Farmyard

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two-storey, ‘C’-shaped rubble-built farm building, built to serve the adjoining Forkhill House, and as such possibly dating from c.1780. The farmyard is located immediately to the north of the remaining section of Forkhill House and is attached to the house itself with screen walls.

The (farmyard-facing) front of the building faces SSW, however, for the purposes of the description SSW will be referred to as S and all other compass points will follow from this.

The S (farmyard) face of the building has four openings to the ground floor, two pedestrian doors with sheeted timber doors and two windows both of which are boarded. To the first floor, and directly in line with the ground floor openings, there are four smaller window openings with fixed timber ventilation louvers.

To the left side of the E (farmyard) face there is a modern (c.1960s) concrete outside stair. To the left of this there is a barred window opening while to the right there is an elliptical-arched carriage doorway with sheeted timber double door. To the right of this there is a narrow window opening with a modern steel frame. To the right there is a further elliptical arched carriage door which has been partially bricked up. Within this ‘opening’ there is a small pedestrian door while the uppermost (arched) portion is timber sheeted with a small rectangular opening. To the far right there is a small timber sheeted pedestrian door with a square vision panel. At first floor, at the head of the outside stair, there is a small timber sheeted hayloft door. There are five window openings of varying size to the first floor, each with fixed timber louvers; one window is situated to the left of the stair while the remaining four are to the right. To the far right there is a further smaller window opening with a 2 over 2 timber sash frame.

To the left side of the S face there is an opening to far left with a pedestrian doorway and latticed paned window. To the right of centre there is a large flat-arched carriage opening with a timber lintel, but no door (or frame). To the right of this is a small semicircular-arched pedestrian doorway with a sheeted timber door. To the far right there is a taller pedestrian doorway with timber sheeted door and a plain fanlight. To the first floor there are three evenly spaced window openings with six over six timber sash frames. To the far right there is a smaller window opening with a louvred frame. The far right of this section appears to be a later addition and is flat-roofed.

To the first floor of the N ‘outer’ face of the building there are two frameless window openings. Attached to this face of the building there is a large single-storey rubble-built gabled structure, now roofless and seemingly used as an open yard. To the SW there is a small two storey offshoot; this has a pedestrian doorway to the ground floor and a window opening, both of which are much overgrown. Adjacent to this (on the W face) is another doorway. The remainder of the outer faces are devoid of openings.

The inner faces of the building are whitewashed, the outer faces are bare rubble.

The roof appears to have originally been hipped. A portion of the southern range has been rebuilt and now incorporates a gable. The roof is covered with blue black natural slate, with a small rendered chimneystack to the S. Mixture of uPVC and cast iron rain water goods.

The southern range is connected to the side of the main house with a tall screen wall which incorporates a Tudor-arched opening (formed in brick). This opening has a modern wrought-iron domestic-scaled gate. The eastern side of the courtyard is mainly enclosed with a tall stone wall; this has a now blocked tall Gothic arched opening. The remainder of this side of the courtyard is secured with modern farm gates. The surface of the yard is covered with cobblestones.

Historical information

Forkhill House was erected for Richard Jackson (who endowed many schools in the area) around 1780, along with the farmyard. Described in the 1836 Valuation book as being occupied by John Foxhall; the house’s dimensions are 52ft x 42ft 6in x 29ft, with an 8ft 6in high cellar under.

George Bassett, writing in 1888, noted that Capt Granville Alexander, "an extensive property owner here, has lately spent from £6000 to £7000 improving his fine residence, Forkhill House. The demesne is open to the public, and is much frequented by excursion and picnic parties. A trout lake, containing between eight and ten acres, romantically situated, affords good sport for angler." The investment is probably in a hip-roof annex built on to the left front of the original house; it
is shown in a photograph in Brett’s book. It was this section which was burned during the troubles in the 1920s, and subsequently demolished.

Primary sources:
1. Post Chase Companion (1786).
2. First Valuation book, 1836 (PRONI VAL 1B/247, p.108).

Secondary sources:
1. G.H. Bassett, 'County Armagh one hundred years ago: a guide and directory', p.221 (1888; reprinted by Friar's Bush Press, Belfast, 1989).
2. C.E.B. Brett, ‘Buildings of Co Armagh’, p.164-165 (Belfast 1999).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Two-storey, ‘C’-shaped rubble-built farm building, built to serve the adjoining Forkhill House, and as such possibly dating from c.1780. Despite the probable reconstruction of its roof and some other alterations, this building is still mainly intact, however the demolition of much of Forkhill House has robbed it of its group value.