Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB18/17/018

Address :
Lower Farm courtyard off Demesne Road Seaforde Demense near Seaforde Downpatrick Co Down BT30 8PF

Townland:
Seaforde Demesne

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
11/02/1980 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Farm Buildings

Former Use
Farm Buildings

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
223/16

IG Ref:
J3935 4270

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

Formal, rubble-built, two storey hipped roof farm outbuilding with cupola bellcote, the front wing of a large courtyard farm complex built in 1859. The building is constructed close to the SW boundary of the Seaforde Estate close to the Demesne Road entrance, roughly a mile NW of the small village of Seaforde, c.5 miles NE of Castlewellan. The front (N) façade is symmetrical with a central elliptical headed coach arch with in/out dressings above which is a small blind oculus. A small keystone has the date inscription A.D. 1859. To left and right are two sash windows (4/4) to ground and first floors The windows all have in/out stone dressings with a small keystone. The dressings are 25mm proud of the wall face [which could suggest that it was originally intended that the random rubble walls would be rendered]. To centre of the first floor of both the short E and W façades is a sheeted door. To the ground floor of the E façade there is a single storey projecting portion which merges with a long single storey rubble-built wing to the S. The W façade merges with a largely two-storey (mainly rendered) wing which includes a dwelling. All these wings (plus another single storey one to the S) form a courtyard complex. To the S the complex is abutted by large more recent outbuildings. The rear (S) elevation of the main front block has a sash window (2/2) directly above the elliptical headed coach arch. To the right is a plain sheeted door. All these openings have plain rendered dressings. The N front and W and E façades of the block are unrendered, with the S rear façade is rendered and white washed. The block has a hipped roof with a small, cupola-like, wooden bellcote (bell missing) to the centre of the ridge. The roof is covered with natural blue/grey slate. To the coach arch there is a timber sheeted door, with plain rendered surround, to the W side.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

This farmyard complex was built in 1859 by William Brownlow Forde, the then owner of the Seaforde estate. It appears to have replaced a small farm building shown on the 1834 OS map. The revised OS map of 1858 shows what may be the present block in the process of construction- or perhaps previous buildings added to the site after 1834. References- Primary sources 1 PRONI D.366 Forde papers 2 PRONI OS/6/3/36/1 OS map, Down sh 36, 1834 3 PRONI OS/6/3/36/2 OS map, Down sh 36, c.1858 4 PRONI 2nd valuation, Loughinisland, c.1860 [in print] 5 PRONI OS/6/3/36/3 OS map, Down sh 36, c.1901

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Well proportioned and detailed large courtyard farm complex built in 1859. It has group value with the other Seaforde estate buildngs.

General Comments

Date of Survey

18 July 2000