‘The Abbacy’

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Split stone rubble ruined remains (chiefly gable ends) of a large early 17th century manor house, with the gap between the gables now occupied by two, two storey red brick houses of c.1910 and farm buildings. The ruin is set on a slight rise to the E of Abbacy Road, c.3 miles N of Portaferry.

Much of the original shape of the building can still be discerned with two gabled structures arranged in a ‘T’ shape (but probably not joined), with the house now occupying the space between the gables of the vertical stroke of the ‘T’ (running north to south) and the farm buildings in the horizontal stroke (running east-west). According to the 1966 'Archaeological Survey of County Down' (which contains a plan and detailed description of the site) there was originally a smaller adjoining wing attached to the south gable which has now disappeared. Some openings for windows survive and recesses appear to have been made in the gables for nesting birds.

Historical information

This manor house was built by Bishop Echlin in the early 17th century and apparently destroyed by Cromwell’s troops c.1650. There was, however, an earlier Bishop’s manor on or close to this site, as testified by grants of land in the area made by Hugh de Lacy, Earl of Ulster, and King Henry III, in the early 1200s. There was a medieval church and graveyard on the site of the present Ardquin church, next to the Abbacy ruins.

The name ‘Abbacy’, is a somewhat erroneous term to use to describe this building, but suggests that there must have been an abbey in the area as well during medieval times, perhaps attached (either physically or otherwise) to the original Bishop’s residence. The site is shown on the OS map of 1834 as ‘ruins of old abbey and graveyard’.

References- Secondary sources
1 Walter Harris, 'The Ancient and Present State of the County of Down' (Dublin 1744), p.47
2 'Taylor’s and Skinner’s Maps of the Roads of Ireland' (Dublin 1777), map 9 [Map shows ‘Abbey ru[in]s’.]
3 PRONI OS/6/3/24/1 Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st Edition, 1834, Co Down sheet 24
4 'St. Patrick’s Church Ballyphilip 1762-1962' [Souvenir booklet] (Portaferry, 1962), p.87 [photograph], 91
5 'Archaeological Survey of County Down' (Belfast, HMSO 1966), pp.255-56
6 G. Philip Bell, C.E.B. Brett, Sir Robert Matthew, 'Ulster Architectural Heritage Survey: Portaferry & Strangford'
(Belfast UAHS 1969), p.21

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Split stone rubble ruined remains (chiefly gable ends) of a large early seventeenth century manor house, with the gap between the gables now occupied by two, two storey red brick houses of c.1910, and farm buildings.