Kinghill, Kinghill Road, Cabra, Newry, Co Down, BT34 5RB

Kinghill is a mid-19th century country house set within a mature demesne between Kinghill Road and Hilltown Road, Cabra, County Down. The estate comprises the main house, entrance gates and screen wall, five service yards with associated outbuildings, a large walled garden containing a memorial, and a covered well in the front grounds. Related structures nearby include a corn mill and kiln complex, a lime kiln, and a gate lodge with gates on Hilltown Road, each recorded separately. All structures are derelict.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The demesne is believed to have been established during the Plantation period by the Newell family, though no house at Kinghill appears on Kennedy's 1755 map of County Down. John Newell was recorded as owner in 1785, and on his death the property passed to his son, Captain John Newell R.N., described as an improving landlord. An inscription, now lost, on one of the outbuildings (possibly part of the corn mill) recorded that the house and adjacent bridge were erected by John Newell, magistrate and Deputy Governor of County Down, who died 13 August 1816. Within five months of that date, his young son John William Newell, aged ten, had also died — on 28 March 1816 — and a memorial to both was placed in the walled garden by Mary Anne Newell in 1817. "Mrs Newell, Kinghill" appears in Bradshaw's 1820 Directory.

A gravestone in Hilltown Church of Ireland graveyard records James Newell, second son of the late George Newell of Kinghill, who died 16 November 1838 aged 78. A source believed to date from around 1850 describes the property as a family residence belonging to Mrs Francis Newell Barron, of Dublin and Marlfield, County Wexford, and notes that the Newell family was of English lineage and had been extensive landowners in County Down for more than two hundred years, with former estates in County Armagh also.

In 1831, Mary Francis St John Newell married Judge William Winstead Barron of Fethard, County Tipperary. The house was known for a time after their marriage as Barron's Lodge. Barron served as County Court Judge for Counties Monaghan and Tyrone, and on retirement was appointed Justice of the Peace for County Down. He was succeeded by his son Pierce Newell Barron, then by Edward Newell Barron, the last of the family to live there. A memorial altar rail in St John's Church of Ireland, Hilltown, was erected in 1886 by Emily and Charlotte Barron in memory of their mother Mary Frances Newell Barron, who died 16 October 1878.

The Ordnance Survey memoirs of 1836 describe Kinghill as "a small two storey house the residence of William Winstead Newell Baron Esquire … surrounded by a plantation consisting of larch, Scotch firs, ash, oak." The first edition 6-inch Ordnance Survey map of 1833 shows the house in the position of the present one, and all the outbuildings and walled garden are also shown at that date. The circa-1836 valuation records the house as 47 feet by 18 feet 6 inches by 22 feet. The current house, gate lodge, and national school all appear on the 1859 second edition Ordnance Survey map, indicating that the house was substantially rebuilt in its present neoclassical form between 1833 and 1859. Architectural historian Hugh Dixon has suggested the architect may have been William Farrell or Thomas Duff. The rear return of the house appears to be an earlier structure, possibly part of a small two-storey house that predated the present building.

The valuation revision book records a significant drop in rateable valuation from £45 to £7 in 1892, indicating the property had been abandoned. A former occupant, Mr McPolin, confirmed the house was vacant around 1900. The McPolin family purchased the property in the mid-1920s and occupied the house until the early 1960s, after which it served briefly as a holiday home before falling into disrepair. It was vacant by 1974. A 1974 photographic survey record shows the house before full dereliction, at which point the front door was a four-panelled design with margin-paned sidelights and a matching transom above, the lawn overgrown and used for grazing.

THE MAIN HOUSE

The house is two storeys and three bays wide, with an additional pile at the south-east and returns to the south and south-west. The front and rear piles have hipped natural slate roofs. Two ashlar granite chimneys with moulded bases and copings sit on the front ridge, one at either side of the central bay; a plain rendered chimney sits on the shorter rear ridge. The front and side elevations are fitted with box-section cast iron gutters resting on a substantial moulded granite cornice; the remaining elevations have semicircular gutters on an advanced eaves course. The walls have V-jointed ashlar quoins to the façade and an advanced rendered base course.

