Farmyard, Forkhill House, 22 Captains Road, Forkhill, Co Armagh, BT35 9RS

Farmyard at Forkhill House

This is a two-storey, 'C'-shaped rubble-built farm building constructed around 1780 to serve the adjoining Forkhill House, which was erected for Richard Jackson, a local philanthropist who endowed many schools in the area. The farmyard is located immediately north of the remaining section of Forkhill House and is attached to it with screen walls. Although the building remains substantially intact, the demolition of much of Forkhill House has diminished its group value. The probable reconstruction of its roof and various other alterations have affected its original character.

The farmyard's front faces south-south-west. The south-facing (farmyard) front has four ground floor openings: two pedestrian doors with sheeted timber doors and two boarded windows. Above these, at first floor level and aligned with the ground floor openings, are four smaller window openings fitted with fixed timber ventilation louvers.

The east (farmyard) face features a modern concrete outside stair (circa 1960s) to the left, alongside which is a barred window opening. To the right of the stair is an elliptical-arched carriage doorway with sheeted timber double doors, followed by a narrow window opening with a modern steel frame. A further elliptical arched carriage door has been partially bricked up; within this opening is a small pedestrian door while the uppermost arched portion is timber sheeted with a small rectangular opening. At the far right is a small timber sheeted pedestrian door with a square vision panel. At first floor level, at the head of the outside stair, is a small timber sheeted hayloft door. Five window openings of varying size occupy the first floor, each with fixed timber louvers; one is positioned to the left of the stair and four to the right. At the far right is a further smaller window opening with a two-over-two timber sash frame.

The west face contains several openings. To the left is a pedestrian doorway with latticed paned window. Right of centre is a large flat-arched carriage opening with a timber lintel but no door or frame. To the right of this is a small semicircular-arched pedestrian doorway with a sheeted timber door. At the far right is a taller pedestrian doorway with timber sheeted door and a plain fanlight. At first floor level are three evenly spaced window openings with six-over-six timber sash frames, with a smaller louvred window opening at the far right. The far right section of this face appears to be a later addition and is flat-roofed.

The north outer face of the building has two frameless window openings at first floor level. Attached to this face is a large single-storey rubble-built gabled structure, now roofless and apparently used as an open yard. To the south-west is a small two-storey offshoot with a pedestrian doorway and window opening at ground floor level, both much overgrown, with an additional doorway adjacent to it on the west face. The remainder of the outer faces are devoid of openings.

The inner faces of the building are whitewashed; the outer faces are bare rubble. The roof appears originally to have been hipped. A portion of the southern range has been rebuilt and now incorporates a gable. The roof is covered with blue-black natural slate and features a small rendered chimneystack to the south. The rain water goods are a mixture of uPVC and cast iron.

The southern range is connected to the side of the main house with a tall screen wall which incorporates a Tudor-arched opening formed in brick and fitted with a modern wrought-iron domestic-scaled gate. The eastern side of the courtyard is mainly enclosed with a tall stone wall featuring a now blocked tall Gothic arched opening; the remainder of this side is secured with modern farm gates. The yard surface is covered with cobblestones.

Historical Context

Forkhill House was erected around 1780 for Richard Jackson, with the farmyard built contemporaneously. The 1836 Valuation book records the property occupied by John Foxhall, describing the house's dimensions as 52 feet by 42 feet 6 inches by 29 feet, with an 8-foot 6-inch high cellar beneath. By 1888, George Bassett noted that Captain Granville Alexander, described as an extensive property owner, had recently spent between £6,000 and £7,000 improving his fine residence at Forkhill House. The demesne was opened to the public and frequently visited by excursion and picnic parties. A trout lake containing between eight and ten acres, romantically situated, afforded good sport for anglers. This investment likely resulted in a hip-roof annex built onto the left front of the original house, documented in a photograph in Brett's book. This section was burned during the troubles in the 1920s and subsequently demolished.