Conservatory and walled garden at Tobar Mhuire

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large walled garden (c.100 x 60m) of c.1875-80 with long (c.45m) conservatory and equally long ‘lean-to rubble and brick shed. The garden is set to the E of Tobar Mhuire House, whose estate lies to the S side of Crossgar.

The walled garden is basically rectangular and bordered by a tall rubble wall. The wall is largely featureless except for a cream brick dressed, flat arched, pedestrian gate to mid point of the W wall, and a similarly dressed (elliptical arched) vehicle gate to the mid point of the S wall, which has a relatively plain and modern looking iron gate. Both gateways are set within bays which rise slightly above wall level and have ridge tile-like coping. To the far right on the S wall is another, more decorative vehicle gateway which leads to a large yard to the E of the garden itself (but still contained within the walls as it were). This gateway resembles the previous one but has timber sheeted gates and above there sits a bellcote with semicircular, brick dressed, arched opening set within a gable with coping and urn finial.

To the W wall of the yard there is a long single storey lean-to shed in rubble with cream brick dressings with a slated roof. To the mid point of the shed there rises a two storey gabled section, which is rendered to first floor level, but as rest of shed to ground floor. The shed is interspersed along its lengthy E façade with Georgian paned sash windows (8/8) and timber sheeted doorways, all set within shallow segmental arched openings. There are nine windows and a door to each side of the central gabled section. Not all of this openings are original, however, as, to the left hand side at least, much of the façade was open until the building was renovated in c.1989. To the ground floor of the gabled section there is a central timber sheeted door, with semicircular fanlight, flanked by two windows as rest of façade. Above the doorway is a traditional style projecting sign and to the first floor is a small roundel window. To the N side of the gabled section’s roof there rises a tall cream brick chimney stack. To the short N façade of the shed there is another timber sheeted door

The shed leans-to the E wall of the garden (which is rough cast rendered above the level of the shed). Leaning to the opposite side of this wall (and set at a slightly higher level) is the long timber framed conservatory. The conservatory is basically similar in plan to the shed with long lean-to wings and a taller central section. In the case of the conservatory, however, the pitch of the ‘roof’ is much steeper (the structure is actually much taller than the shed) and the central section is five sided (i.e. it has a canted front) with a hipped roof. There is a doorway to the central section and to the short N and S facades (that to N reached via stone steps). The conservatory rests on a low rubble base and to the front (W) of it there is a small area bordered by a low rubble and brick wall with stone coping.

To the N and S ends of the wall against which the shed and conservatory are set, there are large gateways, similar to that to the mid point of the main S wall of the garden.

To the immediate E of the shed there is a large, temporary ‘Portacabin’-like sectional building, with smaller temporary toilet block to N.

The E wall of the whole complex is featureless. The N wall appears to be also, but is largely obscured by shrub growth.

The E wall of the Tobar Mhuire estate lies a short distance to the E of the walled garden. It contains a vehicle entrance with curving rubble walls, square gate pillars topped with urn / ball finials and relatively simple, 19th century iron gates.

Historical information

This walled garden is believed to have been laid out by John Cleland (the then owner of Tobar Mhuire House) in c.1875-80. It is possible that the conservatory is a slightly later addition. Both the garden and its buildings were leased by the Ulster Wildlife Trust in c.1985-6 who carried out extensive renovations to the buildings a few years later (c.1988-89).

TOBAR MHUIRE
Tobar Mhuire was built in 1864 by James Cleland, the then owner of Crossgar townland. Its stands on the site Crossgar House, a low, sprawling, one and half to two storey residence, probably built c.1780s by then landlord, Edward Ruthven. Ruthven sold Crossgar to William Thompson, a merchant from Downpatrick, during the 1820s, who developed the village itself and built the market house. The new landlord does not appear to have lived at Crossgar House, however, for in 1835 it was occupied by a Mrs Hamilton and in 1845 by a Rev. Maguire.

On Thompson’s death in 1862, Crossgar passed to his nephew, James Cleland. Almost immediately, Cleland demolished the old house and erected the present residence with its extensive outbuildings. This new house he named after a well to the south west of the building itself, which was referred to locally as ‘Mary’s Well’, or ‘Tobar Mhuire’. Either Cleland or his son, John, who inherited the estate on his father’s death in 1875, redirected the main drive to the new house, moving it further to the south and adding a new gate lodge.* The walled garden to the north-east was laid out around this time also.

The Clelands remained at Tobar Mhuire until c.1930, when the house was acquired by William McCalla, a Belfast shipping agent. Between 1942-45 it was occupied by Allied troops and after the War sold to a Mr. McDowell of Downpatrick. Shortly afterwards McDowell sold it to Lt. Col. Llewwllen Palmer, who in 1950 sold it to The Passionist Order, for use a s monastery / retreat house.

*The original gate lodge to the north stood until at least 1932.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/30/1 OS map, 1834, Down 30
2 PRONI VAL/1B/330 1st valuation, Kilmore, 1835
3 PRONI VAL/1A/3/30 1st valuation map, c.1835, Down 30
4 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ])
5 PRONI OS/6/3/30/2 OS map, 1859, Down 30
6 PRONI 2nd (‘Griffith’s) valuation, Kilmore, 1863
7 PRONI OS/6/3/30/3 OS map, 1901, Down 30
8 PRONI OS/6/3/30/4 OS map, 1920, Down 30

Secondary sources
1 J.A.K. Dean, ‘The gate lodges of Ulster- a gazetteer’ (Belfast UAHS 1994), p.97
2 ‘The Passionists, Tobar Mhuire 1950-2000’ (Downpatrick, 2000)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

Large walled garden (within the Tobar Mhuire House estate) of c.1875-80 with long conservatory and equally long ‘lean-to rubble and brick shed. The conservatory has a tall five-sided central portion flanked by long wings, with the whole ensemble ‘leaning-to’ a tall wall. On the opposite side of this wall is the shed which consists of two single storey long lean-to wings and a central two storey gabled section. Some of the openings to the shed were sympathetically altered in c.1988-9.