The front (north-facing) elevation was wet-dashed at some point after the Second World War. The main entrance is set within an open aedicule porch abutting the central bay. A single bull-nosed granite step rises to a flagged granite porch floor. Four granite columns, paired to either side of the entrance, support the porch roof; these, together with single matching pilasters on the main wall, carry a moulded granite entablature. Within the porch, the wall of the main block is smooth rendered and unpainted. The original door and sidelights have been removed; the door itself has been reused to board up a ground-floor window on the left bay — it is four-panelled and bolection-moulded, retaining its bronze knocker and letterbox. The ground-floor left and right bays each have a tall French window with two-paned sidelights and a transom light above, all of post-war character but set within original openings fitted with applied smooth render modern architraves. Each first-floor bay has a single window: those to the left and right match the ground-floor windows, while the central first-floor window consists of two modern casements with matching opening transoms. All first-floor windows have architraves consistent with those below.

The left (west) elevation is lined in lime render with quoins to the right; the foundation course of rubble stonework is exposed at the base. At ground-floor left is a post-war steel casement window, three panes wide, with a concrete sill. To its right is a 1920s timber window comprising a pair of casements, each with a two-paned transom above, set on a cement-rendered sill. The first floor of this elevation is blank.

The rear elevation consists, at right, of the rear pile of the main block, and at left of an older building set at right angles; the two are joined by a small linking block. The two bays of the rear pile have rendered quoins to the right corner only, and the wall is smooth lime rendered. On the left bay, between ground and first floor, is a tall semicircular-headed window with a granite sill serving the stairwell, though all timber has gone. At ground-floor right is a pair of 1920s French windows, each with a small two-pane transom above. At first floor is a single 6-over-6 sliding sash window. Slightly inset to the left of this pile is the narrow two-storey link block connecting the main block to the return. It has a flat roof, cast iron rainwater goods, and lime-rendered granite rubble walls. There is a single window on each floor, both brick-dressed with granite sills; the first-floor window is smaller. To the left of the link block is the perpendicular rear return.

The rear return has a natural slate roof aligned north to south, gabled to the south and hipped to the north where it meets the front pile. A lean-to extension abuts its west elevation, over which the main roof continues. The south gable has rendered skews and plain granite kneelers. There is a chimney at each end of the ridge, detailed as those to the façade. Walls are lined in lime render with a projecting eaves course. The right (east-facing) cheek has a wide modern top-hung window at ground-floor right, though the wide granite sill suggests the opening is original. At first-floor left is a taller window opening containing an inter-war triple casement window, each casement two-paned with matching transoms above. The south gable of the return and that of the lean-to are both blank and are abutted at centre by a coachway — which separates the rear of the house into Yards 1 and 2.

Turning the left corner of the return's south gable is the principal elevation of the lean-to, which abuts all but the north end of the return's left (west) cheek. Its walls are wet lime-dashed with a granite eaves course. Three small ground-floor openings face west: to the left is a boarded-up window with an irregularly dressed granite sill; left of centre is a smaller shuttered opening retaining its original iron strap hinges but having no sill; to the right is a wider window with a finely dressed, higher sill, secured with three horizontal metal security bars. At first floor there are two small window openings each containing a pair of timber casements. The left (north-facing) cheek of this lean-to has a broad-boarded door with a timber sliding latch at ground floor. To the left of this cheek is the exposed face of the right cheek of the return below the hipped roof, with a paired casement window at ground floor and another above, both with granite sills.

The right (east) elevation of the main block is blank and lined in render. It is abutted at ground floor by a single-storey, two-bay outbuilding; an internal door into the house indicates it was once internally linked. This outbuilding has a pitched natural slate roof aligned west to east with a cement-rendered red brick chimney on its west gable. Walls are lime-dashed granite rubble. The north-facing front wall has a modern shed door to the left and is blank to the right. The west gable is blank except for a boarded-up window at ground-floor left and is abutted by the wall of Yard 1. The south-facing yard wall has a window opening to the left and a door to the centre.

