Historic Buildings Record · Northern Ireland
Entrance to Dunnywater
Mullartown, Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland
The record
- Designation
- Listed building, Grade B2
- Grade
- B2
- Type
- Gates/ Screens/ Lodges
- Date of listing
- 15 March 1996
- Date of construction
- 1900 - 1919
- Address
- Entrance to Dunnywater, Head Road, Annalong, Newry, Co Down, BT34 4RR
- Townland
- Mullartown
- Council
- Newry, Mourne and Down
- Country
- Northern Ireland
- Coordinates
- 54.13168, -5.92340
- Date of survey
- 17 June 1997
- HB reference
- HB16/01/028
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesNational Library of Scotland
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1888 "OS 1:10,560 County Series 1888-1913" (National Library of Scotland).
The Department's description
Exterior description and setting
This. the main entrance to the Belfast & District Water Commissioners’ Dunnywater waterworks comprises a set of double carriage gates set between granite piers and a small pedestrian gate to their immediate left (as viewed from outside).
The piers are of regularly coursed quarry-faced ashlar granite on chamfered pedestals and are embellished with finely dressed quoins, two corbel courses around their tops and with tall pyramidal tops surmounted by square finials (with chamfered corners).
The screen to the left of the pedestrian gate is of squared granite rubble with a crenellated coping terminating in a pier identical to those at the main gates. The screen to the right of the main entrance is similarly constructed and curves round towards the road to terminate in a fourth pier of similar appearance to the others.
Running way from the screens piers are roughly dressed drystone granite walls.
Both the vehicular and pedestrian gates are of red-painted wrought-iron vertical bars terminating in arrowhead spikes. Alternate bars rise to dog bar level and terminate in cast iron fretted quatrefoil and arrowhead spikes.Two diagonal bars held in place with a rosette strenthen the lower half of each gate.
Historical information
This entrance, along with the nearby Water Superintendent's house (HB16/01/029), was constructed in 1900 by P. Mc Aleenan, a Castlewellan building contractor, for the Belfast City & District Water Commissioners. The original drawings, by L.L Macassey, Engineer to the BCDWC, show the piers to be 6ft (1.8m) square, 21ft 6in (6.6m) in overall height, and the main gates to be set 16ft (4.9m) apart. The entrance to the Silent Valley was intended to be similar, but this was not executed.
Primary Sources:
1. DOE Water Service, Westland House, Old Westland Road, Belfast-drawing 3A26.
2. PRONI-BCDWC Works Committee minutes 22 May 1899, 6 Nov 1899 (WAT1/3AC/2).
Criteria for listing: architectural interest
A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
K. Group value
Criteria for listing: historic interest
V. Authorship
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
Evaluation
The style, proportion and embellishment of these gates give them definite architectural quality and character. They are of historical interest in being associated with the first phase of the Mourne Scheme (Belfast’s water supply). They also have group value in being one of a number of water-related structures in Dunnywater.
Nearby in the register
- Water Superintendent’s houseHouseunder 1 mi
- Dunnywater BridgeBridgeunder 1 mi
- Mixing WellsWater Works Structuresunder 1 mi
- AqueductWater Works Structuresunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.