Ballyedmond Castle, Killowen Road, Rostrevor, Newry, Co Down, BT34 4AD

Ballyedmond Castle is a modest-sized country house of informal design in Tudor Gothic Revival style, standing in its own landscaped demesne which runs from the south side of Killowen Road down to the sea. The house is generally two storeys with attics, its main front having five structural bays plus single-storey wings at the east and west ends. It is aligned west to east with the entrance front facing north.

The entrance is contained within a tower forming the central bay, flanked by two asymmetric bays to left and right. Those to the left of the tower are much lower than those to the right. The bay immediately right of the tower is double-pile, while that to the left is set back from the main front, and those at either end run at right angles to the façade.

The roofs are steeply pitched in natural slate with cock's comb crested ridge tiles. Verges are raised and coped with decorative kneelers and apex stones. Chimneys are irregularly arranged but all of similar design: three stages comprising a rectangular brick base with stone coping, then a brick shaft in which the individual flues are expressed (variously two, three, and four to a stack), finished by a sandstone string course above which is a rectangular brick cap with sandstone coping.

Walls are laid in Flemish bond red brickwork with sandstone dressings to windows, doors, stepped quoins, chimneys, coping and other features. A moulded sandstone eaves course supports ogee cast iron gutters with square downpipes.

North Elevation (Entrance Front)

For ease of description, bays are numbered left to right on the north elevation from one to five, with the description starting at the centre (bay three).

The main entrance tower is in four stages. At ground floor centre, a single sandstone step rises to the front entrance. This comprises a pair of stained and varnished timber Gothic doors with three levels of panels: the lowest are linenfold, the central are cusped, and the top panels are traceried. Each door has a Gothic brass pull. These doors are set within a Gothic archway with chamfered moulded jambs and intrados. The outer roll mould of the jambs rises to form a rectangular frame over the Gothic head, within which are carved stylised oak leaf spandrels in bas-relief. Over this is a rectilinear label mould. Breaking the centre of this label mould is a decorative corbel carved to form the head and shoulders of a female angel (the face is slightly eroded) with finely carved wings, holding a blank shield. This corbel supports the three-stage moulded base (convex, concave, and ogee moulded) of a canted oriel window on the second stage of the tower. This window is all in sandstone and has three equal faces. Each face has a four-light (two over two) transom and mullion window with chamfered reveals and flush sills. Over the window is a narrow cornice surmounted by a saddle-coped crenellated parapet.

The third stage of the tower has a six-light (three over three) transom and mullion window with chamfered dressings and flush sill. The fourth stage has a similar but slightly smaller window. Above this is a narrow moulded string course upon which rests a crenellated brick parapet with saddle-backed copings. The parapet wraps around all four sides of the tower, incorporating a chimney to the west and a stair turret to the south-east.

The left (east) elevation of the tower is abutted to the left by the stair turret. The exposed section of wall has a four-light (two over two) mullion window to left of centre at ground floor. Centred at first floor is a six-light (three over three) transom and mullion window. The wall is blank above.

The stair turret is in five stages, with the top stage projecting above the tower. The first stage is rectangular, with a cusp-headed lancet window on its north (front) wall. The second stage is broached to form an octagon and has a similar window. The first and second stages are abutted at the left by the second bay of the main block. The third and fourth stages are octagonal, with a cusped lancet window on the north-east face of the third stage, and similar windows on the north and south faces of the fourth stage. The moulded sandstone string course of the tower wraps around the turret at this stage. The fifth stage has a cusped lancet on its north-east face and a door onto the roof of the tower on its west face. This is finished by a spire roof in seven overlapping courses of dressed sandstone with a decorative iron finial.

The right (west) elevation of the tower is abutted at stages one to three by the fourth bay of the façade. The remaining wall over is blank, with string course and parapet over. To the centre of the parapet, stepping in three gabled stages, is a decorative brick and sandstone chimney. The rear wall is abutted by the rear pile of the fourth bay and has a six-paned (three over three) transom and mullion window on its fourth stage, above which is the parapet, detailed as at the front.

