Brookfield, 1-3 Halfpenny Gate Road, Trummery TD, Moira

Brookfield — Former Quaker Agricultural School

Brookfield is a large, mainly formal, mainly two-storey complex originally built in 1836 as a Quaker-run agricultural school, with significant extensions dating from the 1860s to 1870s. It stands prominently on a rise to the south side of Halfpenny Gate Road, roughly 2.3 kilometres north-east of Moira, in the townland of Trummery. Immediately to the west is an associated Quaker Meeting House of 1874, which ceased to be used in 2000. The listing covers the former headmaster's house, the matron's house, part of the former school buildings, and the gate piers and gates.

In terms of social history this complex is something of a rarity. It was founded by the Ulster Province (Quaker) Meeting as a school for children whose parents had been disowned by the Society of Friends — a group that, owing to internal disunity within the sect, was considerable in number, and to whom the Quakers felt they owed a duty of care. As Quaker historian David M. Butler notes, the school was unique in Ulster and, as far as can be determined, within Ireland as a whole. Its avowed purpose was to "train young people up in religious life and conversation", but its aims were also practical: boys were expected to work part-time on the attached farm, gaining a grounding in agriculture and farm management while also making the school self-sufficient in food, while girls worked in the dairy and kitchen and undertook dressmaking. In 1869 the school housed 66 children — 37 boys and 29 girls — all boarders. In 1876 admission terms were broadened to include children of Quaker parents of limited means, and in 1885 extended further to selected pupils with no connection to the Society of Friends.

The school was largely the creation of the Richardsons, owners of the large mills at Bessbrook and Glenmore (Lambeg) and one of Ireland's leading Quaker families. Historian Neville H. Newsome states that Brookfield would not have survived for as long as it did without the Richardsons' support. Lack of funding ultimately forced it to close as an official Quaker establishment in 1922. The school buildings were transferred for a nominal sum to the headmaster, Charles Bennington, and the farmland and farm buildings were sold to a local Quaker farmer, William Green. Bennington and his wife, and later their son Crawford, continued to run a private boarding and day school until 1930, when the entire complex was sold to Mr Green. By 1941 the property had come into the ownership of Arthur and James Swain, at which point the buildings were described as dilapidated; they remained in Swain ownership until at least 1972.

Prior to 1836, the site was partly occupied by a long thatched house recorded in the October 1834 valuation as the home of William English, measuring 75 feet by 22 feet by 13 feet with a return of 10½ by 12½ by 6 feet. This house fronted directly on to the road, and its position appears to correspond to the long part two-storey, part single-storey return to the former headmaster's house. Physical evidence — in particular wall thickness — suggests that some of the fabric of this earlier structure may have been incorporated into the present building. The Ordnance Survey map of 1857 shows the school as it originally stood to have been considerably smaller than it is today, consisting of most of the long eastern range (Range One) with the long return stretching along the roadside to the north, a shorter return extending from the western side into a large square-looking block representing the earliest section of the present central wing (Range Two), and a roughly L-shaped building to the west, close to but not exactly on the same site as the present farmyard range (Range Three). The 1862 valuation records the buildings as containing a master's and mistress's (i.e. matron's) house, as well as schools, a dining hall, dormitories and an infirmary, with outbuildings including a ploughman's house. The presence of a "house as laundry" is mentioned by the valuers the following year; this may be the house that appears to have been incorporated into the matron's dwelling. The complex appears in its present form on the 1900 Ordnance Survey map. The stylistic evidence suggests that the remainder of the long central wing and the western farm buildings were added in the 1860s. According to an article by George R. Chapman — whose mother was a pupil and later head teacher of the girls' side — the clock tower was built in 1871 from money donated by Joseph Pease of Darlington, described as "the father of the railway system in England." The only valuation entry that hints at later building work dates from 1886, when the "house" was recorded as "improved"; this is probably a reference to the headmaster's and matron's dwellings, both of which display elements of late 19th century detailing, and it is possible that it was at this point that the matron's house was amalgamated with the dwelling to its south. Unlike other schools, Brookfield remained subject to valuation for many years and appears only to have been granted exemption in the 1870s.

Layout and General Character

Broadly speaking, the complex comprises three ranges of varying size set parallel on a north-south axis to the immediate south of the road, with further single-storey outbuildings arranged around a square farmyard to the west. At the time of survey, the headmaster's house was occupied; the remainder of the buildings were in various stages of dilapidation, ranging from exposure to the elements through to partial and complete collapse. The listed portion — the former headmaster's house, the matron's house, and part of the school buildings forming a courtyard behind the two houses — retains sufficient architectural detail and historical significance to justify protection. The wider school buildings are generally in poor condition.

