Stable Yard

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large two storey, hipped roof stable complex of perhaps largely pre 1834 construction, grouped around a courtyard to the SE of Seaforde House (in Seaforde Demesne, to the N of the small village of Seaforde, c.5 miles W of Downpatrick), with entrance gable to E and cupola-like bellcote. The complex is largely rubble-faced to the ‘outside’, and uniformly cement rendered to the ‘inner’ (courtyard) side. Most of the window openings to the S and E appear to have been altered in the mid 20th century as most have concrete lintels and metal frames, and, to the inner facades of the N and W wings are a series of ‘eye-brow’ windows, also possibly of the mid 1900s.

Attached to the E façade of the E wing of the stables, is single storey L shaped [?]garden shed and two storey barn, all possibly early to mid 19th century. To the E of this is a long two / single storey wing, to the E end of which rises a tall brick chimney stack. The wing may be largely pre 1834, but has been altered over the years, whilst the chimney is probably mid to later 19th century and may have been part of a small gasworks which was once present on this site (but most of which may have been cleared away). To the S of all of this is a large, almost circular, stand alone enclosure with a tall buttressed rubble wall. This enclosure, (which may once have been a garden), is now filled with a small plantation of fir trees.

The stable complex is entered from the E wing, where there is a large central carriage arch, which is located within a tall rendered gable that rises above the eaves of the main roof. The arch itself is elliptical headed with timber sheeted double doors and in/out stone dressings with keystone. To the apex of the gable is black (?enamel) faced clock. The name ‘William Forde’ spelt out, (in gothic-like script), on the clock face. The clock is set in a roundel feature with a circular stone dressing. The gable has in/out quoins. Behind the gable (on the ridge of the main roof) is a cupola-like bellcote with arched openings to sides, pyramidal roof supported on brackets, and weather vane.

The main E façade to the left and right of the gable is rough cast rendered and painted. To the left of the gable (on main façade) is a large modern-looking window opening with a steel framed casement window with multiple Georgian-like panes. The far left of the ground floor is blank but has a large area of patched render. To the left side of the first floor are four unevenly spaced window openings each with steel frames with top openers. The render to the left shows evidence of single storey gabled buildings once having been attached.

To the right of the gable the ground floor is obscured by a hipped roof single storey building (which is linked to the outbuilding complex mentioned above- for more on this see below). The first floor has four unevenly spaced sash windows (6/6) with segmental arched heads.

The S façade is rubble faced and unpainted. To the first floor there are ten window openings. Between the 9th and 10th (counting from the left) is a timber sheeted door which is accessed by a stone external stair with a steel handrail. To the ground floor are eight windows with a timber sheeted door with fanlight between the 1st and 2nd. All the windows are of mixed size and spacing: some are timber sash while others are more modern timber with top openers and the remainder are steel with top openers. All appear to have modern concrete lintels. And all look as if they have had their openings altered, save the first three windows to the first floor and the first one to the ground floor (which have also retained their Georgian-paned sash frames). Above many of the windows to the centre and right some small [?]ventilation openings have been inserted. To the left of centre there is evidence to suggest that a large arched opening has been blocked. The coursing of the stonework to the right hand edge of the façade suggests that this wing was once longer (a suggestion supported by map evidence).

The W façade of the W wing is difficult to observe in its entirety due to the closeness of tree and plant growth. It has a similar appearance as that to the S, being rubble-faced with rows of windows to each floor. Unlike the S, however, most of the window openings appear unaltered and most have retained Georgian-paned sash frames and brick dressings. To the far right the façade projects slightly. To the ground floor of this projection is a sturdy timber sheeted door with exposed (stud-like) bolt heads. This door leads, through an arch, into the courtyard.

Much of the N façade cannot be seen due to even thicker tree and shrub growth. Only part of the very right hand side can be observed without hindrance. The façade appears to be largely rubble-faced, but little in the way of openings could be see. To the right the façade is abutted by a small, rubble-built, lean-to, which sits within a moat-like trench to the immediate N of the façade itself.

