Cairn Hill

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey (+ attic)/ three-bay Tudor-Revival house with large modern wrap-around two-storey extension. Building faces south east and is set within mature gardens with a ruined gate lodge at Rathfriland Road entrance.

Pitched natural slate roof with two large gables to facade at either end and a smaller one at centre. There are two modern skylights to rear pitch. Three decorative rendered chimneys: one to each end of ridge and the third to right of centre. Each end chimney breast projects from end gables in a plain recessed panel resting on a stepped cushion-moulded corbel at first floor/attic level (part missing to left gable chimney). These end chimneys break the ridge behind the decorative gable bargeboards. Each end chimney comprises two square-section smooth-rendered stacks rising from a common base and finish in conjoined corbelled caps; their cames have stop-end chamfers. Middle chimney is similar but comprises four stacks. Plastic ogee gutters with squared downpipes. To left and right corners of façade are large lead hopper heads.

Façade gables are decorated with fretted ornamental bargeboards and a decorated apex. Large gables at left and right have an apex of punched quatrefoil detailing set within a stop end chamfered frame. The apex of left façade gable is also inset with a 2/2 sliding sash window and here the bargeboard panelling has been removed. The middle gable has a single apex trefoil.

Walls to facade are painted wet dash render with smooth chamfered base course and all have stepped vee-jointed render quoins. The section of wall below each façade gable projects forward slightly.

A single storey porch abuts the middle gable. It has a pitched natural slated roof with terracotta ridges and ball finial. Its rainwater goods and bargeboard are as main building, but with two quatrefoils to apex. Walls are as main façade except front wall which is painted smooth line render with vee-jointed stepped quoins. Two granite steps rise to main entrance in porch gable. Door consists of two t+g sheeted painted modern leaves with modern metal decorative strap-hinges and matching modern furniture. Set within a chamfered opening with lined voussoirs to Gothic head. At right of door is a doorbell and modern light. Each cheek has a single 1/1 sliding sash window (top sash smaller) with smooth stop end chamfered reveal, smooth render architrave and painted granite cill.

Above porch, at first floor, is a similar casement window (but with no architrave or cill), the head of which is set within the decorative gable above.

At ground floor immediately to left and right of porch are single narrow 2/2 sliding sashes (top sash smaller; no horns) and smooth stop-end chamfered reveal, and architrave with painted granite cill and squared drip mould over. Above each of these windows is an identical windows, but diminished in height and without drip moulds (their heads are at eaves level).

The two end bays have almost identical fenestration. Granite steps rise to a full height tripartite window, set within a projecting painted and smooth rendered rectangular bay. It has a 1/1 sliding sash window (with horns) to centre and a similar but narrower window to either side. The bay has a rendered, stepped, sloping roof and smooth render walls with roll-mould chamfers to each corner and window reveal. At first floor on each end bay is a pair of 2/2 sliding sash windows (top sash smaller). Each has a smooth render stop end chamfered reveal and painted granite cill; both share a linked, paired drip-mould. As noted above, the apex of the left gable contains a 2/2 sliding sash window (with horns). This window seems a later addition and has a smooth render architrave and reveal and a painted render cill.

Gable wall to right elevation has two windows on each floor, on either side of chimney breast. Those to ground floor are 2/2 sliding sashes (top sash smaller) with no horns and smooth render stop-end chamfered reveal and architrave. The cill to the left window is concrete and slopes steeply from window (it may once have been a door as the wall render below is uneven). Cill to right window is moulded decorative render with cavetto mould below. The wet dash above ground floor window head level is patchy suggesting that a lean to roof had once abutted. At first floor are two 2/2 casement windows in line with those below. Both have smooth render reveals and granite cills.

Gable wall to left elevation is without openings and is abutted by a single storey building which links to a large modern extension at left. This link block, which is set back from the façade line of the main block, has a pitched artificial slate roof and overhanging eaves. Rainwater goods and walls as façade. Its façade elevation has three modern top hung 2/2 windows each with smooth render architraves and reveals and modern concrete cill; all have squared drip moulds over, those over the two at right being connected. The rear elevation of this link block has three modern plastic windows and faces an enclosed courtyard.

The rear elevation of the main block is abutted to centre by a flat roofed return (which rises to eaves level). To right, the front gable continues back and ties into a modern return running at right angles at rear. The remaining wall is wet dashed with stepped quoins at left and a single 1/1 sliding sash with horns at first floor of left end bay.

Modern extension running across rear of building is two storeys high with a pitched artificial slate roof. Walls are painted render as the house and all windows are plastic with painted render architraves. Generally the building is well concealed behind the house, except where it wraps around the left gable of main block. The size of this extension at left detracts from the appearance of main block.

Gate lodge

Gate lodge fronting main road has been partially demolished. It is of random granite rubble and seems to have been wet dashed. Photo shows it to have been one and a half storeys high. L-plan, with gable to road and to driveway up to main house. Façade gable contains a pair of 2/2 (horizontally divided) sliding sashes. The other gable has a t+g sheeted door in cheek facing to main road and two windows to gable. Left elevation seems to have been blank, and rear elevation is gone. No trace of former wrought-iron gates, posts and railings.

Historical information

Not shown on 1834 OS map. Cited as ‘Emy Ville’ on 1858 and 1902 maps. According to Dean, this house was acquired by Henry W Wallace and rebuilt in its present form c.1860, along with the gate lodge. However, a map of Newry, probably of mid-19th century date, shows Emy Ville in its present form, except that the two ground floor end bays were gabled, and none of the main gable apexes had decorative woodwork. It is therefore likely that the mid-19th century house was embellished, rather than rebuilt, by Wallace.

Primary Sources:

1. PRONI OS 6/3/46/1 OS 6" map, 1st edition (1834) Co Down sheet 46
2. PRONI OS 6/3/46/2 OS 6" map, 2nd edition (1858) Co Down sheet 46
3. PRONI OS 6/3/46/3 OS 6" map, 3rd edition (1902) Co Down sheet 46
4. Map of Newry by James O’Hagan in Newry Branch Library, Hill St (with buildings depicted around sides; supposedly dates from c.1780, but probably mid 19th century).

Secondary Sources:
5. J.A.K. Dean, 1994, ‘The gate lodges of Ulster’, p.66 (Belfast: Ulster Architectural Historical Society).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A two-storey (+ attic)/ three-bay Tudor-Revival house. A symmetrical mid-Victorian arrangement characterised by ornate barge boards and gable apexes. Composition severely compromised by modern extension to left and rear. Does not meet the statutory and policy tests as a building of special architectural or historic interest.