Former Police Station, 199 Newcastle Road, Seaforde, Naghan, Downpatrick, Co Down, BT30 8NU

Former Police Station

This is a good example of a large two-storey Neo-Georgian police station built circa 1932-33 to a standard design by the Northern Ireland Ministry of Finance, designed by T.F.O. Rippingham. The building stands on the west side of Newcastle Road, south of the small village of Seaforde, and is now converted for use as a private dwelling.

The building features a hipped slate roof with a pronounced overhang to the eaves, cast iron swan neck rainwater pipes dropping from the gutters to hopper heads, and tall chimney stacks to each side with one further stack to the middle of the rear roof.

The front façade faces east and is asymmetrical. To the right of centre at ground floor is a panelled double door set within a semicircular arch headed recess. The tympanum contains an oval panel (which once held the RUC badge) set on a scroll motif. To either side of the door is a matching semicircular arch recess, each containing a further recess with a top-hung steel window frame with 8 over 16 Georgian panes. These three recessed arches sit within a panel that projects forward slightly. To the left are three evenly spaced steel window frames with 8 over 12 Georgian panes. The first floor has seven equally spaced window openings with steel-framed windows, each with a top opener over one side opening casement and one fixed light, fitted with 4 over 12 Georgian panes. The upper windows rest on a moulded string course.

The north elevation has two evenly spaced windows to the first floor resting on the string course. At ground floor, to the left is a top-hung window, while to the right is a modern kitchen window. The south elevation has one first-floor window set to the left side on the string course. Directly below is a door with a moulded surround set within a shallow recess, with a plain panel in the upper section of the moulding and two plain panels set at the spring point of the arch.

The rear elevations have single-storey extensions to the left and right. Between the extensions is a door with a fanlight containing eight Georgian panes, and to its right is a small fixed window. Further right are two top-hung windows with 8 over 12 Georgian panes, and to the extreme right is a small top-hung window with 2 over 6 Georgian panes. The first floor has a small top window resting on the moulded string course, a tall window at an intermediate level lighting the stairs, and four further windows arranged alternately large and small, all top-hung and resting on the string course. The rear yard is enclosed with a high wall.

The station replaced an older RIC/RUC barrack housed in what is now a private dwelling at 195 Newcastle Road to the north, which appears to have been in use since circa 1900. The new station remained in operation until approximately 1968-69, when it was subsequently purchased and used as a surgery before becoming a private dwelling. The listing extends to the former police station, gates, and walling.