The Master's House, 10 Abbey Yard, Newry, Co Down, BT34 2EG

The Master's House is a pair of classical Georgian town houses forming a single property, located at the left end of a group on the north side of Abbey Yard in Newry. The left building is three storeys plus basement and two bays wide; the right building is two storeys plus basement and single bay wide, with an attic.

LEFT BUILDING

The left building has a double pitched natural slate roof with central valley and raised skews, with cement rendered chimneys to each front gable (the right one shared with the adjacent property) and a third to the rear left gable. Semicircular metal rainwater goods run along the facade with no downpipe, while a downpipe is positioned to the right of the left gable elevation and another to the left of the rear elevation.

The facade walls are lined with cement render with a projecting granite eaves course. The main entrance is at raised ground floor level and is accessed by a flight of thirteen granite steps with a landing halfway up. The bottom step is bull-nosed with a circular section ball-finalled granite newel. The steps are enclosed by plain metal railings supporting a handrail. A granite panel set into the front cheek of the steps commemorates the Abbey formerly on this site and the restoration of the property in 1991.

The front door is a reproduction six-panelled raised and fielded timber design painted, with beaded muntin. Above it is a rectangular transom with geometric timber glazing bars. Modern plaques flank the door, with a reproduction coach lamp to its left. To the left of the door are three equally spaced 6/6 sliding sash windows, each without horns and with granite cills.

The basement is accessed by concrete steps from the left, enclosed by plain spiked railings with urn-topped cast iron posts resting on a chamfered base wall. Below the central ground floor window is a reproduction six-paned timber-panelled door with transom, set within a chamfered granite post and lintel surround. To the right of this door is a 6/6 sliding sash as at ground floor. A quarter window with radiating timber glazing bars is contained within the left cheek of the front steps.

At first and second floor are four equally spaced windows. Those at first floor are 6/6 sliding sashes with granite cills; those at second floor are 2/2 sliding sashes and diminished in height, all without horns.

The left gable is lined with cement render, with a cement rendered chimney rising up the left side. To its right are two windows—one at first floor and one above—both 6/6 sliding sashes with granite cills.

The rear elevation walls are lined with cement render, set back slightly from first floor with a projecting granite eaves course. The basement is at ground level due to the sloping topography. The left bay is one window wide and contains a stairwell; the right bay is two windows wide. At basement right is a pair of 6/6 sliding sashes with security bars over and a lower 6/3 window also with security bars. At ground floor left is a small 3/3, and at right are two tall 6/9 sliding sashes. A 6/6 sliding sash landing window is positioned at left between ground and first floors. At first floor are two 6/6 sliding sash windows. A 6/6 half-landing window sits at left between first and second floors. At second floor are two 3/3 sliding sash windows.

The right elevation is abutted to its left by the gable of the adjacent building. The remaining wall is painted lined cement render with set-backs demarcating first and second floors. At ground floor left is a modern nine-paned and panelled door reached from the veranda of the right-hand building, with modern stone steps descending from the veranda to ground level. At basement, beneath these steps and in line with the ground floor door, is a similar door.

RIGHT BUILDING

The right building is two storeys plus basement and attic. The basement is at ground level due to the sloping topography. The roof is pitched with natural slate and has a cement rendered chimney to each gable (the left one shared with the first building), with granite skews to the right gable. The walls are lined render with a raised unpainted concrete eaves course.

At basement right is a semi-elliptical coach arch with stepped painted granite quoins to the jambs and head. This has been infilled with a lined cement render wall, with a small 6/6 sliding sash window with granite cill and security bars inserted within it. To the left is a small casement with bars and a granite cill.

At ground floor are two 6/6 sliding sashes, with the right one resting on the flattened quoins of the coach arch. At second floor are two similar windows.

The left gable abuts the gable of the first building. The rear elevation is painted lined cement render with the basement at ground level due to sloping topography. Each floor has two openings. At left of basement is a modern timber flush door, and to the right is a 6/3 sliding sash window with security bars. At first floor are two French windows with a pair of square transoms over each, with three moulded granite steps leading from each window to a cantilevered granite slab veranda enclosed by plain iron balusters supporting a metal handrail. Two decorative iron trellises support the veranda. At first floor are two 6/6 sliding sash windows, each with external horizontal bars guarding the bottom sash.

The right gable is abutted to its left by the gable of the link block with number 9. The remaining wall is cement rendered with single 1/1 sliding sashes (with granite cills) over each pitch of the link block roof at second floor level. At ground floor right is a modern cement render lean-to boiler house with artificial slate roof, metal flues and a metal-sheeted door to the rear and louvred panel to the right cheek.

To the rear of both buildings, the former garden has been given over to car parking with a small sundial in a planted area below the rear veranda. Access to the rear is gained through the coach arch in the link block from number 9.