Archway and adjacent buildings at 'The Fort'

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Arched gateway with adjacent two storey gabled outbuildings, dating from 1837, built as part of the farm complex at ‘The Fort’. The gateway and buildings serve as the entrance to the farm and are set directly on the NE side of Clay Road, c.3 miles NW of Killyleagh.

The SW gables of each outbuilding face the roadside and the gateway spans between them. This gateway opening consists of an tall elliptical arch carriage entrance with painted sandstone dressings to the SW (road) side. Directly above these dressings is a small panel (also probably painted sandstone) inscribed ‘T. : T 1837’. The opening has no dressings to the NE (inner) side and has a traditional style clock face above it (installed recently). Above this the top of the gateway has a segmental curve, coping, and a cone and ball pinnacle. Both sides of the gateway are finished in unpainted rough cast.

There is a low, curving, rough cast rendered wall which branches out from either side of the arch of the gateway and skirts the roadside to both NW and SE.

The outbuilding attached to the NW of the gateway is also finished in rough cast. To the ground floor of its SE façade there is a left of centre doorway with painted stone surround and timber sheeted door with small glazed panel. To the left of this is a small sash window (two over two) and to the right is a similar sized window which has a four pane frame made to resemble the sash frame of that to the left, but which opens inwards. To the first floor are two slightly smaller windows with frames similar to that at ground floor right.

To the NE gable there is a large sixteen pane fixed light window, set at a high level, which was a large loft opening until recently.

The NW façade has a small four pane window to the centre left on the ground floor. To the right of this is a doorway as before and to the first floor (at centre left and right) are two windows as ground floor but even smaller. The gabled roof is covered in natural slate. Cast iron rw goods.

The NW façade of the building to the SE has a timber sheeted door to the left on the ground floor. To the right of this is a window with modern frame, then another doorway (as before), then another window (as before). To the left on the first floor is timber sheeted loft door. To the right of this are three windows with modern frames as ground floor.

The NE gable has a first floor timber sheeted door reached via stone steps (with a modern looking rail). Cut into the base of the steps is a large recess wherein a water tank used to sit. A garden seat now sits within it.

The SE façade has four ground floor windows with modern frames as NE façade. To the first floor are four windows with four pane frames as building to NW.

The façade is finished in unpainted rough cast. The gabled roof is covered in natural slate with two small cast iron skylights to each side.

There are modern outbuildings to N of gateway outbuildings, with single storey house to the N of this. This house appears to have been rebuilt in fairly recent times. There is an old rath to the N as well (from whence the whole complex takes its name- ‘The Fort’) and a two storey (split level) stable block to the E, which in origin may predate the gateway ensemble, but which appears to have had its openings altered in recent times. To the W (at the end of a lane way which marks the original route of the Clay Road) is a relatively simple wrought iron gateway with arrow-head decoration (and square gate pillars). This gate was undoubtedly installed some time after 1837 (but before 1859), when the road appears to have been redirected.

Historical information

As the date stone suggests, this gateway and outbuildings were all built in 1837 by Thomas Taylor (‘T : T’) the then owner of this farm. The building to the north west of the gateway, according to the 1837 valuation returns, originally served as a barn with that to the south east, stables.

Prior to the building of the gateway ensemble, the line of the road was slightly further to the north east and the farm outbuildings set on both sides of the road (as shown on the 1834 OS map). The 1859 map shows the road as it appears today. This map and its predecessor also show the original farmhouse, which was positioned to the south of the present dwelling.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/1/3/24 OS map, 1st ed. 1834, Co. Down 24.
2 PRONI VAL/1B/336 p.38 First valuation, Killyleagh, 1837.
3 PRONI OS/6/3/24/2 OS map, 1st rev., 1859, Co. Down 24.
4 PRONI Second valuation, Killyleagh, 1861. [In print in PRONI search room and Linen Hall Library.]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Group of two, two storey, outbuildings arranged on either side of an arched gateway, with the whole ensemble dating from 1837. The outbuilding to the south east was originally stables but now houses a tack room and offices. That to the north west was built as a barn but now appears to have been converted to a small dwelling.