Old doorway in NW boundary wall of priory bawn (to rear of 37 Court Street), former Castle Gardens, west of Canal Row, Newtownards, Co Down, BT23 3NU

Old Doorway in Priory Bawn Boundary Wall, Newtownards

This is the blocked remains of a doorway set within the north-west boundary wall of the former Castle Gardens, west of Canal Row in Newtownards. The wall itself encloses what was originally medieval priory land. The doorway now stands filled with rubble, but its moulded architrave remains visible, featuring a semicircular arch with impost stones and carved decoration to the spandrel abutments. Dressed stones extend beyond the jambs on either side.

The doorway probably dates from the early 17th century, when Hugh Montgomery acquired the land belonging to the medieval priory of Newtown and repaired, extended and adapted the old priory buildings for use as a parish church. Between approximately 1611 and 1618, Montgomery built himself a substantial mansion from the ruins just south of the church and either repaired or constructed this boundary wall around his 'Castle Garden', adding flanking towers. The doorway's resemblance to another doorway on a tower he added to the repaired church suggests it dates from this same period.

On the opposite side of the wall, at the rear of No. 37 Court Street, the gateway outline shows a cruder-looking arch with stone dressings. Further east stand the remains of what appear to be two roughly square gate piers with moulded pedestal courses and entablature, complete with moulded architrave and cornice topped by a blocking course. The space between these pillars, approximately 3 metres wide, is now filled with rubble and brick. This larger gateway to the east appears to have been the main entrance to the bawn.

Following Montgomery's death, the whole plot was acquired by Captain Robert Colvill in 1675. Colvill remodelled the house, which had suffered severe fire damage in 1664, and built a chapel next to the church. The Colvill lands were purchased by Alexander Stewart in 1744, but the site was gradually abandoned by the new owner. By the late 19th century, the old church had served as a courthouse between 1817 and 1850, and a large flax mill was subsequently sited within the former Castle Garden itself, with rear gardens of recently built Court Street houses lying to the north of the wall. The doorway was likely blocked around this time.

To the north-east of the main gateway stood what appears to have been a late medieval tower house, already in ruins by the early 1600s but reused by Montgomery during his refurbishment of the priory buildings.

This structure is protected under monuments legislation.