Gateway, Castle Gardens, Lisburn, County Antrim

Gateway at Castle Gardens, Lisburn

A red sandstone gateway dated 1677 stands within a stretch of rubble stone wall running on a north-south axis along the eastern boundary of Castle Gardens. Both the gateway and walling have been recently restored, with work completed around 2007. The gateway and its associated wall are the only surviving remnants of the seventeenth-century Lisburn Castle, which was destroyed by fire in 1707. They now form an attractive park feature and constitute an important part of the early history of Lisburn.

The gateway itself is a substantial structure, with a three-centred arch approximately two metres deep set within squared and coursed red sandstone. The stonework is laid in pink lime mortar, with roughly voussoired arch stones extending into the intrados of the deep arch. A moulded sandstone string course runs above the arch, with a further platband above. The top features a crenellated parapet with stepped embrasures and rounded merlons, finished with decorative moulding and lead covering. A carved date plaque reading '1677' appears on the central merlon.

The seventeenth-century archway survives to the west elevation only. The east elevation has been substantially replaced with red sandstone dated 1991. The random rubble stone wall steps in halfway along its length, forming a ledge to the west elevation. The parapet is constructed in hand-made red brick, crenellated and lead covered to match the gateway. Several full-height rubble stone buttresses rise from the east elevation of the walling.

The gateway once formed part of the formal gardens surrounding Lisburn Castle. The original castle was built by Sir Fulke Conway and was nearing completion by 1622, but was destroyed by fire during the 1641 rebellion and attacked again in 1649. By the early 1650s the castle was undergoing reconstruction. During the 1660s and 1670s, work took place on the gardens including the construction of the wall and gateway. John Darley, a mason or carpenter, is believed to have worked on the castle and grounds during this period and may have designed the walled garden; in 1664 he was paid £17 for work on the wall and one tower.

George Rawdon, who married into the Conway family and was resident at the castle from 1654, wrote several letters to the Conways describing improvements to the gardens. These improvements included creating the walled garden, widening terraces, infilling a fishpond, laying out paths, and constructing a perron and gazebo. Excavation work in 2003 uncovered remains of these features, revealing the site of a very important seventeenth-century formal garden. The gateway was repaired in 1991 and again in 2007 along with the adjacent walling.

The structure is protected as part of the Scheduled Monument ANT 068:002.