Farmyard at Mount Stewart

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large, extensive, two and single storey (mainly) rubble-built farmyard complex, dating from c.1816 but much added to in the 1870s with the addition of two large two storey stewards' houses and the (probable) rebuilding of the dairy. The complex is located roughly in the centre of the Mount Stewart estate, about half a mile NE of Mount Stewart house. It is situated on either side of an estate road.

The main section is on the E side of the road and is roughly ‘S’ shaped in plan and has two yards. Generally the buildings are single storey, constructed in black stone rubble with sandstone dressings and a mixture of Bangor blue slated hipped and gabled roofs. To the N end is a gabled barn with a stone bell cote to its gable.

1. Houses

To the S end are two storey dwelling houses mainly constructed in black stone rubble with brick dressings. The Bangor blue slated roof of the house to the W is gabled with it neighbour to the E hipped. The house to the E has two adjoining returns one of which has a felt flat roof. Windows are generally PVC.

2. Dovecote

To the E (30m) of this grouping is a two storey snecked rubble built, brick dressed, octagonal, dovecote. The roof is hipped (8 sided) and alternate slopes have decorative ‘dormers’, with small openings for pigeons to enter. There is a tall decorative weather vane finial to the roof apex.

3. Dairy

To the S and W of the main complex is a small circular dairy. The outer wall of the dairy to the S is circular and constructed in random rubble. It abuts the orchard wall which is straight. This gives an overall semi circular plan form, however, internally the dairy proper is in fact circular. The entrance porch takes up the odd plan shapes. The N facade is incorporated into the orchard wall and is constructed in brick with sandstone dressings to openings. The dairy has a conical roof, recently re-slated using ‘Tullycavey' slate, with a large, gutterless overhang (c.60cm).

4. Cottages

To the N of the dairy and within the orchard is a 3m high brick wall stretching almost the width of the orchard. To the N side of this wall are two lean to single storey (with ‘curved’ dormers) farm worker’s cottages.

Historical information

This site appears to have been in use as a farmyard since at least the 1780s, its positioning probably chosen in accordance with Robert Stewart’s (ultimately unfulfilled) plans for the new house on nearby Bean Hill.

In 1815 there was a fire in the yard. Robert wrote to his son, Castlereagh, describing the scene of devastation, “As to my dairy and cattle yard conflagration:- the whole of the sheds, both inside and out of the yard, were quite destroyed, as the lofts were full round with hay and no separate partition wall, and had it not been for the presence of mind of Greenfield, the land steward, who cut off the communication by sawing the timber and making a part of the roof fall in, the barn, the thrashing machine, stabling, coach house and all the offices would have been burnt, to which I may add the whole of my [?haggard] containing all my grain, would have been in a blaze”.

In 1816-17, the account books reveal that much of the complex “being burned” was rebuilt. Much of the ‘S’ shaped section along with the dovecote is shown on the OS map of 1834, a form which appears to have remained largely the same until the 1870s, when much of the Mount Stewart farm land was let, and Stewards' houses built in the SW corner by the tenant. The dairy may have been [re]built during this period also. Today the farmyard is still in use, but the dairy and orchard are largely derelict.

For more historical information concerning the Mount Stewart estate and the Londonderrys see ref. HB24/04/052.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.3030/H/31 Castlereagh Papers Letter from Viscount Londonderry to Castlereagh 1815
2 PRONI D.654/H1/5 Londonderry Papers Estate ledger 1810-19
3 PRONI OS/6/3/11/1 OS maps, Down 11, 1834
4 PRONI VAL/1B/33 First valuation, Greyabbey, c.1834-38
5 PRONI VAL/2B/3/4 Second valuation, Greyabbey, c.1859
6 PRONI OS/6/3/11/2 OS maps, Down 11, 1860
7 PRONI VAL/12B/23/16a-f Annual valuation revision books, 1866-1930
7 PRONI OS/6/3/11/3 Ordnance Survey Maps, 1901

Secondary sources
1 Anne Casement, 'Mount Stewart landscape study' (National Trust Northern Ireland Region, 1995)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Large, sprawling, two and single storey mainly rubble-built but somewhat eclectic farmyard complex, dating from c.1816 but much added to in the 1870s with the addition of two large two storey stewards' houses and the (probable) rebuilding of the dairy. The property serves the Mount Stewart estate.