GATES AND SCREEN WALL (KINGHILL ROAD ENTRANCE)

On Kinghill Road is a pair of carriage gates serving the now overgrown approach drive, with the remains of a small planted demesne and the covered well set in the front lawn. The gateway comprises a concave sweep of screen walling in smooth-rendered random rubble with saddlebacked overhanging granite copings. A pedestrian gate breaks the right side of the screen, supported on two slender one-piece granite posts (gates no longer present). The main carriage gates are hung on stout square one-piece finely dressed granite pillars resting on chamfered plinths. Each pillar has an incised panel to each face and a moulded frieze and cornice supporting a pyramidal coping. The gates are wrought iron with cast iron details; diagonal crosses form the dog bars and a similar band frames the top rail; each vertical bar has a foliated spearhead and an applied moulding.

YARD 1

Yard 1 lies to the south-west of the house. It is enclosed to the north-east by the single-storey outbuilding abutting the west gable of the house, and to the south by a high one-storey building. Several smaller buildings, all very ruinous, are conjoined by a rubble stone wall approximately 2.5 metres high.

The principal outbuilding on the south side of the yard is a long, one-bay, two-storey structure with a hipped natural slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles and partially missing cast iron rainwater goods. All walls are lime-rendered random rubble. The north-facing elevation into the yard has two entrances: one at the extreme left, with granite stools to its timber frame (door gone); and one right of centre, sheltered by a lean-to rubble stone porch rising to three-quarters the building's height, with a monopitched natural slate roof and one-piece granite skews on moulded kneelers. The porch cheeks are blank and taper from bottom to top. There are fourteen narrow window openings to this elevation, arranged to serve three rooms, each secured with three vertical wrought iron bars. A ruinous single-storey, one-bay outbuilding abuts at the right. The left (east) gable has one small window at the top, above the line of a one-storey, one-bay shed at left, of which only ruinous walls survive. The south elevation, facing the walled garden, also has fourteen similar openings arranged over three rows, with the walled garden wall abutting at the left and blocking two of them; there is also a larger infilled opening at the extreme left. The right (west) gable has a finely dressed segmental-headed coach arch with dressed granite jambs and voussoirs.

The interior of this building is a single undivided space. The roof is carried on A-framed trusses with common rafters. Over the north-east entrance is a granite platform.

The coachway connecting Yards 1 and 2 is of rubble granite with one-piece granite jambs and roughly dressed voussoirs forming its semi-elliptical head. The keystone is dropped slightly to prevent gates swinging in both directions, and the jambs are recessed to accommodate inset gates. The wall above the archway has partially collapsed. It abuts the gable of the house return to the north and a small ruinous two-storey, two-bay rubble stone building to the south.

YARD 2

Yard 2 lies immediately south of the house, between Yards 1 and 3, with the walled garden to its south. It contains the remains of a raised flowerbed along the boundary with the walled garden, together with granite steps leading up to a brick-headed gateway — with a flat iron gate — into the walled garden.

WALLED GARDEN

The large walled garden is roughly square in plan and enclosed on all sides by 2.5-metre-high coursed granite rubble walls. It is accessed from Yard 2 through the brick-headed gateway. A vehicle entrance is located at the east end of the north boundary wall. In the north-east corner stands a roofless single-storey, single-bay building with a brick chimney. The south boundary wall has a brick-dressed doorway. The west wall is abutted internally at its north end by an early 19th century memorial. No features are now visible within the garden itself.

The memorial consists of a slate memorial slab set into the west wall, below which is a granite bench. The cheeks are of lime-dashed rubble and terminate in finely dressed granite pillars supporting an open gabled natural slate roof with similar dressing. The memorial tablet has been deliberately vandalised and only its lower panel survives, reading: "I SUBMIT AND LOOK FORWARD / WITH FAITH M. A. Newell, 1817." The Outlook newspaper records that the full inscription once read: "Also within five months this darling son was followed by the best of fathers, John Newell Esquire, who died 13th August, 1816 / I submit and look forward with faith. M.A. Newell, 1817" — and that the memorial was to John William Newell, who died 28 March 1816, aged ten.

