Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB16/05/021 A

Address :
House Ballymagart Mill Ballyardle Road Kilkeel Newry Co Down BT34 4JX

Townland:
Ballymagart

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
14/08/1981 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
House

Former Use
House

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
Yes

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
284/7

IG Ref:
J2780 1426

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

Two storey/ three bay house with two storey annexe at right. Aligned N-S within a complex of associated mill buildings (see HB16/05/021B-E). Pitched natural slate roof to main house. Both gables have brick chimneys. Half-round cast iron rainwater goods with downpipe to right. Walls are wet dashed and painted with projecting eaves course. Walls continue to right (but lower) as annex. West elevation has main entrance on second bay from left which consists: vertical t+g sheeted door (diagonally sheeted internally, seems original) with cast iron knocker set within a gabled timber porch. Its roof is pitched and slated with turned finial and decorative bargeboard. To left and right of its open entrance, and continuing to cheeks, are diagonal t+g sheeted to dado level and timber latticework over. A pair of fretted timber corbels, which rise from the opening reveals, supports timber lintel of opening. Left bay has a single window and right has two. All are 6/6 exposed box sliding sash window with painted granite cill. There are four similar windows to first floor, in line with ground floor openings. Left gable has a door to ground floor and is abutted by a single storey stained timber lean-to conservatory with a door on its left cheek. At first floor left is a 2/2 sliding sash window. Rear elevation has at centre a single storey porch. Left of this are two2/2 sash windows (to kitchen) and to right are two similar windows (to rear corridor). There is also a 6/6 sash half-landing light to right of porch. At first floor are three 2/2 sash windows; one over the ground floor left window, second over porch and third over right window. Porch has a pitched natural slate roof, painted dashed walls. On right cheek is a 1/1 sliding sash on right cheek and a multi-paned painted modern timber door on left cheek. Right gable is abutted by the lower annex; exposed wall is rendered and blank. Annexe has a pitched natural slate roof with two cast iron skylights on rear pitch. Walls are as house but with three courses of painted brick (middle course is skew set) forming eaves. There are small four-paned casements to front and rear walls and a t+g sheeted door to rear. Right gable has a pair of vertical sheeted timber (top hung) sliding doors (with French windows inset behind). Centred over is a pair of four paned French windows opening onto a cantilevered balconette with modern wrought metal rail. Outhouses to rear enclose a yard on two sides. All are natural slated with painted dashed walls. East block is single storey with an open central section. North block has a two-storey barn to right and single storey stores to left. To south and south east of house are small vernacular dwellings, both single storey with pitched natural roofs and painted dashed walls. That to south is two bay with single sliding sash windows to each bay and a t+g sheeted door to right of centre. That to south east is three bay. Its door is t+g sheeted on right bay, and has top-hung casements (following glazing pattern of original sashes). Fields around site have traditional flat-iron gates between circular stone piers with conical pebble topped copings.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

This site was leased to James and Christopher Marmion, linen drapers, in 1789 and the house was probably extant by, or shortly after, this time. Wolf Tone is reputed to have visited in 1798, but further investigation has revealed this story to be without foundation. House and associated paper mill depicted on 1834 OS 6” map. Valuation of 1834 notes that belonged to Alexander McDonald, a Newry merchant, and leased to George Nesbitt; dimensions given as 20ft x 22ft 6in x 16ft. Alexander had married the daughter of a son of one of the Marmions. The house was seemingly enlarged lengthways in mid 19th century as its 1861 Valuation dimensions are given as 40ft x 22ft x twos storeys, with store of similar size. By this time, the paper mill was out of operation and had been superseded by corn and flax mills. The other houses in the vicinity were then occupied by the miller and flax scutchers. Primary Sources: 1. PRONI – OS 6/3/55/1(1834 OS map) (Down sheet 55). 2. PRONI- VAL 1B/390A, (1834 valuation) p.151 3. PRONI- VAL 2B/3/81B, (1861 valuation) p.44 4. PRONI- D 1201/223/27 (1853 encumbered estates rental notice for the lower half-townland of Ballymogart [sic]). Secondary Sources: 1. T Cunningham, ‘Political activity in Mourne in the 1700s’, in 12 Miles of Mourne, vol.1, (1987) pp. 22-23.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation H-. Alterations detracting from building H+. Alterations enhancing the building J. Setting K. Group value

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Substantial late 18th century vernacular house with mid 19th century additions in attractive rural setting and part of a significant group of industrial buildings.

General Comments

Date of Survey

06 August 1998