Farm Yards

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An extensive range of buildings set around two yards and built of granite with machined-brick dressings. Nearly all are derelict, the only intact buildings being the two houses (HB16/05/058A and 058B) at the southern end of the range.

Yard 1

The buildings which comprise the yard immediately behind the houses (HB16/05/058A and 058B) are as follows, as viewed from south: (1) along right-hand side is a long two-storey stable block aligned N-S; (2) abutting the entire rear wall is a carriage house (a later addition); (3) to left and ahead is an L shaped block single storey calf house; (4) between the calf house and stables is a midden, enclosed to south by a dressed stone wall; (5) between the middle and stables is a single storey block containing tack rooms.

(1) Stable block

Two-storey stable block with a return into yard at extreme left (as viewed from yard). Roof is gone but appears to have been hipped and natural slated, tied to right into rear pitch of south eastern house (HB16/05/05B). Gutters missing. Walls of snecked random granite fieldstones with fully dressed projecting granite cornice (with hollow soffit).

Main elevation is west facing into yard. Just right of centre is a semicircular headed carriage arch (leading out of yard) with radiating undressed voussoirs. To its right are five openings and to left are five similar openings and the return at extreme left. Right-hand openings are as follows, from right: doorway, infilled to create a window (now blocked up). To its left a flight of external stone steps rise from left to a door at first floor. This flight partially obscures the first of four ground floor window openings to its left. All have granite cills and two paned timber casements, all mesh covered. Over each is an undressed granite relieving arch. To left of coachway at ground floor, from left to right are: an infilled doorway, a window, a door (missing) and two further windows. Window openings as those to right of arch. To first floor, in line with openings below, is a doorway to extreme right (served by steps) and over remaining ground floor openings are single, two paned casements, with wire mesh, dressed cills and no relieving arches over. Those to the left of arch are three paned with additional transoms.

Return to extreme left has walls as main block, with a coach arch (as that to on main block) to ground floor of its west-facing gable. This has been infilled and is now abutted by the calf house (3). Its right cheek has two infilled ground floor windows and is abutted by the gable of the tack rooms (5). To first floor are three window openings, as those on main part of stable block (frames gone). Its left cheek (north facing) is slightly stepped back from the left gable of the stable block and has two ground floor doorways (left one narrower), both with dressed granite jambs and lintels.

The left gable has two ground floor openings. That to left is a pair of two paned casements with concrete cill. To right is a sheeted window opening. At first floor is a sheeted loading door with the remains of a metal cantilevered loading platform to front.

Inside archway walls are as façade and ceiling is boarded with a loading hatch. There is a single doorway to left and one to right; both have stooled granite jambs. That to right has a t+g sheeted door.

The rear of this block is totally abutted by a later carriage house (2); the wall break is clearly visible in the archway.

Right gable of stable block is contiguous with the rear wall of the south east house.

(2) Carriage house

This structure is aligned N-S with its rear wall shared with the stable block. Hipped roof is gone. Coursed, squared granite rubble walls. Eaves are a single course of projecting brick headers. All openings have stepped brick dressings and heads and windows all have dressed granite cills.

Its principle elevation faces east. At centre is a semicircular headed coachway (linking with that on the stables), the head of which is formed by three header courses of machined brick. Centred to ground floor left is a pair of similar but lower arches. To their left and right are single window openings with shallow segmental brick heads. To ground floor right are four arches, as those to left. To first floor are nine windows, in line with openings to ground floor. All are as those to ground floor, but that to extreme left has had its cill lowered to create a loading door.

Left gable of coach house is abutted at ground floor by a single storey block with walls as main block and two windows to east wall (as those to façade). Its south wall is the high garden wall to right of the south east house (HB16/05/058B) and its rear wall (to west) is the house itself.

