Outbuildings at Killymoon Castle, 60 Castle Road, Cookstown, BT80 8TN

Outbuildings at Killymoon Castle, Cookstown

These farm outbuildings, dating from the mid-18th century (likely between 1740 and 1759), form part of the historic Killymoon estate. They appear on the Ordnance Survey map of 1833–34 and were built as part of the Stewart family's development of the Killymoon demesne, predating the construction of the present Killymoon Castle. Together with the castle, its other 18th-century outbuildings, and the various estate structures, they form a significant group of buildings associated with a prominent family from an early date until the early 20th century.

The complex consists of a two-storey rubble sandstone gabled block with a projecting, hipped-roofed ashlar sandstone three-bay centrepiece, and a lower single-storey block set at right angles at one end. It is a nicely proportioned example of simple classical design, characterised by Gibbsian surrounds to some windows and doorways, moulded stone cornicing, and arched entrances with keystones. The buildings stand within the demesne of Killymoon Castle facing the main driveway, set back behind a walled yard. The main entrance front faces east.

East Elevation (Entrance Front)

The east elevation is a tripartite composition of two end wings flanking a taller centrepiece. The south wing has walling of roughly coursed sandstone rubble with roughly squared quoins to the left, a moulded sandstone cornice, ashlar sandstone block surrounds to doorways, and brick surrounds to windows. The roof is covered in Bangor blue slates in regular courses, contained within a raised sandstone gable coping. Rainwater goods are missing from this wing. There are two doorways, each comprising a rectangular timber boarded door surmounted by a four-pane rectangular fanlight, set in a Gibbsian surround with triple keystones and a semi-circular sandstone relieving arch above. A centre window on the ground floor has rectangular timber vertically hung sliding sashes, 3 over 6, without horns, set in brick side reveals with a sandstone lintel and cill. Above each doorway is a similar window opening, but unglazed. The north wing is similar to the south but retains cast iron rainwater goods.

The centrepiece has walling of ashlar sandstone with a deeply moulded cornice, and the roof is slated in the same manner as the wings. There are three semi-circular arched openings, each containing timber boarded double doors; the two outer openings are also filled by a ventilated timber tympanum. The side walls of the centrepiece block are of rubble sandstone with a notched red brick cornice, beyond the short returns of the ashlar facing and moulded cornice of the entrance front.

South Elevation

The south elevation is formed by the tall gable of the south wing. Walling is of roughly coursed sandstone rubble, with short returns of the moulded sandstone cornices of the front and rear elevations appearing at each side. The gable has sandstone coping and rises to a bellcote whose segmental arched opening contains a bell. The base of the bellcote has a cleft face to accommodate the bell-ringing chain hanging down from above. At ground floor level there is a semi-circular arched opening with block surrounds, containing a radially glazed lunette above rubble stonework; this appears to be a former doorway that has since been closed up. High in the gable is a circular clock face with a moulded sandstone surround and keystone.

West Elevation (Rear)

The west or rear elevation is of similar overall form to the entrance front, except that the hipped-roofed centrepiece does not project forward. Walling throughout is of sandstone rubble with notched brick cornicing. Roofs are slated as before, except that the south wing has deeper-spaced lower courses. Windows on this elevation are less regularly spaced than on the entrance front, which is attributed to later insertions in the north wing.

The south wing has two rectangular, unglazed first-floor window openings with Gibbsian surrounds in sandstone, and one ground-floor window with a segmental arch containing a modern casement and top-hung vent. The north wing has two similar sets of Gibbsian surrounds at first-floor level, along with two smaller rectangular openings containing timber louvres. At ground floor there are two wide brick-dressed openings, one now blocked and one partially filled by a small-paned rectangular window. The centrepiece has a central first-floor doorway containing a timber boarded door surmounted by a semi-circular relieving arch in brick, with small rectangular windows to each side and three more in the attic storey above, most containing small-paned casements.

North Gable

The north gable of the north wing has similar walling to the south gable. It contains a louvred attic window and a closed-up first-floor window with brick block surrounds. Projecting forward at the right-hand extremity of this gable is a now-ruinous rubble stone wall belonging to a single-storey enclosure or building that once occupied the angle between the north wing and the adjacent single-storey block.

Single-Storey Block

The now-exposed west end of the single-storey block is of rubble stonework in very poor condition. It has an attic window containing later plate glass, and a ground-floor doorway with a roughly constructed timber boarded door set below a rough wooden lintel with a segmental brickwork relieving arch above.

The north side of this block is of rubble stonework on a slightly projecting plinth. The slate roof is in poor condition and is broken by a red brick chimney, also in poor condition. At the right-hand end is a semi-circular arched opening leading into an open lobby, which contains doorways to the side and straight ahead into the front yard. Two small circular openings with red brick surrounds are positioned either side of the chimney breast.

The east gable of the single-storey block is of rubble stonework with a projecting plinth, shaped sandstone kneelers to each gable, and sandstone gable copings. There is a rectangular attic window containing later plate glass.

The south elevation of this block contains three elliptically arched openings set within a slightly projecting centrepiece of ashlar sandstone, flanked on each side by end bays containing a window and a rectangular doorway. The end bays are of regular coursed rubble. The roof throughout is slated, and rainwater goods are of cast iron. The elliptical archways contain pairs of arched timber doors with large plain ironwork hinges. The windows are rectangular timber vertically hung sashes, 3 over 6, without horns.

Setting

The front yard is hard-surfaced and bounded by a rubble stone rendered wall with a vehicular gateway at the south end, formed by a pair of circular sandstone piers without gates. To the rear of the building is a small field used for grazing.