Lower Farm courtyard

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Formal, rubble-built, two storey hipped roof farm outbuilding with cupola bellcote, the front wing of a large courtyard farm complex built in 1859. The building is constructed close to the SW boundary of the Seaforde Estate close to the Demesne Road entrance, roughly a mile NW of the small village of Seaforde, c.5 miles NE of Castlewellan.

The front (N) façade is symmetrical with a central elliptical headed coach arch with in/out dressings above which is a small blind oculus. A small keystone has the date inscription A.D. 1859. To left and right are two sash windows (4/4) to ground and first floors The windows all have in/out stone dressings with a small keystone. The dressings are 25mm proud of the wall face [which could suggest that it was originally intended that the random rubble walls would be rendered].

To centre of the first floor of both the short E and W façades is a sheeted door. To the ground floor of the E façade there is a single storey projecting portion which merges with a long single storey rubble-built wing to the S. The W façade merges with a largely two-storey (mainly rendered) wing which includes a dwelling. All these wings (plus another single storey one to the S) form a courtyard complex. To the S the complex is abutted by large more recent outbuildings.

The rear (S) elevation of the main front block has a sash window (2/2) directly above the elliptical headed coach arch. To the right is a plain sheeted door. All these openings have plain rendered dressings.

The N front and W and E façades of the block are unrendered, with the S rear façade is rendered and white washed.

The block has a hipped roof with a small, cupola-like, wooden bellcote (bell missing) to the centre of the ridge. The roof is covered with natural blue/grey slate. To the coach arch there is a timber sheeted door, with plain rendered surround, to the W side.

Historical information

This farmyard complex was built in 1859 by William Brownlow Forde, the then owner of the Seaforde estate. It appears to have replaced a small farm building shown on the 1834 OS map. The revised OS map of 1858 shows what may be the present block in the process of construction- or perhaps previous buildings added to the site after 1834.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.366 Forde papers
2 PRONI OS/6/3/36/1 OS map, Down sh 36, 1834
3 PRONI OS/6/3/36/2 OS map, Down sh 36, c.1858
4 PRONI 2nd valuation, Loughinisland, c.1860 [in print]
5 PRONI OS/6/3/36/3 OS map, Down sh 36, c.1901

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Well proportioned and detailed large courtyard farm complex built in 1859. It has group value with the other Seaforde estate buildngs.