Gateway to Pleasure Garden

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Free-standing pinnacle and crenallated stone gateway, possibly partly erected from remnants of the previous 17th century church on the site. Set on a north-south axis at a corner on the boundary wall to the church and graveyard and formerly giving access to the Pleasure Garden.

The principal east elevation comprises an equilateral-arched door opening formed in granite ashlar with deep moulded reveals and flanked by pair of simple engaged granite columns with base mouldings and capitals at impost level. A carved granite course at impost level spans the entire width of gate screen with rubble masonry below and channel rusticated granite ashlar above. The equilateral arch is surmounted by a keystone with a bishop’s head. The screen is surmounted by a crenellated parapet wall having a single central merlon flanked by a pair of crenels with continuous moulded coping and surmounted by three granite pinnacles on raised plinths. The archway contains a timber flat-panelled door with iron studs and timber door knob, hung on iron hinges to the stone jamb.

To the west the gate screen is accessed by a long flight of granite steps with wrought-iron handrail and embellished balusters, two per step. A segmental-arched opening to this elevation is formed in granite ashlar with rubble basalt to the remainder finished with granite ashlar quoins to either end.

Setting:
Positioned to northwest of the front of St. Malachy’s Church (HB19/05/001A) and set into the boundary wall to both the church and the graveyard to the north (HB19/05/001B).

Walling Rubble basalt / granite ashlar
Door Timber panelled and studded

Historical information

Early plans of Hillsborough and the first edition of the Ordnance Survey map for the region (1834) show no structure on the current site of this Gateway, however, the map does show a path on the current site which leads from the church building to the pleasure gardens. The later editions show no change to the layout of the church wall or this path.

A visitor’s guide, published by St. Malachi’s as a Churchyard walk guide, displays an illustration of the gateway noting that it is an ‘old ornamental door’ and that it ‘is from the earlier church, possibly a remnant of the Chapel of Cromlyn which was built here.’ Barry mentions the ‘ornamental doorway’ but does not brave a comment on its history; however, he does state that the ‘ruined Chapel of Saint Malachy of Cromlyn’ lay within the grounds of Hillsborough Castle, a considerable distance from the Church Graveyard (Barry, pp 39-40). Brett, more credibly, suggests that this gateway is a remnant of the 1636 church which was burned during the 1641 rebellion. He lists it as ‘a curious pinnacled gateway of soft stone, the keystone carved to represent a mitre’d head, which seems earlier than the present church.’ This gateway provided a route through the pleasure gardens which extended as far as Ballynahinch Street, and was chiefly used by the Church Organist who lived on that street in a house provided by the church (Brett, pp 10-11; Hobart).

Today a care home, aptly named Cromlyn Fold, occupies the old site of the Pleasure Gardens, apart from a small square of garden to which the gateway and its rear steps lead. The gateway itself is partly hidden by church ivy and is in a state of disrepair.
References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI VAL/1/B/344 A-B – Townland Valuations 1834
2. PRONI VAL/1/A/3/14 – Field Map 1834
3. PRONI D671/M/8/25 – Hillsborough Map c.1800
4. PRONI D671/M/8/57/1 – Hillsborough Illustrated Map 1803
5. PRONI OS/6/3/14/1 – First Edition OS Map 1834
6. PRONI OS/6/3/14/2 – Second Edition OS Map 1858
7. PRONI OS/6/3/14/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1902-1903
8. PRONI OS/6/3/14/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-1920
9. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/45A-C – Griffith’s Valuation 1856-64
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14A – Annual Revisions 1864-1879
11. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14B – Annual Revisions 1880-1889
12. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14C – Annual Revisions 1890-1908
13. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14D – Annual Revisions 1909-1928
14. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14E – Annual Revisions 1928-1930

Secondary Sources

1. Barry, J., ‘Hillsborough: A parish in the Ulster plantation’ (3rd ed.), Belfast, Universities Press., 1982.
2. Brett, C. E. B., ‘Historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in the towns and villages of Mid Down: Hillsborough, Dromore, Dromara, Ballynahinch, the Spa, Drumaness and Saintfield’ Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1974.
3. Hobart, B. R., ‘The village of Hillsborough Co. Down: A short architectural and historical description’ (Unpublished illustrated book c. 1950s).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

Former gate screen to the Pleasure Garden set within the grounds to St. Malachy’s Church to the northeast of the entrance tower, erected in the 17th century. Possibly incorporating remnants of the earlier church, this decorative gate screen retains most of its original fabric and early appearance. The pinnacles, bishop’s head and rustic timber door are of considerable craftsmanship and add great character to the church complex as a whole and evoke some of the early Gothic character of this historic site.

General comments

Please note this record has been renumbered, previously HB19/05/003