Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB16/04/006

Address :
Mourne Wood Lurganconary Road Kilkeel Newry Co Down BT34 4LL

Townland:
Ballynahatten

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Survey 2:
Record Only

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

Date of De-listing:
13/03/1987 00:00:00

Current Use:
House

Former Use
Rectories/ Manses etc

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
Yes

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OS Map No:
284/11

IG Ref:
J2792 1211

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

Substantial two-storey (+ attic and basement)/ three-bay Georgian house with returns and adjoining farm outbuildings on east side of Lurganconary Road. The main section of the house comprises two blocks: one aligned east-west and five openings wide, and the second aligned north-south at the east end of the first block, and four openings wide. 1. East-west block This block has a pitched natural slate roof with plain verges. There is a cement rendered and granite coped chimney on each gable. Rainwater goods are half-round cast-iron, now mostly gone. Walls are painted wet dashed with corbelled eaves. Principal elevation faces south with main entrance in middle bay. Three granite steps rise to a granite-paved threshold, formerly with a gabled porch, the marking of which survives on the main block. Entrance consists of a pair of glazed and panelled doors (single bottom panel and six glazed panes over) with a radial segmental fanlight over and set within a segmental headed encasement with ashlar granite jambs and voussoirs. There are two windows to ground floor left and to right bays and five to first floor, in line with ground floor openings. All are 6/6 sliding sashes with painted granite cills. Left gable of main block is abutted to ground floor left by a single storey/ two bay return. Dash on exposed section of main block is partially missing revealing a mixture of red brick and granite random rubble. A narrow buttress (containing a chimney flue) abuts extreme left. There is a 6/6 sliding sash to first floor left (smaller than those to façade) and a 4/8 to attic right. A similar window to attic left has been infilled with brick and its granite cill removed. The return has a pitched roof (slates mostly missing) which is advanced over a projecting bay window to front right on south-facing main facade. It has a dashed brick chimney on its left gable. Its walls are dashed and unpainted over random rubble. Windows in right-hand bay are large cast iron lattice casements. Left bay has a 6/6 sash. Left gable is blank. Rear wall has a door out and is also abutted by a one-storey outbuilding to the yard. The rear elevation is abutted at middle and left by two returns (Return 1 and 2 respectively – described below). The exposed section of wall at right is now missing some of its render, exposing random rubble below. There is 6/6 sliding sash at ground floor and none to first floor. A slated hipped dormer breaks the eaves with an 8/8 window (bottom sash missing). Right gable of main block is abutted by the 19th century addition. 2. North-south block A two-storey/ two bay structure rising to same eaves height as first block, but without attic; only one bay deep. Hipped natural slate roof. Rendered brick chimney rises from rear right (as viewed from east). Rainwater goods missing. Walls are painted dash over a moulded granite base course (also dashed below). Finely dressed stepped quoins to all corners, and projecting eaves as first block. The principal elevation faces east. It has four regularly spaced 6/6 sliding sash windows to each floor, all in line with one another. All windows have painted granite cills. The left gable faces south and advances forward of the principal elevation to the east-west block. It has a recessed panel with segmental head at first floor level (a similar detail can be found on Kilmorey Arms Hotel, Kilkeel, HB 16/03/012). This panel contains a tall 6/6 sash window to ground floor, and a slightly shorter 6/6 sash to first floor. The right gable, which projects well beyond the two-bay depth of the first block, is blank. It is abutted by a one-storey farm outbuilding. Save for a small section of wall at its north end, the rear elevation is entirely abutted by a Return 2 of the first block. The exposed wall was formerly abutted at ground floor by a lean-to porch, only a trace of which now survives. There is a tiny sash window to the first floor. 3. Return 1 Return to middle bay of east-west block is three storeys high (but same height as main block). It has a pitched natural slate roof (now largely gone) which ties into rear pitch of main block. On gable to yard is a partially collapsed cement rendered chimney. Dash to walls is part missing. Ground floor is blank. At first floor are two 6/6 sliding sashes (sashes now gone to left one). At second floor are two 8/8 sashes (right one now gone). The right cheek of this return is blank save for a 6/6 sliding sash at ground floor left and a tiny four paned casement to its right. The left cheek is completely abutted by return 2. 4. Return 2 This is the same height at Return 1 and accommodates two stairwells (see internal description). Its yard gable has a hipped natural slate roof (slates gone) and the other end ties into rear pitch of main block. It exposed gable is dashed - some has fallen away, so exposing brick walling identical to Return 1; its extreme left side is slate hung. There is a distinct wall break between the returns at ground floor level; the walls are continuous above. It is likely that Return 1 was originally one storey high, but raised to three storeys when Return 2 was added. At ground floor there are three openings: that to right is an 8/8 sliding sash window and those to middle and left are segmental brick headed door openings which lead into a rear passage. At first floor right is a window opening (probably once 6/6 sliding sash) which lights the servants’ stairwell. To its left is a tall 6/6 sash window, with spoked semicircular head, lighting the main stairwell. To second floor right is an 8/8 sliding sash window to the servants’ stairwell. The right cheek of this return is abutted by Return 1, and the left cheek by the north-south block. 5. Farm outbuildings Outbuildings enclose yard to rear of house (Yard 1); there is a second yard beyond, also enclosed by outbuildings (Yard 2). All buildings have natural slate roofs, cement dashed walls and some ashlar dressings. The two most notable features are the entrances to each yard. That to Yard 1 is at the north-west corner and comprises a large semi-elliptical coachway with finely dressed granite jambs and splayed voussoirs, with a pair of sheeted timber doors. Entrance to Yard 2 is also on west side. Entrance is flanked by ashlar gate piers, the right one of which rises to a small bell-cote (bell gone). In yard 1 is a cow-tailed water pump, the head of which is embossed “W. Weir Ballyroney”. Although complete, it is not working. There were formerly landscaped and planted grounds to front, of which little trace now survives as much sand extraction has taken place to south of house. No 11 Lurganconary Rd (grid J 2764 1193) was formerly a one-storey gate lodge (HB16/04/056) associated with the house; it has been entirely modernised and is now of no architectural interest. There was a second gate lodge in the vicinity of grid J 282 120, of which no traces remain (cleared during the second world war).

