Former Coach house, adj to 7 Abbey Yard, Newry, Co Down, BT34 2EG

Former Coach House adjacent to 7 Abbey Yard, Newry

A small single-storey building of double height with a single bay, forming part of an important architectural group in a prominent position within the town centre. The building dates from the late 18th or early 19th century, probably between 1800 and 1819, and is recorded on the 1834 Ordnance Survey map. It originally served as an outbuilding to a dwelling erected by Isaac Corry (Member of Parliament and Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Irish Parliament) sometime after 1760 on land owned by the Corry family since the mid-18th century. The site does not appear on John Rocque's map of 1760.

The main facade features painted lined render walls with a hipped roof of natural slate and two modern skylights to the rear pitch. Semicircular metal rainwater goods with downpipes are positioned to the left and right elevations. The principal architectural features include a Gothic-headed coach arch with smooth chamfered granite jamb and head, infilled with tongue-and-groove sheeted panel, with two timber sheeted doors below. Behind these are three modern doors, two of which are fixed; the door to the right provides internal access. Above is a painted sign-written fascia. To the left of the coach arch, at mezzanine level, is a small fixed timber window within a shallow-headed Tudor opening with chamfered granite head, jambs, and long granite cill. The left side of the facade is enclosed by plain spiked railings with urn-topped decorative cast iron posts resting on a chamfered granite base wall. A gate provides access to the basement steps of number 7.

The right elevation is abutted by an identical coach arch sharing its right jamb with an adjoining outbuilding. The left elevation is abutted by a narrow lean-to return inserted into the basement passage to the rear of number 7, with a cat-slide roof returning from the main block. Its walls are lined cement render, blank to the facade, with a circular window to ground floor and first floor on the rear elevation. The right elevation is a party wall with an outhouse, and its left elevation abuts the rear of number 7.

The rear elevation is rendered in painted lined cement render. A modern diagonal tongue-and-groove sheeted door with a glazed diamond window is positioned at the centre, with a semicircular-headed coach arch to its left, now infilled with a single picture window. To the right of the central door is a single-storey lean-to return. The first floor features three equally spaced fixed circular windows. The timber return has an artificial slate roof and herringbone tongue-and-groove sheeted walls with diamond windows to both cheeks. The area to the rear forms a pedestrian courtyard shared with numbers 7, 8, and 9 Abbey Yard.

From the early 1900s until 1972, the building formed part of the Christian Brothers School complex. Following the school's relocation, the premises fell into dereliction until its restoration by Clanrye Community Workshop between 1986 and 1991. The building was subsequently extended into the rear elevation in 1999 to accommodate kitchen and restaurant use. This extension comprises a single-storey rendered boiler house to the right of the rear elevation with a stainless steel flue, and a main section extending back to adjoin another building with a mono-pitch mostly glazed roof, PVC glazing, and PVC door to the side.

The building is listed in Grade B2 and is situated within a conservation area. It is of architectural interest for its style, proportions, ornamentation, and group value, and of local historical interest, including its association with Isaac Corry.