The right gable of the coach house is abutted by an integral single storey extension; this also abuts the rear wall of the stable block (1). Walls are squared random rubble. Front wall (to east) has a segmental headed window opening. In party wall with carriage house proper is a coach arch as those on façade. Its right gable has a pair of two pained timber casements to left and a timber vent in gable apex.

(3) Calf house

Rectangular in plan with a return at front left (as viewed from south). This block encloses the north and west sides of yard. South and east walls face courtyard, end of return forms a gateway with rear of the return on the south west house (HB16/05/058A), and east end abuts the return of stable block (1). Roof is gone but appears to have been hipped and natural slated with gable to east end.

South elevation (fronting yard) is squared rubble granite brought to courses and a projecting Silurian eaves course. It has four fully dressed arches, reduced to windows by infill. East cheek of return (fronting yard) is as previous wall but with two arches inset. End wall of the return is south facing and has an infilled doorway with segmental brick head. Its left cheek (west wall) is in two stages – at left is the main block and at right the return - both rubble stone brought to courses. The wall break shows the return to be a later addition. The left section is blank. The return, at right, has three modern timber doors, each with brick dressings.

Rear (north facing) elevation is in coursed granite rubble with brick eaves. There is a t+g sheeted door to either extreme end and a third towards the right.

(4) Midden wall

The midden is enclosed to the north and west by the calf house (3), to the east by the tack rooms (5), and by a 1.2m high wall to the south. This wall runs W-E, between the southern end of the calf house, and the southern wall of the tack rooms. It is coursed granite rubble with a fielded rock faced coping. It has a small gateway to west end and a larger central one (gates all gone).

(5) Tack rooms

Single storey block, aligned N-S. Its north wall abuts the return of the stable block (1) and its west wall encloses the midden (4). Roof is gone but appears to have been natural slated, gabled to north and hipped to south.

Walls are snecked granite rubble brought to courses. There are four windows on west wall, all brick dressed with segmental heads and dressed granite cills. South gable is blank. East elevation has three brick dressed doorways.

Yard 2

This yard adjoins yard 1 to its north, being enclosed to south by the rear wall of the calf house and stable return, to the west and east by buildings aligned N-S (No. 6 to east and No. 7 to west), and to north by a dairy (8) which links buildings 6 and 7. In the centre of the yard, with its north gable abutting the dairy, is a hippodrome (9). To the right of the yard are a number of corn stands (10).

(6) Eastern block

Single storey block aligned N-S, enclosing east side of north yard. Roof is gone but appears to have been hipped at south end and gabled to north. Coursed granite rubble walls with timber batten to eaves and machined brick dressings to openings.

West facing wall has three horizontal window openings with segmental brick heads. Each contains a three paned timber casement with granite cill. South wall has partially collapsed at left end. Doorway to left and a large three paned casement to right. This elevation continues to right as a low yard wall, with rock façade copings (which seems to predate the south elevation). This yard wall now supports a derelict lean-to on east elevation.

This lean to has a corrugated metal monopitch roof and strap-pointed granite block walls. It is open to its north side.

East elevation of main part of eastern block is detailed as west, and is abutted by lean-to corrugated shed to left. It has eight openings, four of which are doors. The whole elevation is enclosed by a low wall yard as that to south.

The north elevation of this block is completely abutted by the dairy block (8).

(7) West block

This block is single storey, aligned N-S, enclosing west side of north yard. Roof is gone but seems to have been hipped and natural slated. West wall is granite rubble brought to courses, and there are four brick dressed windows. South wall has a doorway. East wall only fills left third of this elevation (containing a window) and rest may have been the open face of a lean-to shed. North gable abuts the dairy building (8).

(8) Dairy block

Long, single storey block, aligned W-E with canted corners to each end. This block forms the northern enclosure of the yard. Roof is gone but appears to have been hipped and natural slated. Wall to south is coursed rubble and the others are squared granite rubble laid randomly, and with ashlar quoins. All openings are machined brick dressed and windows have dressed granite cills.