YARD 3

Yard 3 lies immediately east of Yard 2, enclosed by a high rubble stone wall and three outbuildings. The principal outbuilding is at the north side: two storeys, single bay, aligned west to east. It has a pitched natural slate roof laid in diminishing courses with two raised pyramidal louvred ventilators. The left gable has granite skews with kneeler stones. Walls are rendered random rubble with a brick eaves course. All openings except the doorway have red brick dressings.

The south-facing principal elevation has five ground-floor openings. The main entrance, fourth from the left, has a projecting porch with three granite steps forming its roof, and walls of squared and coursed granite blocks. To the left of the door are three Gothic windows (the one immediately left of the door is partly collapsed); to the right is one similar Gothic window; all have roughly dressed granite sills. There are three first-floor openings, each with stepped brick dressings and granite sills: the middle one aligns over the porch and served as a loading door; the others are louvred timber vents. The yard wall abuts at the extreme left and extreme right of this elevation, each section having an archway through: the left archway is segmental and dressed with brick; the right is segmental with granite voussoirs. The left gable is blank except for a window opening at first-floor centre.

The rear (north) elevation has three infilled Gothic openings at ground floor with brick dressings partly visible, each with a small rectangular ventilation hole. At first-floor right is a larger opening. Many slates are missing from the left side of this roof pitch. A random rubble stone wall continues to the left of this elevation and has at its centre a large coach arch with a segmental head of granite voussoirs and stepped granite surround. To the right of the coach arch is a flat-headed pedestrian entrance with stepped granite surrounds. No gates remain to either opening. The right (east) gable is unrendered and blank, with traces of at least one infilled opening. Two nondescript single-storey, single-bay buildings with ruinous pitched natural slate roofs and random rubble walls stand to the south of the principal outbuilding.

YARD 4

Yard 4 lies between Yards 3 and 5 and provides access between the front lawns of the house, the walled garden, and the field with the lime kiln to the south-east. It is enclosed by a high rubble wall with a large segmental-headed coachway and pedestrian gateway on the front wall, and access openings on the remaining three sides.

YARD 5

Yard 5 contains two long two-storey outbuildings — one to the north and one to the south — with a small depression between them, edged in masonry and possibly once a pond. A small ruinous shed stands at the north-west. The yard is enclosed by rubble stone walls and accessed by a gateway on the west boundary with Yard 4.

The north building has a hipped natural slate roof, random rubble granite walls, and brick eaves. The roof to the right gable has partially collapsed. The south-facing principal elevation has at its centre a segmental-headed archway rising almost to eaves level, with dressed granite voussoirs. At the extreme left and right are single doorways, and immediately left of the coachway is a third doorway (now collapsed). Between the coachway and the right-hand door are five small ventilation openings at ground level. At first floor, to the left and right of the coachway, are four rectangular openings, some retaining the remains of louvred timber vents, each with granite lintels and sills. The left (west) gable is blank. The rear (north) elevation is wet lime-dashed and divided into two sections by a yard wall. The left half has three doors and assorted vents; the right half has two central doors (the left one infilled). Each half has four first-floor louvred timber vents matching those on the principal elevation. Rubble walls enclosing the rear yards are in a state of collapse. The right (east) gable is blank.

The south outbuilding has a pitched natural slate roof with coursed granite rubble walls and brick eaves. Its north-facing front elevation is symmetrical, with three semi-elliptical headed coachway arches at ground floor, all with dressed granite voussoirs (the left one infilled with concrete blockwork). Smaller doorways flank the central coachway, and small vents are placed between all openings. At first floor there are six equally spaced rectangular openings with granite sills and timber louvres. The left (east) gable has been rebuilt in concrete blockwork with a modern vehicle entrance inserted. The rear (south) elevation has seven arrow-loop-style vents at ground floor and five first-floor openings with timber louvres matching those to the front. The right (west) gable is blank.

The single-storey, single-bay outbuilding at the north-west of the yard has a pitched natural slate roof and rubble walls, with a shallow segmental-headed opening to the east elevation; the remaining walls are blank.

COVERED WELL

In the grounds to the front of the house, a covered well is approached down a short flight of stone steps. It is edged with rounded fieldstones and retains the remains of a decorative planted surround.