Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB16/07/031 C

Address :
House Yard at Cabra House 10 Cabra Road Rathfriland Newry Co Down BT34 5EW

Townland:
Cabragh

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
28/03/2003 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Outbuildings

Former Use
Outbuildings

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
Partially

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OS Map No:
254/2

IG Ref:
J2515 3398

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

A two storey (+ semi-basement) / three bay symmetrical neo-classical mid 19th C country house (HB16/07/031A) with house yard behind (1), farmyard to W (2) and walled garden to S (3), all in mature grounds on W side of Cabra Road; approached through gates and screen along avenue. 1. House Yard Yard is paved in granite cobbles and is enclosed by two storey outbuildings. That abutting left of rear elevation is two storey / three bay, (former estate office). It has a pitched natural slate roof aligned N-S. Dashed brick chimney between left and central bays (as viewed from yard). Advanced ashlar granite eaves course carries semicircular plastic rainwater goods. Left gable has granite skews. Its yard facing elevation is wet dashed rubble stone. Left and right bays are narrower than the central one. At ground floor left is an infilled doorway containing a modern 1/1 window with a concrete cill. To centre is a wider original window with granite cill containing another modern window. The right bay has a segmental headed doorway containing a modern glazed plywood door. The first floor openings are in line with the ground floor ones. At left is a 6/3 sliding sash with granite cills. To centre (in opening same size as ground floor one) is a 10/5 sliding sash. To right is a small window with granite cill containing the frame of a casement. Left gable is abutted by the other outbuildings (a coach arch) and is painted and rendered within. Rear elevation faces E (into gardens at right of house) and is much altered. Its openings are as follows: to ground floor left is a modern 1/1 window with concrete cill. To centre is a large modern (1970s) bay window with tiled lean-to roof and plain timber windows. On right bay is a plywood door. There are no first floor openings, although marks in the dash suggest there were single rectangular windows to left and middle bays. Coach arch and wall continue at right. This elevation has a small garden enclosed by rubble granite walls that also retain the higher ground level to E and S. Right gable is pedimented and meets the right hand corner of the main house; no openings. Back to yard. The remaining three sides of yard are enclosed by two storey outhouses. All are derelict, with pitched natural slate roofs and whitewashed rubble walls. Openings are mostly sheeted timber doors, small rectangular windows (most timberwork is gone, although sometimes they containing 3/3 sliding sashes), and segmental headed coach ways and cart ways. The E block has a coachway to the gardens, two cart stores and a small ground floor workroom. The N block has three workrooms and a coach house. The W block has a coachway to a second yard, a flight of external stone stairs with dog kennel incorporated below stairs, two work rooms and a pedestrian way to the second yard. 2. Farmyard Second yard slopes W. It is enclosed to the E by the W block of the house yard, to the N by a two storey / single bay outbuilding (a continuation of the N block of the house yard); the rest of this boundary has a gateway and a much altered lean-to block at W end. The gates are set within a segmental headed archway with dressed granite quoins and jambs. Gates are original wrought iron with spiked finials and lead out into a rear lane. Its S boundary is a high rubble granite wall fronting the gardens of the house and is abutted by a long range of lean-to animal houses. These all have pitched natural slate roofs, granite skews, brick eaves, granite walls, low segmental headed doorways with granite jambs (containing slots for door / gate bolts). These block step down in stages, five bays, three bays, and three bays, (its third contains a gateway through to the garden). A similar range of outbuildings beyond these have no roofs (may never have had), their walls forming small yards with small kennels / animal houses within each one. The W boundary is a high rubble stone wall, from its centre advancing into the yard is a modern single storey concrete block outbuilding with corrugated asbestos roof. The areas to the N and W of the yard have been developed into a poultry farm, with a number of large low timber sheds (in separate ownership). The N group of poultry sheds seem to have been built on a third yard attached to the house yard; walls have been cleared, but remnants can still be seen. 3. Walled Garden The walled garden forms the southern boundary of the demesne. Its high walls are granite rubble brought to courses and access is through a number of gates on N wall and one on E wall. It is grassed internally. The gardens to S and E of house are planted with mature beech trees, ground falls to the S, and here is an ornamental pond. The drive runs SE from the house to a gate screen and lodge on the E boundary with Cabra Road (HB16/07/031B) and in separate ownership.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

A house is shown at Cabragh on Kennedy’s 1755 map. It is possible that this was the residence of Arthur Maginis (d1737) and his wife Catherine (nee Hall), (d1713) whose memorial is in Clonduff Churchyard, (HB16/07/014). Hugh Magennis of the Royal Downshire Militia inherited the lands in 1802. The property was subsequently purchased by Alexander McMullan, a Castlewellan business man and founder of the firm later known as Mooney Bros. Although a building is shown hereabouts on the 1833 OS 6’’ map, the complex does not assume its present form, complete with outbuildings and yards, until the 1859 edition. This indicates a mid 19th C erection date by McMullan. He also erected a mausoleum in the churchyard of St Mary’s RC Church (HB16/07/030B) for his son Patrick Francis who died on the 29th May 1841 aged 22 years. One of McMullan’s daughters married George Henry Gartland (who was occupant in 1861). His successors were resident into the 1970s, the last one being Major General Gerald Ian Gartland CBE, MC, DL, JP who addressed the crowd at the unveiling of the war memorial in Rathfriland (HB16/08/007) on 10th August 1955. The house has had a succession of owners up until c1994 when the present occupant purchased it. Primary Sources: 1. Kennedy’s map of Co Down, 1755 (PRONI: T1006/1). 2. First edition OS 6’’ map 1833, Co Down sheet 42. 3. 2nd edition OS 6’’ map 1859, Co Down sheet 42. 4. Second valuation book, c.1861 (PRONI: VAL 2B/3/49B, p.25). 5. Information from occupant in 1999. Secondary Sources: 1. W.H. Carson, “Historic Clocks of Co Down, Rathfriland War Memorial Clock” Mourne Observer 1980. 2. J.A. McCracken “Rathfriland Local History” (notes in Rathfriland Public Library, John Street).

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

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

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A large and imposing yard serving Cabra House. Complete and virtually unaltered.

General Comments

Date of Survey

19 March 1998