs. It is of special interest as a classically composed element of the estate and as an integral part of an important demesne. Together with Killymoon Castle, its 18th century outbuildings and the various other estate structures, it forms a significant group of buildings associated with a substantial family from an early date until the first part of the Twentieth century..

General comments

This record has been renumbered from HB09/05/001 A