Gardener's bothy at Finnebrogue estate

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Small, single storey, lean-to gardener’s bothy of c.1840s, with harled façade, gothick windows and doorway, restored in the late 1990s. The building is set in the W corner of the Finnebrogue estate walled garden, roughly a third of a mile NE of Finnebrogue House, two miles N of Downpatrick.

The front elevation faces NE. To the left is a pointed arch door opening with timber sheeted door. To the far right is a similar door (no longer used) with two pointed arch window openings between with ‘gothick’ sash frames (both 8/6). Just above these are three small roundel-like windows with geometric tracery / frames. The left (E) edge of the wall is curved.

The SE elevation has two short high level pointed arch windows with fixed light ‘gothick’ frames. Just above these is a small recess, the same shape as the small upper windows to front.

The façade is harled and painted. The pitched roof is slated and has a slight overhang. To the SE corner is a small rendered chimneystack. Cast iron rw goods.

Historical information

Though the walled garden to the immediate south of this property dates from 1802, this small bothy appears to be somewhat later, map evidence showing that it was built some time between 1834 and 1858 (?perhaps the mid to late 1830s). Unfortunately the valuation records give no details relating to the building.

The bothy remained in use until the mid 1900s, but appears to have been largely abandoned by the 1980s. It was restored in the late 1990s.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI T.1023, D.1556, D.2480, D.3244, D.3817, D.4218 Perceval-Maxwell Papers, 1606-1969
2 PRONI OS/6/3/30/1 6in OS map, Co Down, sh 30, 1834
3 PRONI OS/6/3/30/2 6in OS map, Co Down, sh 30, 1858
4 PRONI VAL.12B/18/13a-d Annual valuation revision books, 1864-79, 1880-97, 1898-1911, 1912-29
5 PRONI OS/6/3/30/3 6in OS map, Co Down, sh 30, c.1901
6 PRONI OS/6/3/31/3 6in OS map, Co Down, sh 31, c.1901

Secondary sources
1 Anthony Malcomson, ‘The Perceval-Maxwell Papers- Introduction’ (1998) [Available at PRONI]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
V. Authorship

Evaluation

Small, single storey, lean-to gardener’s bothy of c.1840s, with harled façade, gothick windows and doorway, restored in the late 1990s. It has group value with the other listed buildings on the estate.

General comments

In the first survey this record was numbered HB18/18/004.