8 Killowen Village

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A terrace of three one-storey houses, now converted into one house, just above the shoreline on the east side of Killowen village. It is six openings wide and probably has three rooms and hallway internally. Pitched natural slate roof with half-round metal gutters. Four rendered chimneys, two of which are on the gables. White-painted lined cement rendered walls (undoubtedly over random rubble masonry).

The main elevation faces south to sea. Projecting gabled porch at centre contains a modern four-panel raised and fielded door; electric light in apex. Each cheek has a two-paned window. Two windows to wall of main block on left, and three to right; all are 2/2 sliding sashes with exposed black-painted boxes and painted granite cills.

The left gable is abutted by a small lean-to shed (now a coal store) with corrugated asbestos roof. The right gable is blank.

The north elevation (to the mountain) has a one-storey kitchen return at centre (probably a relatively modern addition). Partly-glazed door in left cheek of this return and a modern 1/1 top-opening window. A modern concrete porch protects the door. End wall of return is blank. Right cheek has an identical window to that on left cheek. There are two 2/2 sashes on main block to left and to right of this return.

Small garden to front with hedge and rendered, whitewashed wall. Small wrought-iron gate hung on two low square masonry posts.

A one-storey shed abuts coal store at left and is aligned at right angles to house. Pitched natural slate roof with cement verges to front. Walls of whitewashed random rubble. End gable to sea has a pair of painted t+g doors. Small door along side wall facing east to front garden. North gable has small window and also an abutting lean-to shed with door to/from back yard. West wall is blank.

At right-hand end of garden is a similar one-storey building, also aligned at right angles to the house. Roof partly repaired with artificial slates. Seaward gable abutted by a low shed. East wall has two entrances to farmyard. Remaining walls blank.

Historical information

A Waterguard Station is shown at Killowen on the 1834 OS 6” map, but this relates to a complex of three houses west of the one under consideration. It was an adjunct to a station at Cranfield Point (south of Kilkeel). A building at the location under review is cited as ‘Coastguard Station’ on the 1861 OS map. The 1863 Valuation notes the middle and right-hand sections of this block as being dwellings, and the left section as a coastguard watch house and boathouse. In 1868, six men and a chief boatman were stationed here. Coastguard use appears to have ceased around 1889, as it is no longer cited under this use in the Valuation of that year. No station is cited on the 1901 OS map.

Primary sources:
1. PRONI: OS 6/3/54/1(1834 OS map) (Down sheet 54).
2. PRONI: OS 6/3/54/2 (1861 OS map) (Down sheet 54).
3. PRONI: OS 6/3/54/3 (1901 OS map) (Down sheet 54).
4. PRONI VAL 1B/ 361, p.122.
5. PRONI- VAL 2B/3/16A, p.48 (1863 valuation).
6. PRONI- VAL 12B/19/15C, p.56 (1889 valuation).

Secondary Sources:
1. Day A. 'Ordnance Survey Memoir of County Down, Kilbroney Parish (1836)'.
2. Denis Mayne, ‘19th century coastguard stations in Mourne’, in 12 Miles of Mourne, vol.7: (1996) p.27.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Primarily of historical interest, this shore-sited complex is lost some of its original character through conversion to a single dwelling and subsequent upgrading.