Manor Court House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A Gothic revival manor court house (with tower and entrance porch) and abutting two-storey dwelling, all aligned W-E on the N side of Ballagh Road. The ‘tail’ of the T (bay 1) is single storey; the cross gable (bay 2), which comprises the house, is two-storey.

Pitched natural slate roof with a large cement coped brick chimney set perpendicular to ridge of cross gable at centre (the style of brick suggests a modern rebuild) of he chimneys. Eaves are overhanging with exposed rafter tails and decorative scalloped timber bargeboards to all gables. Rainwater goods are half-round metal. Walls are lime rendered over rubble stone. Most windows are presently boarded over (details are included where possible) and have flush sandstone cills. Some openings have rendered brick heads or relieving arches.

Principal elevation faces S. Bay 1 has a 2/4 top-hung casement window to left. The tower abuts to its immediate right. There is a string course around the top of stage one (above which it is free standing). The tower is detailed as main block with a pyramidal natural slate roof supported on four stone brackets to each side. All openings are arrow-loop windows with dressed stone jambs, heads and flush cills. S (front) elevation has a window at each stage. W elevation has a window to stages two and three only. N elevation has a window opening to stage three. E elevation is abutted to stage one by the entrance porch (see later); it has a window opening to stage three. The entrance porch is set in the angle of the tower and main block. It has a pitched natural slate roof and is detailed as main block. S face has a Tudor-headed V-t+g sheeted door to centre, with decorative strap hinges. Right cheek has a tall window opening infilled with concrete blocks. Left cheek abuts tower and rear abuts main block. To right of porch is a large 2x2 top-hung casement window. The projecting cross gable has a window to each floor; that to ground floor is landscape format; that to first floor is similar but is slightly diminished in width.

Left gable of bay 1 has a projecting bay to centre with a lean-to natural slate roof (sloping to W) and decorative bargeboards as house. It has three tall windows to front face and one to each cheek, all separated by thick finely dressed sandstone mullions and with a continuous flush stone cill. Above is a stone plaque reading ‘Armagh / Manor / Court House / 1853’.

Rear elevation is abutted to extreme right by the remains of a lean-to outbuilding (see later). To immediate left of the outbuilding is a 1/2 top-hung casement window with projecting stone cill. The projecting cross gable of the dwelling (at left) has a pair of 3x3 fixed pane windows with central timber mullion and common stone cill to first floor. The projecting section of its right cheek has a t+g sheeted door. The outbuilding is roofless (formerly with a monopitched roof sloping to E) and has rubble stone walls. It comprises two bays, each with a door opening to E face.

E elevation is abutted by a projecting gabled porch to centre, all detailed as before. Front face has a Tudor headed door as façade; right and left cheeks each have a tall window infilled with concrete blocks and with flush stone cills. To either side of porch is a large window; that to left is boarded with t+g sheeting, that to right with corrugated metal.

Setting:
To rear is a small yard enclosed by the main block, outbuildings and a high rubble stone wall at rear. Beyond is an elevated wooded area. The building is maturely planted all around and is enclosed from the road by a thick hedge. A small wrought-iron gate with fleur-de-lys finials and dog-bars supported on square-in-section cement-rendered gate piers with pyramidal stone caps provides access to the site.

Historical information

Datestone attests to erection in 1853. It was built by James Haire of nearby Armagh Manor. Cited as ‘court house’ in the 1859 OS 6” map. Recorded as ‘church school house’ in the published second valuation book (1862, but compiled 1860). Cited as ‘Ballagh Ch’ on 1906-07 OS map, suggesting that it was also used for a time as a place of worship.

Primary sources:
1. Datestone.
2. OS map, 2nd edition 1859, Co Fermanagh 35.
3. Second valuation book, Co Fermanagh, Lisnaskea Union, p.163.
4. OS map, 3rd edition 1906-07, Co Fermanagh 35.

Secondary sources:
1. A. Rowan, ‘North West Ulster’ (Harmondsworth, 1979), p.236.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

An imposing roadside Gothic Court House with many original features remaining intact. Along with the nearby Ballagh Cottages (HB12/01/040) and Estate Cottages (HB12/10/042), the building forms part of a striking and coherent group associated with the nearby Armagh Manor estate.