Gate piers at The Glen, Dublin Road, Newry, Co Down

These gate piers, primarily of local historical interest, originally marked the main entrance to ‘The Glen’, a late-18th century mansion that has since been demolished. Constructed sometime between 1840 and 1859, the piers are made of ashlar granite and stand 2.30 metres high with a cross-section of 60cm. They sit on projecting plinths and are embellished with beaded corners and fielded recessed panels. The sides terminate with cushion-moulded copings and pyramidal caps. The original gates have been removed, and the piers have been repositioned to allow access for traffic into a modern housing estate built on the former grounds of The Glen. Chamfered ashlar base walls, originally supporting a railing, run along the boundary on either side of the piers.

‘The Glen’ was built around 1780 and was initially named Turner Hill after its builder. A driveway is indicated on a Valuation map from the mid-1830s; however, the gates are not depicted, and it is unclear whether this is an accurate representation or a map simplification. The gate piers are clearly visible on an Ordnance Survey map from 1861.