WWII Pillbox adj to Ulster Bus Depot, Downpatrick St, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34 is a Grade Record Only listed building in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon local planning authority area, Northern Ireland.
WWII Pillbox adj to Ulster Bus Depot, Downpatrick St, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34
- WRENN ID
- fossil-pewter-lake
- Grade
- Record Only
- Local Planning Authority
- Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon
- Constituency
- South Down MP: Chris Hazzard (SF)
- Country
- Northern Ireland
- Address
- WWII Pillbox adj to Ulster Bus Depot, Downpatrick St, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34, Cross
- Irish grid reference
- J 201 335
- Coordinates
- 54.23646, -6.15855
- Source
- NI Environment Agency listing
Description
This is a World War II pillbox, located on the east side of Rathfriland, approximately halfway up a steep hill overlooking the Mourne Mountains. Constructed between 1940 and 1959, it is the only civil defence structure within the town and holds local historical interest. The pillbox is a small, one-story rectangular building. It has a flat roof made of mass concrete and walls composed of unrendered concrete and, in places, cement-rendered granite rubble. The entrance, originally on the west side, now has steps leading to a blocked doorway. A single, wide, splayed rectangular firing loop is located at the right end of the south elevation, while the other walls are blank. This example represents a standard pillbox design, one of around 24 plan types developed during World War II, used to defend a main route into Rathfriland. The concrete construction is typical of such defensive structures. It is now situated in the northeastern corner of the Ulsterbus depot and is recorded as derelict. The building was designed by the War Office.
Local climate
WWII Pillbox adj to Ulster Bus Depot, Downpatrick St, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34 sits in a wetter-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 970 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 78% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 73% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 20 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 79% of listed buildings. Of these, 11 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.2°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
More on this building
Sign in or create a free account to unlock:
- No EPC on record for this property
- No sale records on file
- No related consent applications matched
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- No flood data for this area
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.
Similar buildings
The closest matches to this building from all 493,000 UK listed buildings, by architecture, period and materials.
- 1 WWII Observation post, (off Millisle Road), Templepatrick, Donaghadee, Co. Down
- 2 52 Downpatrick Street, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34 5DQ
- 3 WW II Structure, to rear of 76 Greencastle Road, Kilkeel, Newry, Co Down, BT34 4JL
- 4 Former mill complex, near 27 Bannfield Rd, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34 5HG
- 5 9 Downpatrick Street, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34 5DG
this building 1 similar nearby listed buildings
Nearby listed buildings
- 38 Downpatrick Street, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34 5DQ
- 53 Downpatrick Street, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34 5DQ
- 24 Downpatrick Street, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34
- Fitzpatricks, 51 Downpatrick Street, Rathfriland, Co Down, BT34
- Yard to rear of 51 Downpatrick Street, Accessed from Caddell's lane, Rathfriland, Co Down, BT34
- 52 Downpatrick Street, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34 5DQ
- 4 & 5 Caddells Lane, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34 5PX
- RUC Station, 18A Downpatrick Street, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34 5DG
- 30 Church Square, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34 5PT
- St John's C of I Church, Church Street, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down