Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB16/10/018

Address :
Templegowran House 39 Hilltown Road Newry Co Down BT34 2HJ

Townland:
Derryleckagh

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
11/11/1981 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

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OS Map No:
266/8

IG Ref:
J1247 2668

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

Symmetrical late 18thC single storey/ three bay gentleman’s residence, in a mature
setting on S-side of Hilltown Road. The property is U-plan (base of the U facing E) with the rear wings advancing W and enclosing a small house yard between them. The S wing is two storey to its W end. To W, beyond the house and in line with the wings is a farmyard. Main House Hipped natural slate roof which bows to front pitch over the bowed left and right bays. The rear pitch and wings have been recovered in artificial slates. There are two tall concrete coped front chimneys to the main house, one to either end of the ridge. There is a pair of similar chimneys on the ridge of each wing. The W end of the N wing has an irregular dashed chimney. Advanced eaves course carries half-round rainwater goods (which bow with the left and right bays). Principal (E) elevation Walls are lined rendered and painted with stepped V-channelled quoins to either end. Chamfered base course steps up to the central door case which is flanked by 19thC wall mounted lights with wrought iron bases. Main entrance has three bow fronted granite steps (half round in plan). Tiled threshold. Doorway contains a pair of narrow six-panelled (top and bottom panels are horizontal) doors with iron door pull. It is flanked by ¾-height three paned sidelights with granite cills, and over is a semi-circular fanlight with two vertical divisions. Its architrave has granite base blocks and is plain. The left and right bays bow forward. Each contains a pair of tripartite windows. These have a 6/6 exposed box, sliding sash flanked by 2/2 sashes, with a common granite cills. All sash boxes have an applied moulding at reveal. All windows are sliding sashes with granite cills unless otherwise stated. Left (S) elevation of main house This elevation is in two parts, comprising main house (single storey) at the right, and servant’s accommodation (two storey) at the left. Beyond this at left is the S wall of the farmyard (see later). The right bay (main house) is three bays wide and slate hung to central and right bays. Left bay is harled. Left and central bays each have a pair of 6/6 windows, within a common opening right bay is blank. The extreme right sash window has had the cill dropped to ground level and a small timber door inserted to permit its use as a French window. At ground level the central and right bays each have a fixed linear three paned basement window. The two storey servant’s accommodation is four bays wide. Pitched natural slate roof. There are two rendered and painted chimneys - one between central and outer bays on each side. Walls are coursed granite and harled. Its right wall, where it rises over the house roof is blank. Ground floor (from left): An 8/8 sliding sash to the first bay, the second bay has a semi-elliptical headed doorway containing a t+g sheeted door and a 6/6 window. The remaining two bays each have a pair of 6/6 windows. There is a single window to each bay at first floor, left one is a 9/3 and others are 6/3. Right (N) elevation of the main house This elevation is four bays wide. All but the fourth bay has tripartite windows as those to façade but NOT bowed. The fourth bay has a pair of smaller reproduction 6/6 sashes with horns (this bay once had a garage doorway that has been infilled). To right (W) the wall continues as the N wall of a farmyard outbuilding (see later). Walls are unrendered. To left end is a single 6/6 sash and to its right is a low broad t+g sheeted door into house yard. Exposed gable has a 2/2 vertically divided sash window set to right of attic. Rear elevation of main house The rear elevation of the front block is abutted to left and right by the wings, only a small central portion remains and it is cement rendered with a 4x2 paned fixed modern window. Each wing encloses a very narrow house yard. The roof of each wing cat-sides to a much lower eaves level than that of the external elevations. The S wing has a single sky light on its yard facing pitch and the N wing has two similar skylights on its yard facing pitch. Yard facing wall of each wing is harled random rubble. N wing The N wing has a hipped roof at left-end and is also five openings wide. The left two and the fifth opening contain a 6/3 sash, the third has a pair of 6/3 and the fourth opening is an original broad t+g sheeted door. The end (W) gable of this wing is dashed and painted and completely abutted at ground floor. To centre is an abutting chimney breast, which rises and terminates in a single pot. To its right is a small 2/2 vertically divided exposed box sliding sash window. At ground floor right the corridor roof advances beyond the line of the gable and ends in a hip. Its end wall being rubble stone and blank. At ground floor left an outbuilding abuts. Walls are rubble stone. Its N wall is flush with the N wall of this wing and has a broad sheeted door with a window opening to its immediate left. Its end gable abuts the level change of the farmyard. Its house yard facing elevation is open to left and at right there is a broad sheeted door. Its mono-pitched corrugated cement roof sloped into the yard. S wing The S wing is five opening wide. The left two each contain a pair of 6/3 sashes, the third and fifth have single 6/3 sashes and the fourth opening is an original broad a t+g sheeted door. Its two storey servant’s accommodation is three windows wide to first floor - all are 6/3 sashes and are equally spaced. Three quarters of ground floor are abutted by the cat slide roof from the S wing roof, which continues along here. The remaining right wall has a semi-elliptical archway leading to a passage into the S garden. Passage walls are lined rendered and painted. Inside, on the right cheek is a four panelled bolection moulded door. The W gable of two storey block is abutted by a block of two storey accommodation (a former separate apartment) which partially encloses the W end of the house yard. Two storey former apartment block This building was once a separate apartment. It has a pitched natural slate roof which, ties into the yard facing pitch of servant’s accommodation. Walls are lined rendered and painted. Its (E) yard facing elevation has two doors at ground floor. Left one is t+g sheeted door, and right one is t+g sheeted door with glazed upper section (leads into a WC). There is a small fixed window with concrete cill set to first floor left. The corner at ground floor right is chamfered (to ground floor only) and a bell hangs from it. Its end (N) gable has a modern casement window to first floor centre. At ground floor the level changes and ramps up (from left to right) into farmyard at W. Its rear (W) elevation faces into the farm yard and the level changes so that ground level is in line with the first floor on the W elevation. The roof cat-slides at left over a small store. To centre is the entrance with concrete steps and granite flagged threshold. Reproduction door is six-panelled (top and bottom ones horizontal) with ¾ height three-paned sidelights and granite cills. Farmyard Farmyard is raised to rear of house yard. It is enclosed to N and S by ranges of outbuildings, to E by the former apartment block attached to the house (see above) and to W by a rubble stone wall with semi-elliptical headed coachway. There is a second similar coachway on the N wall accessing the main drive; both have been brought from elsewhere. The S range contains a coach house and a barn. Coach house has a pitched natural slate roof. Walls are in rubble stone with some brick dressings. Its yard facing wall has a 6/6 sliding sash window at left, and the rest is filled with four open segmental headed archways, large enough to park cars in. The barn has a pitched natural slate roof and is slightly set back from the coach house. It has a t+g sheeted door to centre flanked by a small narrow opening to either side. To first floor set to the left is a loading door. Its left, right and rear walls are blank, those to right and rear forming the outer boundary of the farmyard. The N edge of the farmyard is enclosed by mostly modern outbuildings, with an earlier dovecote structure between them. The new buildings are in random rubble with slate roofs and are well built. All have pitched natural slate roofs. At left are two open segmental headed archways. To centre is the dovecote which has a little wall head gablet to its roof, with openings for the birds. Its t+g sheeted door is accessed by six roughly dressed granite steps, which rise up its right side. To right end are stabled, all with t+g half doors. Right and left gables of the outbuildings are blank. Its rear (N) wall forms the S boundary of the walled garden and has a doorway to dovecote. Setting House is accessed by a straight drive running S from Hilltown Road. The gates and lodge are HB16/10/021. On W side of drive is dense woodland, which thins out as a maintained Beech copse to S end (nearest house). To W beyond the copse is a walled garden; enclosed by high rubble stone walls, its S boundary is the N wall of the farmyard. Walled garden has modern landscaping and a pony paddock. To E of house, on entry from main road, is a modern yard (of no interest) containing a number of WW2 Nissan type huts, many more of which have been removed from the walled garden and grounds. To the immediate N of the house is a small raised area of lawn, which is very flat and accessed by a flight of steps on its E side. To E immediately opposite the house is a field (probably once the front lawn) containing a massive and aged Oak tree. Beyond is Derryleckagh Mill (HB16/10/019). There is a small informal garden with lawn to the S of the property with a granite paved path along the edge of the house.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

