The Barn at Springhill, Springhill Road, Moneymore, Magherafelt, Co Londonderry, BT45 7NQ

The Barn at Springhill

A large 1½ storey barn at Springhill, Moneymore, Magherafelt, dating to circa 1690. It is a good example of late 17th century barn wall and roof construction and forms part of a country house estate outbuilding group that is well preserved and carefully laid out.

The barn is gabled with a natural slate roof and forms the south-east side of the farmyard enclosure, positioned close to the vehicular entrance at the north-east extremity of the outbuildings layout.

The north-east elevation, facing up the farmyard, features a large central three-centre arch entrance with timber sheeted ledged and braced doors fitted with a fanlight infill of vertical sheeting. To the left is a single vertical 2-pane double-hung sliding sash window at ground floor level, and at first floor beneath the eaves a 2-light casement window. The wall is constructed of random rubble stonework with redbrick trim to windows and a brick arch to the doorway.

The south-east gable has a single door at ground floor with heavy frame, sheeted door, strap hinges and timber lintel. Above at first floor is a similar door. At the gable apex sits a bellcote constructed in ashlar sandstone with a round arched opening and flat base, resembling a miniature triumphal arch. A small bell with pull rope hangs within. The wall is built of random rubble stone smoothed with mortar, with a slight slate overhang at the gables.

The long south-west wall overlooks a walled enclosed garden and contains no windows, only a series of narrow ventilation slits at ground floor level. The wall is random rubble stone, much of it covered by climbing plants including a McCartney rose bush (rosa bracteata). In the corner towards the south-east is a small covered garden seat area with a faceted, hipped slated roof supported on four chamfered timber posts resting on ground padstones. The wall within this gazebo is faced with small sea shells.

The north-east gable contains four narrow ventilation slits at ground floor, centred above a round arched 9-pane window. In the gable apex is a small vertical opening, shuttered. The wall is rubble stone with brick trim to the window. Above the arched window runs a long timber tie beam.

The enclosed garden to the south-east is bounded by random rubble head-height walls. The wall on the north-east side shows the tip of a brick-trimmed arch appearing just above ground level, possibly arching over a drain or race.

A plaque on the interior barn wall states the structure was built circa 1690 and repaired in 1990. The barn is contemporary with the late 17th century house on the estate. The adjacent enclosed garden walls are assumed to date from the same period. The estate became the property of the National Trust in 1957.