The fourth bay is narrow and two storeys high, its front wall flush with the entrance tower. Its front pile has a pitched roof (which continues over the fifth bay) with a modern gabled timber dormer to the centre of the front pitch, with bargeboard and sheeted decoration. Brickwork at ground floor is decorated with blue headers in a diaper lattice, with a small cusped lancet to left and right between ground and first floor. Over this, filling the wall above the diaper pattern, is an eight-paned (four over four) transom and mullion window. Each pane has a tracery head and is lead glazed with coloured lights. Over this is a rectilinear label mould.

Continuing to the right, the wider fifth bay comprises a slightly advanced cross gable. At ground floor is a blue diaper design as before, and set into it at centre between ground and first floor is a dressed sandstone lozenge, cusped and containing a bas-relief armorial. This is quartered, with a lion passant in the first quarter, three stars in the second, the third having chequers over a rose, and the fourth having a Royal crown over a heart. At first floor are two six-light (three over three) transom and mullion windows with canted reveals and rectilinear hoods over. Set into the gable, to left and right of centre, is a single cusped lancet window. Between the window heads is a corbel carved into the shape of a man's head. This supports a projecting sandstone shaft, upon which rests a barley sugar chimney stack which ties into a brick chimney on the gable end. To the right of the cross gable the main wall continues a further two metres before turning onto the west face.

The second bay, to the left of the entrance tower, is two-storeyed and much reduced in scale compared to bays four and five. Its roof ridge reaches the top of stage two of the tower. It is set back from the tower façade and its roof runs parallel with the façade. To ground floor centre is a six-light (three over three) transom and mullion window (detailed as others). At first floor there are two two-light mullion windows. To the right of these is a cusped lancet window. At the extreme left on this bay the chimney of bay one abuts at right angles and ties into its roof.

Bay one (at the extreme left) is an advanced cross gable. Its roof runs at right angles to the façade and has a three-shaft chimney breaking its ridge, parallel to the façade. On its exposed right cheek is a tall two-stage, four-shaft chimney. Its front gable is symmetrical with an eight-light (four over four) transom and mullion window at ground floor centre and a similar six-light (three over three) one to first floor. There is a single cusped lancet in the gable apex.

East Elevation

The east elevation of the building is abutted at ground floor by the kitchen wing (which is contemporary with the house but plainer). The remaining wall over is abutted to the left by an advanced chimney stack with two sandstone-dressed stacks (tied into the roof with a small gablet). The remaining wall has a door onto the kitchen roof at centre, with a two-light mullion window to either side.

The kitchen wing is single-storey and with a semicircular end. It wraps around a central yard, now roofed over. The roof is leaded with modern curvilinear glazed skylights. Walls are red brick with a saddle-coped (leaded) parapet. To the north façade is a four-paned mullioned window. Continuing around to the rear are several window and door openings, some granite dressed, and all with slightly different dressings but in keeping with the overall concept.

South Elevation (Garden Front)

All bays to the rear elevation (garden front) are detailed as the façade with the addition of a canted sandstone base course. This elevation is described left to right, starting with bay one (that is, bays numbered in reverse to the front elevation).

The first bay (extreme left) is slightly advanced and forms a cross gable. On its ridge is a cross-gabled capping stone with trefoil decoration on each face. At ground floor centre is a single-storey canted bay window on a brick base which has a chamfered sandstone coping. A crenellated saddle-coped parapet conceals the flat roof, and its front has a narrow six-paned (three over three) transom and mullion window, with each cheek having a similar four-paned (two over two) window. At first floor is a tall six-paned (three over three) transom and mullion window. On its gable apex is a small two-paned mullion window with rectangular moulded label.

To its right is the second bay. These two bays are of a grander vertical scale than the remainder of the façade so that the right-hand cross wall rises to a free gable, on the peak of which is a square stone bellcote (no bell) which is slightly advanced from the gable on stone corbels and has a single cusped lancet opening on each face. The roof of this bay is pitched and runs parallel to the façade, tying into the fifth bay on the extreme left. On its garden-facing pitch is a modern gabled timber dormer window with bargeboard. The front wall of this bay is slightly advanced from bay two and has two similar openings on each floor. Those to ground floor are six-paned (three over three) transom and mullion windows and those above are similar but diminished in height. On the wall between these, forming a cross, is decorative blue brick diaper work (as on the façade).

