Tower Farm

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

One and a half storey gabled farm house of c.1840, with small gabled porch bay to front. The property is set at the end of a lane to the N of the Hilltown Road, roughly half a mile W of Bryansford.

The front (S) façade is asymmetrical. To the left of centre is a projecting two level bay. To the ground floor of the bay is a modern timber panelled and glazed door. Above this is a small upper level window with modern frame. To the left of the bay is a larger window with similar frame, with two similar windows to the right of the bay.

The W gable has an upper level window, as ground floor front only slightly smaller. The E gable has a window as front to the ground floor and one to the upper level as W gable.

To the rear are two single storey lean-tos with a corrugated iron roof to that to the left (E) and natural slate to that to the right (W). That to the left has a small window, with modern frame, to its E face and a timber sheeted door to its W face. That to the right has a similar door to its E face, along with a window with modern frame. To the N face is a smaller window with modern frame, with a similar window to the W face.

The entire façade is finished in a ‘salt & pepper’ pebbledash with bell cast and smooth cement render base. Eaves course to front. The roof has a fairly steep pitch and is covered with natural slate. Small cast iron skylight to rear. Rendered parapets. Two rendered chimney stacks to ridge. Decorative barges to front bay. Cast iron and PVC rw goods.

Large, two storey gabled outbuilding to E of house with central segmental carriage arch and stone staircase to right front (S) facade. To the W gable is a large lean-to section and to the E a single storey gabled section. The façade is mainly harled and the roof covered in natural slate. Some of the openings do not appear to be original and the whole building is generally in poor repair.

Historical information

This house is shown on the OS map of 1859 and appears to have replaced an earlier dwelling, set slightly further to the north-west, shown on the 1834 OS map. The property appears to have been built by a family named Magill, who are recorded as residents in the 1863 valuation survey and whose descendants remained in possession of the house into the mid 20th century.

The rear lean-tos may not be original, however they appear to have been added some considerable time ago, perhaps c.1900. The outbuilding to the east side of the farm yard may be older than the house itself, as it appears to be shown on the OS map of 1834.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/1/3/49 OS maps 1st ed. 1834, Co Down sheet 49
2 PRONI VAL/1A/3/49 Valuation maps, Kilcoo (c.1836)
3 PRONI VAL/1B/362 First valuation records, Kilcoo (1836)
4 PRONI OS/6/3/49/3 OS maps 1st rev.1859, Co Down sheet 49
5 PRONI Second (Griffith’s) valuation records, Kilcoo (1863) [in print]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

One and a half storey gabled farm house of c.1840, with full height gabled porch/bay to front and single storey lean-tos to rear. The façade is now covered is ‘salt & pepper’ pebbledash render and the window frames are modern. To the east of the property is a large two storey outbuilding which appears to be older than the house itself.