Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB09/05/001 A

Address :
Killymoon Castle 60 Castle Road Cookstown BT80 8TN

Townland:
Killymoon Demesne

---

Survey 2:
A

Date of Listing:
01/10/1975 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Country House

Former Use
Country House

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

---

OS Map No:
124/12

IG Ref:
H8226 7648

---

Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

An extensive two- to three- storey sandstone building with a basement, laid out on an asymmetrical plan, with three-storey circular and octagonal towers connecting lower blocks, designed in a Norman inspired round-arched castle style except for the earlier wing which has both rectangular and Gothic arched openings. It overlooks the Ballinderry River in its own parkland on the edge of Cookstown. The main entrance faces east. The east elevation consists of a two-storey two-bay rectangular block in Norman style with a taller square porte-cochere projecting at the right hand side, with various other towers and blocks sitting well back to the rear and right hand side. Roofs of the main entrance front are hidden behind crenellated parapets. Walling of the rectangular block is of coursed rough dressed sandstone with ashlar dressings, with crenellations above a moulded cornice, and a battered plinth below a moulded stringcourse. There are two main windows in the front face, one to each main floor, consisting of coupled two-light Gothic timber lancets and a small spandrel light set in semi-circular arched openings. The lancets are sashed 1 over 1, both with and without horns, set between circular timber colonnettes with small Norman style scalloped capitals carrying moulded arches. The sandstone reveals are stop-chamfered and the arch is surrounded by a drip moulding. The spandrel light in the first floor window is blind. Below in the basement are two further windows, a semi-circular arched lunette of coupled Gothic arches with a spandrel light, and a very small partly arched opening in the corner with the porte-cochere. The porte-cochere has walling entirely of ashlar except for the plinth. It is buttressed with octagonal corner piers terminating above the crenellated parapet in pointed domical stone pinnacles. On the east front the pinnacles are embellished with narrow arrow-loop recesses, while on the north face the central crenellation is surmounted by a short stub chimney pot topped with a crown. The porte-cochere has a tall moulded semi-circular arched opening of three orders, in the front and to the sides. The engaged circular colonnettes have scalloped capitals and the arches have chevron mouldings. An unusual feature is the series of small Coade-stone terminal bosses to the drip mouldings of the archways in the form of human heads, some of a grotesque type. Above the front archway in the first floor is a shallow canted oriel window in timber supported on three stone corbel courses with a moulded cill. The windows comprise a two-light to the front, consisting of a pair of coupled Gothic lancets sashed as previous, without horns, surmounted by a small spandrel light all set in a semi-circular arched frame, with a single Gothic lancet, also sashed, in the sides. Marking the springing points on the front angles are a pair of carved wooden human heads of hirsute and wild appearance, with pointed ears. Through the archways the porte-cochere has a stone rib-vaulted ceiling rising from corner colonnettes which sit on battered bases. In the rear wall is a pair of Tudor arched timber panelled double doors set in a rectangular Tudor arched opening with a crenellated top surmounted by a round arched fanlight of intersecting Gothic tracery. The south elevation is of similar character, style, and materials to the entrance front. It is of two storeys on a basement, dominated by a circular tower in a central position, and terminated at the western end, without any visually separating projection or recession, by an octagonal tower. Both towers have their top courses of walling constructed of ashlar sandstone, the lower part being of coursed squared rubble with ashlar dressings. They both carry machicolated crenellations on Gothic arched corbel courses. Some of the crenellations to the north side of the round tower appear to have been repaired in timber boarding and panelling, painted grey, presumably covering over decayed stonework. The round tower also has a smaller circular stair turret rising higher beside it, containing narrow rectangular