There is no third bay (corresponding with the front tower) on this elevation, the second and fourth bays (as viewed from the front) each advancing to meet one another behind the tower. The rear pile of the fourth bay has a pitched roof running parallel with this elevation. To its right end is a two-shaft brick chimney. This also has a pair of saddle-coped brick gablets rising from the wall-head (offset slightly right of centre). Each has a small sandstone shield inset. To the extreme left at ground floor is a glazed and panelled stained timber door. Over it at first floor is a six-paned (three over three) transom and mullion window. Centred to the remainder of the ground floor is a single-storey canted bay window as that on bay one. At first floor, set below each of the gablets, is a four-paned (two over two) transom and mullion window.

Bay five (extreme right) is an advanced cross gable with a six-light (three over three) transom and mullion window at ground floor and similar above (with a label mould). There is a cusped lancet window to the gable apex.

West Elevation

The west elevation is abutted at ground floor by a modern ballroom extension. The remaining wall above has an advanced gable to the left and a pitched roof to the right, parallel with this elevation and with two timber dormers (as previous). The gable has a six-paned (three over three) transom and mullion window to first floor centre and in the apex is a cusped lancet window. Its wall is decorated with diaper brick up to the first floor sill. The wall to the right has two six-paned (three over three) transom and mullion windows, although that to the right is in timber and not stone. This wall is decorated in diaper-patterned brickwork (as before).

The abutting ballroom has a semicircular end (inspired by the kitchen on the east elevation) and is single-storey. Its saddle-coped parapet is lead-covered and conceals a flat lead roof with glazed dome over. Its walls are rustic red brick punctuated with yellow and blue bricks. To the front and around the end the openings are four and six-paned transom and mullion windows, in sandstone. To the garden front, at the join with the main block, is a pair of four-panelled (top two glazed) stained timber doors with tracery timber Gothic transom light over.

Most areas of wall on the main block have creepers climbing timber trellises.

Boundary and Demesne

The boundary to Killowen Road is a modern red brick wall with blue diaper work detailing. The main gates are set within a convex screen of modern Gothic-detailed railings and the similarly detailed gates are held on open tracery metal piers. The gates to the service lane (further south) are similarly detailed on brick piers with Gothic details which have been copied from the entrance to the stable yards.

The original tree planting of the small demesne is said to represent the battle formations at Waterloo. It was laid out by the original owner, a Mr Stewart who had been aide to the Duke of Wellington, and has been added to and enhanced by the present owner while keeping the original plan.

Immediately to the front of the house is a gravelled forecourt, enclosed to the north by a twelve-bay balustrade (with urns) said to have come from Baronscourt, Newtownstewart, County Tyrone. Through a central opening in this balustrading runs a modern timber pergola with a rose garden on either side. The east end of the forecourt (by the kitchen) has a two-tier bronze fountain (originally from a Paris park) which the present owner installed.

In the demesne to the east of the main house is a modern pump house designed to mimic the main house, with brick walls, sandstone dressings, tower, turret and lancet openings. To the south-east of the house is a modern Japanese garden with stream, pools and timber garden house.

The gardens to the south of the house have three terraces connected by granite steps in two sets of five flights and decorated with cast iron urns. To the centre of the lowest terrace is a cast iron fountain said to have originated at the 1851 Crystal Palace exhibition. Beyond, to the south of the terraces, is a small circular formal garden. Its centrepiece is a chevron-decorated marble column capped by a marble ball carved with a frieze of rustic classical figures and grotesque faces. This feature is said to have stood in the Chelsea Flower Show circa 1994.

To the west of the house, beyond the modern rhododendron garden and magnolia walk, is the walled kitchen garden; the east wall has been demolished. Along its west wall is a range of modernised single-storey stables, coach houses and farm buildings around two yards. The lower yard is in brick, with some Gothic lancets and gables, and is entered from the south through a set of decorative gate piers. This detailing was the inspiration for the buttresses and gate piers on the modern boundary wall built along Killowen Road. To the south of the yards is a modern helicopter landing-pad.

Beyond, on the shoreline, is a boathouse (not inspected). Recent photographs in the owner's possession illustrate a plain structure with rubble stone walls and corrugated metal roof. Adjacent to this is a small stone-built quay.