Ford Castle East Gateway, East Forecourt Wall And Handyman'S Cottage

FORD FORD CASTLE NT 9437 17/90 East Gateway, East Forecourt Wall and Handyman's Cottage GV II*

Gateway, forecourt walls and cottage. 1791 by J. Nisbet for Sir John Hussey Deleval. Cottage added c.1862 probably by David Bryce. Ashlar. Gothick style.

East wall 7 bays. Central pointed carriage arch with wood double gates and imitation portcullis; roll-moulded surround with square imposts; cornice with 2 rows of alternating dentils, like a billet moulding.

Large flanking semi-circular towers each with 3 arched niches on ground floor, strings with intersecting pointed arches. 3 roundels on 1st floors, 2 of them bearing quatrefoils; left tower has dovecote in centre roundel, right tower a clock. Friezes of hanging pointed arches. 3 pierced quatrefoils in each parapet.

Sections of castellated wall flank the towers,each with 2 cruciform slits. Square end towers with arched niches.

To rear and also occupying left end tower, the handyman's cottage: 2 storeys, 3 bays. Irregular and picturesque. Right bay has a large combined porch and chimney stack. Centre bay has 8 steps up to door, 16-pane sash on ground floor, 2-light mullioned window above. Left bay has 2-light window on ground floor and small 4-pane sash in gabled half-dormer above.

Stable block, now garages,attached to rear are not of special interest.

Listing NGR: NT9448437536