Seafield

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

One and half storey/ three bay double-pile house, south facing in a small mature garden, with outhouses to rear.

Double pitched natural slate roof with concrete-coped verges with three large triangular gabled dormers rising from eaves on front pitch. Each dormer has a plain painted timber bargeboard and truncated timber finial. Rear pitch of front block has a single skylight. Chimney on each end gable, both painted smooth render with a pair of square stacks set at 45 degrees (each with a single yellow clay pot). Rainwater goods are ogee cast-iron with painted metal down pipes. All walls are painted cement dash over a smooth painted chamfered cement basecourse.

Front door is set to central bay of facade and is plastic with double glazed sidelights and segmental fanlight. All are set within a semi-elliptical headed opening with smooth render reveals with facade wall instepping to form apron below each side light.

All windows, unless otherwise stated, are plastic 1/1 top-hung casements with integrated 6/6 glazing bars. All have narrow painted concrete cills. There is one to left bay and two to right bay. There is one to each dormer with cill level running just below eaves.

Left gable has a single window at ground floor left. The right gable is blank.

The rear pile abuts left and middle bays of back wall of front block (as viewed from the rear). Exposed section of main block blank.

The rear pile has a pitched, concrete-coped natural slate roof with a chimney (as those to front block) to each end. Its walls are as main block. Its back wall is abutted at left by a mono-pitched return with natural slate roof and also at centre by a single storey flat roofed kitchen extension. This wall has two top hung plastic windows to centre at eaves level (with cills just over extension roof). At ground floor, to right of extension, is a window as those to facade (but smaller). To left of extension, at head of narrow passage with rear return, is a single plastic window. Left gable of this pile (as viewed from rear) has a modern 6/6 window to each floor. Right gable is devoid of openings. It is abutted by a small wet-dashed store with flat concrete roof and is accessed from the rear kitchen.

Walls of return are dashed as rest of house. This block contains outside toilets with sheeted doors. End gable of return has a small metal window. Its left cheek has a small four paned window at ground floor left.

Kitchen extension has a modern picture window on right cheek and a similar window and a door on its rear wall.

To rear is a farmyard with whitewashed outbuildings. Front and side gardens are small and mature with decorative beds and shrubs. Garden is accessed from lane by a wide wrought iron gate with cast iron posts, and also contains a plain granite sundial with bronze face and gnomon.

Historical information

Once the residence of Lord Russell of Killowen (Lord Chief Justice of England). Occupied in 1819 by Joseph Nicholson, farmer. Described in 1838 valuation as 32ft c 21ft x 13ft 6in high and owner given as James Small. In the same year, Arthur Russell, a Newry brewer moved here with his family, and Charles (later Lord Killowen, Lord Chief Justice of England), was brought up. The family returned to Newry in 1845. House described in 1863 Valuation as “a very neat little concern and good marine view”.

Sources:
1. PRONI - VAL 1B/ 361(1838 map)
2. PRONI- VAL 2B/3/61A, (1838 valuation) p.33.

Secondary Sources:
1. T. Bradshaw 'Newry Directory' (1819).
2. R.B. O’Brien, The life of Lord Russell of Killowen, p.21 et seq. (London 1901).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Although of some historical interest on account of its connection with Lord Russell, this building now retains few original features either internally or externally.