The ‘inner’ (courtyard facing) facades of each wing display a greater amount of uniformity than those described above, all being cement rendered. The ground floor of the E wing has five large elliptical arch carriage doorways with in / out dressings and timber sheeted double doors. To the right of centre is a gable much like that on the opposite E façade of the wing, but with a segmental headed sash window above the archway and a moulded crest (of the Forde family) on the keystone of the archway itself. Either side of the gable are first floor sash windows- three to left, two to right.

The N facing inner façade of the S wing has three timber sheeted pedestrian doors to the ground floor, two sash windows and two ‘eye brow’ windows. To the first floor are eight windows, most with metal frames (as S façade of wing), and a timber sheeted loft door.

The inner façade of the W wing has a large segmental headed archway to left, and a timber sheeted pedestrian door (with semicircular head) to far right. There is another doorway to the right of centre which has been largely filled with glazing. Between all of these doorways are five window openings, two of which are boarded, two with wrought iron bars over and one with a sash frame. To the first floor are six evenly spaced windows. Within the large archway to far left on the ground floor there is a timber sheeted doorway to N and two to S, as well as one to W (which leads to outside- see above).

The inner façade of the N wing has three timber sheeted pedestrian doors to the ground floor, two sash windows and four ‘eye brow’ windows. To the far right is a large segmental headed archway within which is a quarter-turn stone stair which leads to the upper floor of the E wing. To the first floor there are two sash windows and two timber sheeted loft doors. Marks to the render suggest some upper floor openings have been blocked.

FURTHER OUTBUILDINGS
Attached to the right hand side of the E façade of the E wing is an L shaped single storey hipped roof outbuilding with rendered façade, slated roof, and timber sheeted doors and sash windows. This is abutted to the E by a large, two storey, rubble-built gabled barn, whose roof is slated to the W and covered in corrugated iron to the E. The barn has several sash windows and a pedestrian door to the W, a gothick window to the S gable, and a large elliptical arch vehicle entrance and some small (largely frame-less) windows, to the E. To the E the barn has a dilapidated appearance, much in contrast to the tidiness of the W façade and S gable. Both the barn and the L shaped building, (which may originally have been a garden store), form a small yard, which is enclosed by a tall rendered wall to the S. Within this yard and some modern glasshouses.

To the S gable of the barn there stretches a high rubble wall which links to a roughly circular enclosure now used as a small nursery for fir trees. The wall of this enclosure is buttressed. To the E of the barn there stretches a very long dilapidated outbuilding, which is two storey to the W and single storey to the E. To the E end of this outbuilding there rises a tall, square, polychrome brick chimney stack.

Historical information

The OS map of 1834 shows buildings matching the north, south and west wings of the stable complex, as well as much of the long ‘outbuilding’ wing to the north-east. The site of the eastern stable wing was occupied by what appears to be a narrower building, broken into two sections by a slightly south of centre gateway. The revised OS map of 1858 shows a largely similar arrangement, all of which suggests that the east wing is (either in part or in whole) post 1858, a theory supported by the late Victorian appearance of the clock and bellcote.

Prior to 1858 the south wing was slightly longer than it is today, (a fact betrayed by its ‘quoin-less’ stonework to the eastern edge). It was undoubtedly truncated as a result of the rebuilding and / or extending of the east wing.

The N, S and W wings are said locally to predate the present Seaforde House, suggesting that they are pre c.1816 and served the original Forde family home of Castlenavan (itself probably early to mid 18th century). The present owner of Seaforde House (who is in possession of estate documents unseen by the writers) stated at the time of the original (1978) survey that the complex dates largely from c.1750.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.366 Forde papers
2 ‘Taylor’s and Skinner’s maps of the roads of Ireland’ (Dublin 1777), map 284
3 PRONI OS/6/3/37/1 OS map, Down sh 37, 1834
4 PRONI VAL/1B/387 1st valuation, Loughinisland, 1836
5 PRONI OS/6/3/37/2 OS map, Down sh 37, c.1858
6 PRONI 2nd valuation, Loughinisland, c.1860 [in print]
7 PRONI OS/6/3/37/3 OS map, Down sh 37, c.1901

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
V. Authorship

Evaluation

Large two storey, hipped roof stable complex of perhaps largely pre 1834 construction, grouped around a courtyard to the south-east of Seaforde House, with entrance gable to east and cupola-like bellcote. Despite some alterations these outbuildings have architectural and historical interest and have group value with the other Seaforde estate buildings.