Hawthorn Hill, Wood Road, Killevy, Co Armagh, BT35 8DE

Hawthorn Hill is a two-storey house with a semi-basement, arranged in two bays and aligned north-south on an elevated site at the foot of Slieve Gullion Forest Park. The building occupies mature landscaped grounds within the forest park. It is a reconstructed early 19th-century house, rebuilt following destruction during civil unrest in the 1920s, and the reconstruction is of relatively late date and does not truthfully reflect the original building. As a result of this reconstruction and the loss of historic fabric, it is no longer considered to be of special architectural or historic interest and has been recorded rather than formally listed.

The house has a single-storey extension to the north and an exposed basement to the east. The roof is hipped with natural slate, and features a tall central cement-rendered chimney set perpendicular to the ridge, containing seven chimney pots. Overhanging eaves with timber soffits are supported on paired timber brackets. Rainwater goods are half-round metal. Walls are cement-dashed, and an advanced chamfered granite platband runs above the exposed basement level.

The principal elevation faces west. The right bay is slightly advanced and contains the entrance. All window openings on this elevation have been infilled and wet-dashed. The entrance is a finely dressed granite doorcase set within a semicircular pole-moulded opening and contains a pair of Tuscan columns on low plinth blocks supporting a plain granite entablature with moulded cornice. A bootscraper is positioned at the left. The door is timber with two elongated panels with beaded muntin and is accessed by a wide granite step. Above the entrance is a landscape window opening. The left bay has a window opening to each floor; the first-floor opening is diminished in height. All window openings have painted granite cills; those to the ground floor are set within recessed semi-elliptical arched niches.

The north elevation is abutted by a single-storey addition with basement. The exposed section has a window opening to the first floor on the left. The east elevation is partially obscured by ivy and only the left bay is visible, which has a large landscape window opening to the exposed basement level (now infilled with concrete blocks) and a 6/6 sliding sash window with metal security grille to the ground floor. Above this is an infilled window opening. The south elevation has similarly detailed ground-floor windows to either end, both with security grilles over. To the first floor are three equally spaced infilled window openings. The basement level is partially exposed due to the sloping topography and is blank.

The single-storey addition has a pitched natural slate roof with a chimney to the exposed gable. The west elevation has a four-panelled timber door at centre; to either side is an infilled window opening. The left gable has a tongued-and-grooved sheeted door to the basement level, with a small cast-iron ventilation opening to its left and an infilled window with cast-iron railings over to its right. The ground floor centre has a narrow infilled window opening with a wide cill. The east elevation has window openings to the basement level and first floor on the left, with the remainder of this wall obscured by ivy.

Abutting the extreme right end is a row of three ruinous rubble stone outbuildings of no interest.

The house occupies a maturely planted and elevated site within the forest park, with lawned terraces to the rear and south.

Historic context: The original house was built circa 1815 by Hunt Walsh Chambre, whose family is buried in Killevy churchyard. During civil unrest in the 1920s the house was burnt down. Its rateable valuation decreased from £52 to £12 in the 1923 Valuation entry and the house was downgraded to an office. It was subsequently reconstructed in its present form. The 1972 first survey recorded that ground-floor windows were originally 6/6 sliding sashes; those to the first floor were 3/6 sashes with horns. The window over the entrance door was a pair of 2/4 sashes. In 1968 the Chambre family sold the estate to the Forestry Commission, and the house was used until recently as its headquarters.