slit window openings with a drip moulding. Windows are mainly two-light timber Gothic lancets set in semi-circular arched openings as previous, sashed 1 over 1, except where some are sashed 2 over 4 with tracery lights. The ground floor window to the left hand end is a timber six-light, each lancet sashed 1 over 1, set in an arcade of five intersecting Norman arches forming an impressive feature. To its right is the garden doorway, recessed in a semi-circular archway of two orders, of similar detailing to those of the porte-cochere, including Coade-stone stops to the drip mouldings, all set between projecting buttress-like pilasters. The doorway comprises a pair of rectangular glazed timber doors which form the lower lights of a two-light arrangement of coupled Gothic arched lancets set in a semi-circular head. It is approached by a flight of stone steps, bounded by a pierced parapet with pointed domical caps to the end piers all carried on a battered base which is open at the front where a segmental vault contains a rectangular two-light basement window. Other basement windows on the south front are of coupled two-centred arch form set in segmental arched surrounds. The west elevation extends from the octagonal tower at the right hand end to a two-storey block in the style of a Gothic chapel at the left hand end, with a square tower in a central position. From the octagonal tower to the square tower the walling, detailing, and overall character is as previous, the two-storey part containing a slightly smaller arcaded window of Norman intersecting arches, being only 5-light. There is also a canted oriel in the first floor of the square tower similar to that of the porte-cochere but with smaller pane divisions. Below it is another garden doorway approached by a flight of stone steps but less elaborate than that of the south front, the balustrading being plain, and the doorway being set in a plain surround. The two-storey end block to the north is of a different character to the preceding, being Gothic in style rather than Norman. This is part of the earlier house on the site which survived the fire of c 1800. It is three windows wide, each bay marked by three-stage buttresses surmounted by plain pinnacles, with a crenellated parapet, behind which is a pitched roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses. The first floor windows are large two-lights with cusped tracery lights, in Perpendicular Gothic style, set in Gothic arched openings surmounted by a drip moulding. The ground floor also contains two light windows, but much smaller, and comprising coupled angle-headed small paned lancets set in segmental arched openings, similar in style to basement windows elsewhere in the building but bigger. The north elevation has for the most part the character and appearance of a rear elevation due to a large portion of it, at the west side, being part of the earlier house which is of random rubble masonry without crenellations. The gable of the Gothic chapel-like block has a tall central projecting square belfry built partly of sandstone and partly of brickwork, with a crenellated top which contains a slightly pointed arched opening in each face. High in the wall to the left of the belfry are two rectangular windows containing small-paned casements, with a Tudor arched door surround projecting at basement level below. The east side of this block is of two storeys on a basement, constructed of sandstone rubble with smooth dressings to openings, crenellated parapet, and two-stage buttresses between window bays. Windows to the basement are mainly segmental arched, framed and glazed as previous to the south and west elevations, but one is modern, of glass bricks, set in a partly walled up semi-circular arched opening. Windows to the elevated ground floor are rectangular timber two-light casements with small panes set in sandstone block surrounds surmounted by a rectangular drip moulding. Two windows in the first floor are similar but smaller, while the two end bays each contain a narrow four-pane window of similar detailing. Set back beyond this buttressed block is a taller block constructed of sandstone rubble, partly crenellated, with one diagonal buttress; it contains the secondary entrance in its east face, below two windows in two tiers, two-light sashes in semi-circular arches. The doorway contains a replacement rectangular panelled door with Gothic arched glazing bars to the fanlight, all recessed in a moulded semi-circular arched surround. This block returns eastward