Former Market House, Downshire Arms, 28 Main Street, Hilltown, Co Down, BT34 5UJ

Former Market House, now part of the Downshire Arms Hotel

This building stands on the north-east corner of the Main Street and Rathfriland Road junction in the centre of Hilltown. It is a two-storey, three-bay former market house with a court house on the first floor, constructed in the early 19th century and now amalgamated into a hotel following extensive refurbishment around 1993. The building was originally listed as part of the Downshire Arms complex but was excluded when the complex was delisted and relisted on 25 June 2002, as modernisation has resulted in the loss of much original detail and major alteration to the plan form.

The structure features a pitched natural slate roof with skews and painted render to each gable. At the centre of the ridge sits a square-plan cupola containing a clock, with a leaded base. Each cheek of the cupola is timber-framed with plain pilasters, and a semicircular-headed louvred timber vent appears on each remaining face. An overhanging timber cornice supports the leaded dome, which terminates in a fish weathervane. The front elevation displays a central bay that advances slightly under a pedimented gable tied into the main roof. A modern clock face with Roman numerals (now peeling) faces south, and modern metal rainwater goods run down each side of the advanced central bay.

The walls are painted smooth render with a projecting basecourse and platband between ground and first floors. Each ground-floor bay features a semi-elliptical headed archway with ashlar granite jambs, voussoirs and keyblock. A platband runs across the façade, with arches rising from imposts. The left arch is infilled and now contains the main entrance: a panelled and painted timber door with glazed sidelights, timber apron panels and a three-piece semi-elliptical headed fanlight. A modern metal plaque to the left commemorates the official opening of the Downshire Arms on 7 December 1993 by Mr William McCarter (Chairman of the International Fund for Ireland) and Mr John Murray (Permanent Secretary of the Department of Environment for Northern Ireland). The central arch is infilled and contains a 6/6 sliding sash window with ashlar granite cill. The right arch is completely filled with a large pair of sheeted timber doors, each with a horizontal barred opening to centre, with a sheeted timber panel infilling the head. A large 6/6 sliding sash window is centred to each first-floor bay.

The rear elevation mirrors the front with similar eaves and pediment detail. A coachway occupies the left bay. The central bay is partly abutted at ground and first floors by an east outbuilding, and has a spoke-headed fire escape window at first-floor level. The right bay has a 6/6 sliding sash window at first floor, and a lower building abuts the right gable.

Historical Records

Thomas Duff appears to have been responsible for the market house. In a letter dated 29 September 1828, he wrote to Lord Downshire's agent stating he would shortly visit Hilltown to supervise its construction. It remains unclear whether there was an earlier building on the site or an infill between two existing gables. A map of Carquillan dated 1803 shows no market house in this location. In a letter of 1834, Duff reminded Downshire's agent that he was due £200 for work to the inn and £300 for the market house, indicating that alterations were carried out to both buildings. Both the inn (the adjoining left block, now listed separately as HB16/07/005A) and the market house, together with associated outbuildings, are shown on the 1834 valuation map.

The building was originally listed as part of the Downshire Arms complex (HB16/07/005A) but was delisted on 25 June 2002 due to loss of original architectural detail and major alteration to its plan form.