Fathom House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An early 18thC symmetrical two-storey house (+ basement) house, aligned NW-SE on the W side of Fathom Line.

A steeply pitched natural slate roof with two cement rendered chimneys with stepped copings and square-in-section pots - one to each gable. An advanced rendered eaves course supports the remains of half-round metal gutters - downpipes are gone. Skylight to rear pitch. All walls are cement rendered.

Principal elevation faces NE. Centrally located entrance with an impressive flight of semi-circular granite steps rising to the painted stone doorcase. It has a pair of moulded pilasters with foliated console brackets supporting a plain entablature, set within is a timber six-panelled door with bolection moulding (top two panels are smaller) and decorative cast-iron lion’s-head knocker. Over is a narrow transom. The nine steeply rising granite steps sweep sharply outwards and have a dwarf wall to either side, once supporting wrought iron railings which remain at threshold only. Steps have a brick soffit, beneath which is a small opening.

At basement, to either side of steps, is a metal-framed top hung casement with granite cill (at ground level). Aligned above, to ground floor, are exposed box 1/1 sliding sash windows with horns. To first floor, in line with ground floor openings are three windows, as before, but diminished in height.

Left gable has a 1/3 metal framed casement window to basement. There are four windows to ground floor. All are 6/6 sliding sashes without horns, except that to extreme right, which now leads to a modern conservatory which is raised on a cement rendered plinth. First floor has two 1/1 sliding sashes (with larger top pane) at left end. To right end, set at a higher level is a timber casement. All windows have granite cills.

Rear elevation is built into the hillside and is accessed by a narrow passage. To centre of basement level is a glazed timber door. To either side is a boarded window with granite cill. Above door is a 6/6 sliding sash retaining its original crown glass with bullseye. A large modern metal flue to left end.

Right gable has three openings to basement; at centre a t+g sheeted door accessed down a number of granite steps and enclosed by a granite wall with saddle coping. To either side is a window with cills at ground level, (that to right is covered with sacking). Ground floor and first floor each have four equally spaced windows. Those to first floor are diminished in height.

Setting:
The house is sited in the hillside overlooking the Newry River and Canal. It is set within the maturely planted Fathom Park; with ruinous stable block, stream, salmon hatchery and Belvedere (HB16/13/029). Elevated gardens to rear and right of house are accessed by a set of S-shaped (twelve) granite steps enclosed within a rubble stone wall. To right of house is a lime rendered brick well, not almost completely covered in vegetation. The house is accessed by a pair of wrought-iron gates with scrolled heads, supported on one-piece granite piers with chamfered corners (that to right has collapsed).

Historical information

This house was built by the Needhams, Earls of Kilmorey, with title deeds suggesting it dates from 1732. The house is said locally to have originally served as an agent's residence; the high turnover of occupants (see below) is unusual and suggests that it may well have served some kind of estate-related function.

The building was known as 'Fathom Lodge' from at least 1776. In September of that year a Richard Vincent appears to have been living there, but the property is marked ‘Ogle Esq.’ of Taylor and Skinner’s road map of the following year. Vincent was in residence in August 1781, but had been succeeded by John Ogle Jnr. by 1784. Vincent returned some time before June 1787, but William Lane is noted as the occupant in late 1790, with John Ogle back there again in 1810. Richard Benson is mentioned in conjunction with the site in a document of 1814, although John Ogle had seemingly returned once again by 1817. Benson appears to have been in permanent residence from at least 1826, by which time the property had become known as 'Fathom Park'.

The house, still occupied by Richard Benson, is noted in the first Valuation book of c.1835 as measuring 44ft 6in x 43ft x 18ft; with a 7ft 6in high cellar and a return measuring 10ft 6in x 21ft x 16ft. These statistics accord with those given in the 1862 Valuation when the premises are occupied by Isaac Glenny, a Newry merchant and miller. It was vacated by the Glenny family in 1878 and reoccupied by the Bensons. One Thompson Cooke takes over in 1880. The Valuation revision book of 1888 notes: "This house is now occupied by a farmer and the valuation is much too high, the house being too large for the farm". Its rateable valuation was accordingly reduced to £18, then to £16.15s.0d in 1888, £14.15s.0d in 1894, and to £8 in 1895 when the house is noted as "very much out of repair".

The roof of the building was altered at some point, probably in the late 1800s or early 1900s, the original double-pile profile replaced with the present single-gabled structure

Following a Local District Council decision to allocate this name to a new housing estate, its name was changed to Fathom House.
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Primary sources:
1. PRONI D623/A/43/38 (1776)
2. ‘Taylor and Skinner’s maps of the roads of Ireland’, (Dublin, 1777)
3. ‘Belfast News-Letter’, 26-29 June, 10-14 Aug 1781, 5-9 Nov 1784, 19-22 June 1787, 29 Oct-2 Nov 1790
4. PRONI D562/1983-84 (1784)
5. PRONI LPC/604 (1810)
6. T2519/4/1501 (1814)
7. PRONI D1928/L/139/4 (1817)
8. PRONI OS 6/2/29/1 (1835)
9. PRONI VAL 1B/246A, p.98 (1835)
10. PRONI OS 6/2/29/2 (1862)
11. PRONI VAL 2B/2/39A (1862)
12. PRONI VAL 12B/15/1D, p.90; /1F, p.87; /1H, p.88 (1878-95)

Secondary sources:
1. Brett, C.E.B., ‘Buildings of County Armagh’, p.142, UAHS, Belfast, 1999

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A well proportioned, early 18thC symmetrical house, occupying a magnificent maturely planted site overlooking the Newry river/ canal. The interior is believed to be little altered, retaining most of the original features. Along with its ruinous stable block and belvedere (HB16/13/029) it forms a pleasing and important architectural group.

General comments

**Under consideration: awaiting additional information** 30th March 2004