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

Current owner believes it to be of late 18th century date. Shown in present form (with exception of Yard 2) on 1834 OS 6” map and captioned as ‘rectory’. According to 1834 Valuation, Rev. John F. Close (rector of Christ Church, Kilkeel; HB16/03/007A) was then in occupation. Valuation was £44.13s.0d, making it the most valuable building in this area outside of Kilkeel. The earliest known record of an association between the church and house is 1826. It is possible than an existing house was enlarged at this time. If so, the most likely sequence is that the east-west block and its middle rear return (containing stairwell) were erected in late 1700s. The north-south block and Return 2 were then added in 1820s; the first floor of the middle return would have been taken down and re-erected to tie in with this second return House purchased from the church by Rev. Close on his retirement in the 1880s. Yard 2 had been added by 1901; the building is now captioned ‘Mourne Wood’ (as opposed to ‘Mourne Rectory’ on 1859 map). The 1942 Land registry map of the area shows the large gardens to be enclosed by a belt of mixed woodland. To NE of the house is a small planted area with paths laid out in a picturesque walk. The main drive runs from Cranfield Road to Lurganconary Road and has a lodge at either end (ref HB16/04/056). Two short drives run north from the main one to the house; within the enclosed central portion (on north side of drive) is a lawn and a planted area. To west of the house there is a linear group of buildings and an enclosed area that may be a walled garden. Owner states that during WW2 the property was requisitioned by the Air Ministry and the gardens were cleared of mature trees and bushes, to accommodate the construction of the Greencastle Aerodrome. The airfield administration centre (HB16/04/054) was constructed on the front (tennis) lawns and aircraft hard-standings were laid to south of the main drive. During this time the east lodge was demolished. The property was sold by the MoD in the early 1960s. Primary Sources: 1. Mrs Lydia Annett, Kilkeel. 2. OS 6" map, 1st edition (1834) Co Down sheet 57 (PRONI OS/6/3/57/1) 3. PRONI- VAL 1B/390B, p.224 (1834 valuation) 4. OS 6" map, 2nd edition (1859) Co Down sheet 57 (PRONI OS/6/3/57/2) 5. PRONI- VAL 2B/3/81C, p.11 (1863 valuation). 6. OS 6" map, 3rd edition (1901) Co Down sheet 57 (PRONI OS/6/3/57/3). 7. 1942 Land Registry map.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

Not listed

Historic Interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A substantial Georgian house, the imposing exterior of which contrasts with its restrained interior (as would befit a minister’s house). Interesting developed plan form and separation of servants’ quarters from main house. Loss of fabric and detail compromises its value and it no longer merits listing.

General Comments

Date of Survey

16 September 1998