Barons Court Farm, Baronscourt Road, Newtownstewart, BT78 4EZ

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Range of multi-bay two-storey farm buildings, built c.1860, located to the east side of Baronscourt Road. Each building is rectangular-on-plan fully enclosing square courtyard to centre (now infilled).

Roofs are pitched corrugated asbestos with asbestos ridge tiles. Walls are squared-and-snecked rubble with ashlar sandstone quoins. Windows are square-headed metal-framed casements to east elevation; replacement timber-framed multi-paned fixed lights elsewhere; all have stepped sandstone surrounds and projecting sandstone sills.

East block; east elevation contains six segmental-headed carriage-arches (partially blocked) with sandstone surrounds flanked at left by two windows and at right by four windows; eleven windows at first floor. North and south elevations are abutted by larger projecting gabled buildings. West elevation is abutted by later infill.

South block; south elevation is abutted by later shed; exposed section at left is blank. West gable contains segmental-headed carriage-arch with sandstone voussoirs. North elevation is abutted at left by west block and at centre by infill and east block; exposed section at right contains segmental-headed carriage-arch with sandstone voussoirs and window opening (both now blocked). East gable is largely rebuilt above eaves level and contains large square-headed opening accessed at first floor level.

West block; west elevation contains, at ground floor left, two windows, at right, two large square-headed openings; eight windows (now blocked) at first floor. North and south elevations abutted by east and west blocks. East elevation is abutted by infill.

North block consists of two-storey bay at right abutted at left by two-and-a-half-storey left bay. Left bay contains, at ground floor, three square-headed openings at centre flanked at left by single window and at right by segmental-headed carriage-arch with rebated square-headed opening within; each surmounted by loop-hole opening with sandstone surround at first floor. Right bay contains large square-headed rebated opening at centre with double-leaf corrugated metal sliding doors flanked at left by single window and at right by two windows; each surmounted by loop-hole opening with sandstone surround at first floor. East gable contains window at ground floor surmonted by square-headed opening at first floor. South elevation is abutted at centre by west block, infill and east block; exposed secion at left is blank; exposed section at right contains window opening at ground floor (now blocked). West gable contains vertically-sheeted door in sandstone surround and window at ground floor; large square-headed opening containing timber screen at first floor.

Set within farmyard with access from concrete lane at north, bounded to west by hedging and east by timber fence; curved rendered boundary wall directly to north of range. Attached double-height corrugated metal shed with barrelled roof to south. Further recent farm sheds to north and west include mono-pitched rubble buildings, rendered offices and corrugated storage sheds.

Roof Corrugated asbestos
Walling Squared-and-snecked rubble
Windows Metal casements to east; timber-framed fixed glazing elsewhere
Rainwater goods Steel half-round gutters and round downpipes

Historical information

Buildings first appear on the site on the third edition Ordnance Survey map of 1905 captioned ‘New Farm’ (an ‘Old Farm’ appears further to the west). On the fourth edition (1939-51) the buildings are captioned ‘Barons Court Farm’.

The buildings are first listed in valuation records in 1864, the Marquis of Abercorn being the occupier in fee. The ‘farm offices’ are valued at £37 and a plan is drawn in the margin of the fieldbook showing a central single storey area captioned ‘cattle stalls’ surrounded by two and two and a half storey areas. In 1911 a ‘steward’s house and small garden’ valued at £6 is added to the site (now ruined) and a note reads, ‘Robert Hugh Kinlough occupies house’. A plan and dimensions for the house are given in an accompanying notebook.

Valuers notes from 1934-1957 give details of the building’s use as a creamery, including quantities of milk produced and to whom it was supplied.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/25/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1905)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/25/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1939-51)
3. PRONI VAL/12/A/6/54 – Valuers’ Note Book (1911-1918)
4. PRONI VAL/12B/35/9A-F – Valuation Revisions (1860-1929)
5. PRONI VAL/3D/7/10E/1 – Valuers’ RV Binder (1933-57)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A range of multi-bay two-storey stone farm buildings, built c.1860, located to the east side of Baronscourt Road, which have group value with the rest of the Baronscourt Estate. The range retains some of its original character externally, retaining proportions of the facades and original layout. However the central portion has been infilled with concrete columns and twentieth century steel trusses. These changes, the addition of a corrugated asbestos roof throughout, and the erection of some modern agricultural sheds close to the original buildings have degraded the complex's character.