The south elevation (facing yard) is abutted to left of centre by the hippodrome (9) and to either end by the west (7) and east (6) blocks. The remaining wall to left of hippodrome has three doorways with single window openings between. The wall to right of hippodrome has a central door with two flanking windows. All these openings have timber lintels. All other openings have chamfered brick reveals and segmental heads.

East elevation has an advanced bay at left and canted corner at right. The left portion abuts the north gable of the eastern block (6) and has a single window opening in its corner, also canted. On its right cheek (facing to north) is a red brick segmental headed doorway. The right-hand portion of the east elevation is blank save for a two-casement window on its cant.

North wall has battened eaves. There is a doorway to left, in line with the infilled doorway on the north wall of hippodrome (9). To either side of this is a window opening with segmental brick head. There are two similar windows to extreme right. This elevation is enclosed to front by a low which rises from two courses at left and four to right and has an embattled granite coping.

West gable of dairy block is abutted by a single storey two-stage return which projects beyond the west elevation of the west block (7). The remaining wall has a doorway to left. Return roof is gone but there is a red brick chimney on party wall between first and second bays. The first stage of return has a door and window on left cheek (to north) and a gableted door on right cheek. The second stage is wider than the first and with canted corners (forming an octagon internally); it advances left leaving a portion of blank wall to right. Its end wall is canted with a window in each cheek, and its advanced left cheek is similarly canted with a door and window. This thus creates a 3/4 octagon. Its right cheek is blank. The brick openings of this return have stop-end chamfered reveals.

(9) Hippodrome
Horse training shed aligned N-S. Roof is pitched (all slate gone) and supported on common rafters and pairs of purlins over seven metal trusses (cast- and wrought iron). Overhanging eaves have decorative cut rafter tails. No rainwater goods.

South gable is random rubble granite with a shallow buttress to left and right corners. At ground floor centre is a door with granite jambs and segmental brick head. In gable over is an occulus with a two-course brick-header dressing. The north gable (abutting dairy) is identical, door is infilled and occulus retains part of its spoked glazed window.

East and west walls are identical. Each has a 1.5m high wall supporting seven octagonal, truncated cast iron colonettes, creating eight bays. The third bay from each end is open for access. The span between the colonettes is filled with vertical timber sheeting (with sliding slats behind to regulate ventilation). Beams along eaves are stop-chamfered between each colonette.

(10) Corn stands

Just east of the carriage house (2) are the remains of at least six circular corn stands (there may be more buried in the dense undergrowth). They are 3.5m in diameter by c.55cm high and are of rendered brick.

Historical information

1834 OS map shows buildings around the all four sides of yard 1 only. The existing stable block (HB16/05/058C Building 1) and calf houses (HB16/05/058C Building 3) may be amongst these buildings. The 1858 map depiction is similar, but the south-west corner of the yard is now infilled. The 1901 map shows the yard 1 in its present form (including tack room, HB16/05/058C Building 5), and also yard 2. Judging by the use of machined brick in the two houses along the south of yard 1, there was a major rebuilding phase during the second half of the 19th century. The two houses (HB16/05/058Aand HB16/05/058B) appear to have been erected at this time, the carriage house (HB16/05/058C Building 2) added to the east side of the stable block and the tack room (HB16/05/058C Building 5) to its top left side. All the yard 2 buildings are of later 19th century date. All the roof slates were stripped from the outbuildings a few years ago.

Primary sources:
1. PRONI - OS 6/3/55/1 (1834 OS map) (Down sheet 55).
2. PRONI - OS 6/3/55/2 (1858 OS map) (Down sheet 55).
3. PRONI - OS 6/3/55/3 (1901 OS map) (Down sheet 55).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

This ‘model farm’ is of special interest in terms of its association with Mourne Park demesne, in which it played a key economic role. The hippodrome is of special interest in terms of its construction (truss room and walls) and scarcity.