Entrance gates at Finnebrogue House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Decorative gate screen (at the main entrance to the Finnebrogue House ‘estate’) of probably c.1885, with square sandstone pillars and walling and decorative ( distinctly late Victorian) iron gates and railings. The gate screen is set on the N side of Finnebrogue Road, (at an angle to the road itself) roughly a mile N of Downpatrick.

The screen consists of a large set of vehicle gates and two short lengths of walling to the E and to the W. The gates are set between tall square (light-coloured) sandstone pillars with friezes and oversailing pyramidal caps with ball finials. There are smaller outer pillars in similar style, and, in between short stretches of low sandstone walling. The walling supports decorative iron railings. The gates are in similar style to the railings. To the E the screen is partly obscured by thick shrubbery; to the W it joins to rubble wall.

Historical information

This gateway is shown on the OS map of 1903, but not that of 1858. It was probably erected in the mid 1880s (at the same time as the neighbouring gate lodge), or slightly earlier.

Prior to the mid 1880s the entrance to the Finnebrogue estate was set slightly to the west of this one. The stone gate pillars belonging to the original entrance, (which may be later 17th or early 18th century), can be seen to the rear of the gate lodge.

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 [This map and the revised map of 1858 both show the original entrance to the estate.]
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 Mark Bence-Jones, ‘(Burke’s) Guide to Irish country houses (updated edition, London, 1988), p.
2 J.A.K. Dean, ‘The gate lodges of Ulster- a gazetteer’ (Belfast 1994) pp.75-76
3 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

Well detailed gate screen (at the main entrance to the Finnebrogue House ‘estate’) of probably c.1885, with square sandstone pillars and walling and decorative (and distinctly late Victorian) iron gates and railings. It has group value with the other listed buildings on the estate.

General comments

In the first survey this record was numbered HB18/18/005A.