in crenellated rubble sandstone form with two smaller paned two-light sashed windows in round arches in its east face surmounted by a cluster of tall chamfered stone chimneys on the north-east corner. Across the north face of this block at ground level is a sunken basement well reached by steps, with a pair of rectangular timber boarded doors set in a segmental arched opening in the battered base of the north wall. Set back slightly behind this block is the north wall of the main front block on the east elevation, which is of rubble sandstone, crenellated to the top, and containing one window at first floor level, a two-light in a round arch as previous to the main entrance front, with a half-lunette in the basement. Connected to the house on the north side by a crenellated wall extending to the north to screen the basement well in front of the earlier house, and integral with the overall towered composition of the main building, is a two-storey square tower of sandstone rubble with a crenellated parapet, and diagonal buttresses to the east face. There are wide Tudor arched openings in the ground floor of the east and south faces, with coupled Gothic arched lancets, containing the remnants of timber louvres, on the east, south, and west faces at first floor level. The open ground floor is covered by a groin vault. The north face contains a basket arched doorway which has perforated panels in its timber door reached by a flight of exterior stone steps. SETTING The building is approached by a long driveway through the demesne grounds which terminates in front of the castle, with a tarmac carpark on the north side, with neat lawns and flower beds beyond the driveway at the front. A substantial part of the former demesne is now a golf course. Beyond the castle to the east and west is grassed parkland while to the south the grassed area descends steeply to the bank of the river. On axis with the garden entrance on the south side is a set of stone steps leading down to a circular fountain which is now in a state of disrepair. Immediately to the north of the main building is a sunken rear yard surrounded by rubble stone walls which rises to a comparatively small rear garden. The rubble stone screen wall connected to the main building at the north-west corner contains a brick dressed gateway with a trellis-work garden gate, and continues northwards to abut a derelict rubble stone and brick dressed two-storey outbuilding dating from the 18th century. It has a semi-circular arched passage through it at the south end, running east to west, brick arched on the east wall and of rusticated sandstone on the west wall. To the north-west of this ruinous 18th century outbuilding is an extensive walled garden of rubble stone walls which are partly derelict. In the south wall is a Tudor-arched dressed stone gateway, in the style of John Nash, containing an original ironwork gate of arrow-head rails. Against the brick-lined south face of the north wall of the walled garden are the remnants of an extensive conservatory now in complete ruins. Against the north face of the north wall of the walled garden are lean-to stone sheds in poor condition. To the north-west of the walled garden are further walled enclosures containing various ruined outbuildings. To the east end of this complex, and standing well to the north of the main house is a yard enclosed on three sides by mid-to-late Victorian single-storey rubble stone outbuildings which contain a repetitive series of elliptical openings dressed in brickwork. To the north-east of the main house is an L-shaped range of 18th century outbuildings (HB09/05/002) described elsewhere, and to the east of it is an 18th century sawmill (HB09/05/001A) also described elsewhere. Lying between these two is a large gateway on the main drive comprising a pair of tall square sandstone piers with moulded cornices, of 18th century appearance, surmounted by brick finials which may be later, but now lacking their gates. Extending from these to the north is a curved screen wall terminating in a pair of circular stone piers hung with old ironwork gates of some visual charm. A modern bungalow lies to the south of the 18th century gateway. Well to the east of these various buildings and visible at long-range from the castle is an old four-arched hump-backed stone bridge over the Ballinderry River forming a picturesque element in the demesne, but with its parapets crudely repaired in both brickwork and concrete blockwork, and its approaches and carriageway laid in concrete.

