Seaforde gate

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large and impressive Greek Revival gateway of 1833 by Peter Frederick Robinson, in sandstone with central pedimented carriage archway and flanking flat arch wicket gates. The structure fronts the main entrance to the Seaforde Demesne, (on the N edge of Seaforde, c.5 miles W of Downpatrick), and is aligned on an axis with the main road running through the village from Newcastle.

The gateway is in ashlar sandstone with both the N and S faces identical. The stonework on the N face shows a large amount of discolouration, however. To the centre of the structure is a tall semicircular carriage arch with moulded archivolt and with Greek key frieze, topped with a cornice-like course, springing level. Above arch level is a plain string course, above which is a recessed rectangular panel. The tall central section is topped with a mutuled pediment with carved anthemion acroteria. The main carriage gates themselves are missing, having been removed (like many others) during WWII.

The arch is flanked by plain pilasters which carry through the courses and are topped with simple curved ‘entablatures’, (with small carved roundels), above the string course level.

To the outer side of these pilasters are relatively large flat arch wicket (i.e. pedestrian) gates. These are both topped with the cornice-like course referred to before and above this is a recessed rectangular panel. Above this is the string course (see above). To the outer side of each wicket gate is another pilaster, as before. Between both sets of pilasters the entablature spans, on top of the string course, in blocking course-like fashion. To the centre of either stretch is a curved portion, same as that topping each pilaster. The wicket entrances both have tall decorative iron gates (those decoration is now broken in places).

To each side of the main gateway structure there stretch tall curving (quadrant) iron railings, similar to the wicket gates. These link to tall sandstone faced walls, with square pillars topped with Greek key friezes and shallow pyramidal caps.

Historical information

Plans for a grand gateway for the main entrance to the Forde estate at Seaforde were first commissioned by Matthew Forde in the late 1790s. However, although architects Samuel Wolley and Charles Lilly both submitted designs (in c.1797 and 1805 respectively), nothing had been built by the time of Matthew’s death in 1812. In the 1820s the idea was taken up by the heir to the estate (also named Matthew) and six designs were drawn up by English architect Peter Frederick Robinson, the man who was probably responsible for Seaforde House itself. The design for the gateway we see today was actually submitted in 1825, but was not actually executed until 1833. Robinson also supplied the plans for the neighbouring classical gate lodge, also erected around the same date.

The carriage gates were removed during World War II.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.366 Forde papers
2 Paintings, elevation drawings and plans showing proposals for a gateway for Seaforde Demesne, by various architects c.1797-1825 [In possession of Mr Patrick Forde.]
3 PRONI OS/6/3/37/1 OS map, Down sh 37, 1834
4 PRONI OS/6/3/37/2 OS map, Down sh 37, c.1858
5 PRONI OS/6/3/36/3 OS map, Down sh 36, c.1901

Secondary sources
1 C.E.B. Brett ‘Historic buildings, groups of buildings….East Down’ (Belfast UAHS 1973), p.28
2 J.A.K. Dean ‘The gate lodges of Ulster- a gazetteer’ (Belfast UAHS 1994), p.93-95

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
F. Structural System
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
V. Authorship
W. Northern Ireland/International Interest

Evaluation

Large and impressive example od a Greek Revival gateway of 1833 by Peter Frederick Robinson, in sandstone with central pedimented carriage archway and flanking flat arch wicket gates. The structure fronts the main entrance to the Seaforde Demesne, and is aligned on an axis with the main road running through Seaforde village from Newcastle. The accompanying classical gate lodge of the same date is also by Robinson.