The Wood House, 89 Shore Road, Killowen, Rostrevor, Newry, Co Down, BT34 3AB

The Wood House

This is a fine attractive house of considerable architectural character, set in a spectacular coastal location overlooking Carlingford Lough near Rostrevor. Although it retains many features of interest, substantial reconstruction and alteration following a fire in the 1970s precludes it from listing, despite the sympathetic nature of the modern work.

The building is a picturesque two-storey, double-pile dwelling with Tudor Gothic detailing, facing west on a commanding site. A building has occupied this location since 1808, and the property was originally erected by Trevor Corry (died 1838), agent to the Ross Estate and cousin of Isaac Corry, Chancellor of the Irish Exchequer. The original core may be vernacular in origin but has been considerably modified through time. Before the fire in the 1970s, the main building was five bays long to both piles, but the most westerly bay of the front pile was not subsequently reconstructed.

The house has parallel pitched roofs, mostly covered in natural slate with artificial slate used on damaged sections. There are three chimneysstacks with plain rectangular bases. The two towards the western end have, above the base, five diagonally-set shafts; those on the most westerly stack are decorated with Gothic panelling in plaster. Roof eaves and verges overhang and are boxed in. The gables that were not reconstructed have decorative fretted bargeboards; those that were replaced are plain. The walls are wet dashed cement and painted with stepped smooth plaster dressings to all openings.

The main entrance was originally on the west gable of the rear pile but after reconstruction is now in the gable of the truncated front pile, accessed via a Gothic styled door in a Gothic arch opening off a terrace formed in what was originally the front left bay.

The west principal elevation is symmetrical, with three bays, each with a gable over the first floor window. The central gable is smaller than the other two; it and the right hand gable have decorative fretted bargeboards of flowing design incorporating quatrefoils and finials. The left hand bargeboards are plain. At ground floor middle is a pair of eight-paned French casements with a two-paned overlight. Above, at first floor, is a pair of 4/4 sliding sashes with an apron panel decorated with three quatrefoil panels. The left and right bays each have a projecting single storey canted bay window with embattled parapet and frieze decorated with quatrefoils. In the centre of each bay are French casements, approached by two granite steps and flanked by 2/8 sliding sashes. At first floor is a pair of 4/4 sliding sashes to the right bay and a pair of eight-paned casements to the left bay; both have labelled drip moulds. In the apex of the left and right gables is a blind lancet with a finial over.

The east elevation comprises a pair of gables detailed as the front left and middle gables respectively, except that the pattern of bargeboard fretting is different and the pendant boss to the left hand finial is missing. Beyond this, at right, the end wall of an outbuilding returns to form a screen to the yard and is decorated with an embattled parapet. At the rear, roofs are all artificial slate with plain roof trim and half-round gutters. The rear elevation was not accessible at the time of survey, but the window configuration appears to be irregular. Behind is a parallel range of single storey outbuildings, forming a narrow yard. The left gable of the rear pile has, at ground floor, a modern three-light fixed window in a Tudor Gothic arched opening with moulded stringcourse over and blind lancet in its apex. At first floor is a pair of casement windows with a label mould over and an apron panel decorated with quatrefoil panels, with blind lancet in apex. Behind this gable is a garage with crennelated parapet.

The setting is landscaped with a series of terraces followed by a steep drop to the shore. Features in the grounds include a pair of octagonal granite gate piers, the caps oversailing and pitched up from face in stages to a point. Below the cap is a cornice moulding on frieze decorated with quatrefoils. The shaft has no decoration and is in one piece, with a canted base. The carriage gates are wrought iron with spearheads. On the lower side of the drive is a rendered rubble wall with dressed domed coping; nearer the house this changes to masonry standards with decorative wrought iron panels between. At the house, the extension of this feature forms a balustrade to a terrace and here it is a masonry Gothic arcade with moulded decorative coping. Attached to this is part of a wrought iron screen that appears once to have entirely closed off the garden from the drive, though some rearrangement has taken place during restoration. There is a series of flights of granite steps negotiating the landscaped terraces and a small round plunge pool with a central decorative fountain supported by three female figures, all damaged in one way or another.

Bradshaw's Directory records that the Hon. and Very Rev. Dean of Down (Edmund Knox) was occupant in 1819. The Ordnance Survey Map of 1834 shows the property as the Wood House. The Ordnance Survey Memoirs of 1836 state that the property was built by Trevor Corry and that it was then the property of Mrs Fennell of Co Westmeath, let as a bathing lodge. The 1838 Valuation notes the tenant (for three years) as William Darley Hall, with measurements given as 55 feet by 33 feet by 15 feet. Substantial enlargement is evident by the 1859 map, and the dimensions in the 1863 valuation are 15 feet by 78 feet, two storeys. The property was known in the late 19th century as Ramadges, with Mr Smith Ramadge recorded as occupant in 1863. Former noteworthy owners include Archbishop Gregg, Primate of Armagh; the Very Rev. R.S. O'Loughlin, Dean of Dromore; and Ivan Neill, Speaker of Stormont during the O'Neill administration in the 1960s. The house was badly damaged by a terrorist firebomb in 1970 and lay derelict. The current occupants reconstructed much of the western end in the late 1970s. The property formerly had a walled garden.