Attributed by Archaeological Survey to late 1700s. In 1797 its was the residence of Mr and Mrs John Gordon, owner of the adjoining spinning mill (HB16/10/019). Mr Gordon, a man of some prominence in the Newry Volunteer Movement, was arrested for seditious practices on 28th May of that year. He and other Newry men were sent to Belfast under guard. Upon his arrest, Mrs Gordon mounted her horse and urgently pursued the escort from Newry to Belfast. There she took steps to have her husband released, and on returning to her horse the next morning, found it was dead from exhaustion. Mrs Gordon succeeded in proving her husband’s innocence. She returned to Templegowran House accompanied by him, with a reminder of the gallant steed, its tail, mounted in a glass box. Mr Gordon died aged 84 on 22 March1833 and his wife in 1840, aged 80. In 1898, the tail was presented by the Cooper family (then in residence at Templegowran) to the people of Newry to mark the centenary of the 1798 rebellion and it now hangs in Newry Town Hall. The house is shown in its present form on the 1834 OS 6” map. It was used by American Troops during WW2 and has had a number of occupants since (the present ones since the early 1980s). Primary Sources: 1. PRONI OS map, 1st edition (1834), Co Down sheet 47. 2. Information from owners in 1999. Secondary Sources: 1. M. Jope (ed), ‘Archaeological Survey of County Down’ (Belfast 1966), p.389. 2. Text accompanying horse tail exhibit in Newry Town Hall (attributed to late 19thC historian Francis Crossle).

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form H+. Alterations enhancing the building I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting K. Group value

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest X. Local Interest X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This attractive late 18thC U-plan residence is set in mature landscaped grounds and is associated with its former lodge (HB16/10/021) and Derryleckagh Mills (HB16/10/019). It has two impressive principal rooms with bowed front and rear walls, fine chimney pieces and delicate detailing. The rest of the house, although plainer, retains much of its original character.

General Comments

Date of Survey

01 September 1999