Range One (Eastern Range)

The front of this range faces east. The majority of the range to the south and centre appears to have housed classrooms at ground floor and possibly dormitories at first floor, while to the north of centre is the matron's house, and at the very north end the headmaster's house. Two rear returns link Range One and Range Two to the west, these returns creating a small internal courtyard that serves as a rear yard for the former headmaster's house. The return to the north fronts directly on to the roadside and is part two-storey, part single-storey; it may incorporate the fabric of the pre-1836 dwelling described above.

Headmaster's House

This dwelling is roughly rectangular in plan, occupying the very northerly end of Range One, much of the road-fronting return to the west, and a lean-to projection within the rear yard. The return section is part single-storey and part two-storey and may have been constructed in two phases, possibly incorporating the walls of the earlier pre-1836 structure. The east-facing front of the house is irregular, gabled to the right (northern) end, with the doorway to the left of centre. Window openings are mainly flat-headed. Frames to the return section are generally 2/2 sliding sash; to the rear yard there are some modern casement frames. The front door opening is semicircular arched and has an unusual moulded, shouldered surround; the glazed timber-panelled door is recessed, creating an open porch. Walls are roughcast render. Rainwater goods are part missing, part uPVC, and part cast-iron. Eaves and verges to the returns are overhanging, with painted timber fascias and bargeboards. There is an eaves course to the original section. The pitched roof is slated; chimneystack are located only on the ridge of the two-storey return section, one rendered and the other a brick-faced replacement.

Matron's House

This house — which may incorporate what was originally a separate dwelling — is L-shaped in plan, taking in the southerly return. To the rear there is a later single-storey lean-to return. Together with the headmaster's house, it completes the enclosure of the rear yard. The east-facing frontage is irregular. To the left side is a full-height gabled projection with a glazed late-Victorian-looking projecting gabled porch, now much overgrown. Within the porch is the entrance, which has moulded pilasters, an archivolt, and a raised keystone; the timber-panelled door is surmounted by a radial fanlight. A second door opening to the right side — which must originally have served a separate dwelling — matches that of the headmaster's house, with a timber-panelled door and a plain fanlight. Window openings are flat-headed; frames are sash, with 3/6 panes at first floor and 6/6 at ground floor. Walls are finished with roughcast render. The pitched roof is slated with ridge chimneystacks, one rendered and the other a brick replacement.

Classrooms (Southern End of Range One)

This portion of Range One is heavily overgrown and was in dangerous condition at the time of survey. The original rectangular plan form is retained. The pitched slated roof has partly collapsed. Walls are roughcast render. Window openings are flat-headed; most frames are missing, but sufficient survive to confirm that all were sash — 6/6 at ground floor and 3/3 at first floor. A door opening is semicircular arched.

Range Two (Central Range)

Range Two lies to the immediate west of Range One, linked to it by the rear returns. It is E-shaped in plan, consisting of a long main rectangular section — somewhat longer than Range One — with projecting returns at the north and south ends, and a central three-stage clock tower forming the centrepiece of a generally formal west-facing frontage. The formal central section is two-storey. To either side of the three-stage bell-cote tower, window openings are regularly arranged and flat-headed, with 6/6 frames to the tall ground floor openings and 3/6 frames to the shorter first floor openings. At ground floor level in the tower is a segmental-arched door opening; at first floor a segmental-arched window opening; and at the third level are the remains of a clock face, surmounted by the timber remains of a bell-cote, now near collapsed. The tower is believed to have been added in 1871. The addition to the north side, which follows on from the return stretching from the north end of Range One, is road-fronted and single-storey. The addition to the south side is two-storey. Window openings in these additions are similar to those in the central section but have brick dressings. Walls were finished with lime render, much of which has now fallen away to reveal random rubble fieldstone construction; quoins are formed in red clay brick. The pitched slated roof has gable skews, an eaves course, and brick chimneystacks to the ridges. A 3-metre-high brick wall spans between Range Two and Range Three, enclosing a yard and obscuring roughly half of the formal front of Range Two; the enclosed area appears to have served as a farmyard, possibly used for teaching purposes.

Range Three (Western Range)

Range Three lies further to the west, with a large yard between it and Range Two, to which it is joined by the 3-metre brick wall. This two-storey range is roughly L-shaped in plan, with a return to the northern end facing on to the roadside; much of this northern end has partially collapsed. It appears to have been used as a byre with a hayloft over. Walls are rubble fieldstone with brick quoins. The pitched roof is slated. Large areas of walling are blank; what openings there are are regularly arranged, flat-headed, and have brick dressings. Most windows have timber ventilation louvres; some door and window frames are missing. Door openings are also flat-headed with brick dressings.

Farm Outbuildings

To the west of Range Three is a long line of piggeries, the roofs of which are partly collapsed. Two further buildings are in an advanced state of collapse or have been demolished. Remaining walls are rubble fieldstone and remaining roof sections are slated.