Architects

Nash, John

Historical Information

Built in 1802-3 for Col James Stewart, to the designs of the English architect John Nash. Stewart's family had held the property since 1634. He had obtained plans for a new house incorporating parts of the old one, which had been destroyed by fire c 1800, from the Dublin architect Robert Woodgate, but in 1802 replaced him by Nash. Nash exhibited two drawings for his scheme at the Royal Academy in 1802. It was Nash's first castle in Ireland, and reputedly cost £80,000 to build. It was described in the Irish Penny Journal in 1841 as "one of the most aristocratic residences in the province of Ulster", with state apartments consisting of "a breakfast-parlour, dining room, ante-room and drawing-room, all of which are of noble proportions and their woodwork of polished oak". When sold in the 1880s the details of the sale referred to the demesne being almost entirely surrounded by a wall from 10 to 12 feet high; the park being entered by 4 lodges and avenues; containing two stone quarries, a huge quarry and kiln, a gravel pit, labourers' cottages, and two ornamental cottages; a walled garden and kitchen gardens, with lawns and ornamental shrubberies; vineries, peach and fig houses; a conservatory, stove, mushroom and forcing houses, potting sheds, tool houses, two excellent gardeners' dwelling houses, and an ice house. This park was evidently much approved of by Sir Joseph Paxton who wrote: "I have visited most of the celebrated country seats in the Kingdom and a very large number on the continent, and I have never seen one - for the extent of it - more compact, more perfect in itself, or where the highest natural beauties have been more aided by refined taste and judgment, than Killymoon". This demesne was, however, cut up and sold off in lots, mostly for its timber, in 1922. Part of it is now used as a golf course. Many of the elements referred to in the 1880s' sale details, such as the four gate lodges and the two gardeners' houses, no longer stand, while the conservatory is in complete ruins, but substantial 18th century outbuildings, for farm use, and an 18th century saw mill do still stand, intact, near to the castle. Col James Stewart sat as a member for Co Tyrone in the first united Parliament which met at Westminster in 1801. He was very much an absentee client for Nash and much of the supervision of the new castle fell to his wife. She is known, through surviving correspondence, to have been discussing the design of two cottages with Nash as late as 1805. For his part, Col Stewart is notorious for having 'lost' his new castle in a night's gambling, but the next day the winner, the Prince Regent (the future King George IV), told him he could keep his "little cabin" in Ireland. In 1850 the property was sold, at the death of William Stewart, who was unmarried, and was bought by the Moutray family. The present owner's family bought it at the break-up of the estate in 1922. References - Primary Sources 1. OS Map of 1833-4. 2. Exhibition of the Royal Academy 1803 (Numbers 908, 942) 3. Sketchbook of George Stanley Repton in the RIBA Drawing Collection 4. Undated Ground Floor Plan of the Castle from the Nash office. NLI. AD3536. 5. Clements Papers, Killadooon House, Co. KIldare. Secondary Sources 1. S. Lewis, A topographical dictionary of Ireland (London, 1837), Vol 1, pp 395 and 396. 2. Irish Penny Journal, Vol 1, No 41, 1841. 3. R.M. Young, Belfast and the Province of Ulster in the 20th Century (Brighton, 1909), p 202. 4. T. Davis, The Architecture of John Nash (Studio, London, 1960), p 23, plate 26, and plan 5. 5. T. Davis, John Nash: The Prince Regent's Architect (London, 1966), pp 37, 44-51, 107. 6. UAHS, Dungannon and Cookstown (Belfast, 1971), pp 22, 35 and 36. 7. B. de Breffny and R. ffolliott, The Houses of Ireland (London, 1975), p 193. 8. H. Dixon, An Introduction to Ulster Architecture (UAHS, Belfast, 1975), p 51. 9. B. de Breffny, Castles of Ireland (London, 1977), pp 156-157. 10. M. Bence-Jones, Burke's Guide to Country Houses, Vol 1: Ireland (London, 1978), p 173. 11. A.J. Rowan, The Buildings of Ireland: North-West Ulster (Harmondsworth, 1979), pp 50 and 334, plates 81 and 84. 12. J. Summerson, The Life and Work of John Nash, Architect (London, 1980), pp 44-45, 1929; illus. 14a and 14b. 13. M. Mansbridge, John Nash: A complete catalogue (London, 1991), pp 104-5, cat. no 74. 14.. Lever, Jill (ed.) Catalogue of the Drawing Collection of the Royal Institute of British Architects, L-N (1973), p110. 15. Lyons, Mary.1993. Illustrated Incumbered Estates. 1850-1905, p8. Illustration plate 16. Colvin, Howard 1995. Dictionary of Architects. 3rd edition, p692.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting K. Group value

Historic Interest

V. Authorship W. Northern Ireland/International Interest Z. Rarity

Evaluation

This is a well proportioned and highly picturesque late Georgian building of sandstone in a Norman-inspired 'Castle style' designed by the English architect John Nash. It was his first such 'castle' to be built anywhere in Ireland and stands as a rare and significant example of this type in Northern Ireland. It exhibits his usual range of round, octagonal, and square towers, replete with machicolated crenellations, as well as chevron-moulded arches and unusual ornamentation. Together with its 18th century outbuildings and the various other estate structures, the Castle forms a significant group of buildings, associated with a substantial family from an early date until the first part of the Twentieth century.

General Comments

At some point, an internal record must be obtained; the file will be flagged to this effect. This record has been renumbered from HB09/05/001.

Date of Survey

09 March 2008