Farm yard, Dundarave Estate, Bushmills, County Antrim, BT57 8ST

Farmyard complex, Dundarave Estate, built circa 1846–1850

This is a substantial quadrangular courtyard farmyard complex with a detached single-storey stable block, built around 1850 and located at the eastern side of the Dundarave Estate, some distance from the main Italianate mansion house. The detailing suggests it is contemporary with the nearby coach yard, which was designed by Sir Charles Lanyon, and the two share several features, including multi-pane timber windows and half-louvred openings. Although architecturally less ambitious than the coach yard — which sits closer to the main house — the farmyard nonetheless displays a strong formality of design, characterised by symmetry and balanced proportions.

ARCHITECTURAL OVERVIEW

All ranges are single storey with the exception of the east range, which is two storeys. At the centre of the yard, a roofless range projects inward from the south. Roofs are pitched and generally finished in natural slate, though the north range has areas repaired in artificial slate and corrugated metal sheeting. Ventilation lanterns sit atop the east, west, and north ranges. Brick chimneystacks rise from the south and east sides, and at the east end of the south range there is a series of tall red brick chimneystacks set over the wall head.

A projecting brick eaves band survives, with the remains of drive-in brackets, though the gutters are gone. Cast-iron downpipes and hopper heads remain in place.

Walls throughout are constructed of local basalt rubble, built to courses, with brick quoins and dressings of limestone and brick. Window and door openings are varied and include timber-framed 16-over-16 sash windows without horns, timber-sheeted loading doors, and half-louvred windows. All openings sit in stepped brick reveals over projecting stone cills. Doors are generally timber-sheeted.

EXTERNAL ELEVATIONS

The west range has a central gabled entrance arch with a segmental opening and a chamfered ashlar limestone surround. The apex of this arch formerly contained a dovecote. To the right of centre are four openings. At the south end, which has been converted to a dwelling, there are 20th-century replacement timber casements in patent reveals. To the left of centre there are no openings apart from a series of seven brick-lined ventilation loops.

The north range has two half-louvred openings to the right and an infilled segmental door opening to their left. The range is otherwise largely blank, with the exception of high-level ventilation openings.

The east range is two storeys. The north end is blank. Across the first floor there is a series of openings. At ground floor level, a segmental-headed coach arch with a stone surround and large timber-sheeted doors forms the principal opening. To its right is a single half-louvred opening and an infilled coach arch. To its left are four high-level openings with bottom-hung casement openers. At the south end there is a single ground-floor window.

The south range retains a series of original openings. The west end has 20th-century modified openings with wide rendered reveals, including an enlarged window and a timber entrance door.

INTERNAL ELEVATIONS

The internal face of the west range has three openings, including a recessed porch with a segmental opening to the left of the entrance arch. To the right are varied stone-dressed openings with segmental heads, including three vehicular openings — one with modern metal-sheeted doors — and a window with a wide brick relieving arch above. On this internal face, the dovecote opening retains its original timber fitting.

The north range has a series of regularly spaced window and door openings with stepped stone and brick dressings. Most have been partially infilled with concrete block.

The south range is centrally abutted by the perpendicular roofless range, and the entrance arch is positioned to the right of centre. To the left and right, the first floor has four brick-dressed openings. On the ground floor to the left is a conjoined pair of segmental vehicular openings with stone surrounds, with a narrow door opening to their right, a brick-dressed window opening, and an additional door. To the ground floor right are three window openings with replacement windows, and a door with a stone surround at the right-hand end.

The east range has a series of closely spaced window and door openings with a variety of dressings.

THE STABLE BLOCK

The stable block stands to the west of the main courtyard. Its fabric has been renewed; it now has a replacement slate roof with terracotta ridges and replacement profiled aluminium rainwater goods. The walls are of the same basalt rubble construction as the main yard, with brick quoins, and the rear elevation is cement rendered. Openings are to the east elevation only, forming an arcade of ten segmental openings with brick dressings, separated by octagonal stone columns with plinths and plain capitals. This stable block is particularly fine in character, and the stone columns dividing the stalls are notably graceful.

CONDITION AND SURVIVAL

Although in poor condition, the farmyard has survived relatively intact, retaining a high proportion of original fabric. The south end of the east range was converted to a dwelling around 1960. The complex makes a strong contribution to the overall architectural quality of the Dundarave Estate and provides important historic context relating to the economic functioning of the estate.

SETTING

The complex is located at the east side of the Dundarave Estate, adjacent to the walled garden. To the south, opposite the farmyard, is a range of tractor sheds and a roofless structure. To the south-west there is a stone gardener's cottage, though this has been modified. The yard appears to retain no original surface features. To the north-east there is an enclosure retaining the remains of two dressed stone gate piers and a water tank bearing the maker's mark "Kennedy & Son, Coleraine."

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The farmyard was built around 1846, likely in conjunction with the construction of Dundarave House itself. The courtyard of outbuildings, the farmhouse, and a detached outbuilding to the north-west all first appear on the second edition Ordnance Survey map of 1855. Griffith's Valuation of around 1862 separately itemised the "Farm House and Offices," giving them a rateable value of £10. This rateable value remained unchanged until the First General Revaluations of 1935, though historic Ordnance Survey maps show that the buildings were altered during this intervening period. By the early 20th century, as shown on the third edition OS map of 1904, the farmhouse had been widened and a narrow linear extension added to the south or in close proximity to it. A small detached L-plan structure had also been erected to the east of the courtyard. There was little further change by the fifth edition OS map of 1921, except for an addition to the rear of the detached outbuilding to the north-west. The overall footprint has since remained largely unchanged, apart from a large modern structure constructed to the south of the farmhouse.

The broader estate history begins in 1808, when Francis MacNaghten purchased the Bushmills estate "for a small price" from his brothers-in-law, the Dunkins. Around 1830 he had a new house constructed on the site, incorporating all or parts of an earlier building. This "new mansion house," as described in the Townland Valuations of 1835, comprised a two-storey castellated pile with an apparent three-stage tower to the rear, extensive outbuildings to the west adorned with circular turrets, and a pair of walled or formalised gardens to the south. Upon Francis's death in 1843, the estate passed to his son Edmund MacNaghten. Through his father's connections, Edmund had been appointed Registrar of the Supreme Court — first in Madras and then in Calcutta — while still in his early twenties. Having earned sufficient means to retire at the age of 24 in 1825, Edmund returned to Ireland and, following his inheritance of the estate, proceeded to have the previous house demolished and replaced with the present mansion house, believed to have been built between 1846 and 1849 to the designs of Sir Charles Lanyon. The estate was vacant and for sale in the early 21st century but has since been purchased and undergone refurbishment works.