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

The Master's House, 10 Abbey Yard, Newry

This is a pair of classical Georgian town houses forming a single property at the left end of a group on the north side of Abbey Yard. Dating from the early 19th century, the building occupies a prominent position in the town and forms part of an architecturally important group. The exterior is largely intact following a substantial restoration carried out by Clanrye Community Workshop between 1986 and 1991, and a significant number of internal features survive. The property is currently in use as a university or college building.

LEFT BUILDING

The left-hand building is three storeys with a basement, and two bays wide. It has a double-pitched natural slate roof with a central valley and raised skews. There are 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 are fitted to the façade, though without a downpipe; downpipes are located to the right side of the left gable elevation and to the left of the rear elevation. The façade walls are lined cement render with a projecting granite eaves course.

The main entrance is at raised ground floor level on the right side, reached by a flight of thirteen granite steps with a landing halfway up, rising from the right. The bottom step is bull-nosed, with a circular-section granite newel topped by a ball finial. The steps are enclosed by plain metal railings with a handrail. A granite panel set into the front cheek of the steps commemorates the abbey that formerly stood on this site and records the 1991 restoration. The front door is a reproduction six-panelled raised-and-fielded painted timber door with a beaded muntin, surmounted by a rectangular transom with geometric timber glazing bars. Modern plaques are fixed to either side of the door, and a reproduction coach lamp is positioned to the left of the transom. To the left of the door are three equally spaced 6-over-6 sliding sash windows, all without horns and with granite cills.

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

At first floor level are four equally spaced 6-over-6 sliding sash windows with granite cills; at second floor level are four 2-over-2 sliding sash windows of diminished height. All are without horns.

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

The rear elevation is lined cement render, set back slightly from first floor level with a projecting granite eaves course. Due to the sloping topography of the site, the basement is at ground level at the rear. The left bay, one window wide, contains the stairwell; the right bay is two windows wide. All windows have no horns and granite cills. At basement level on the right are a pair of 6-over-6 sliding sash windows; to the left is a lower 6-over-3 window; all have security bars. At ground floor level on the left is a small 3-over-3 sliding sash, and on the right are two tall 6-over-9 sliding sashes. Between ground and first floors on the left is a 6-over-6 sliding sash landing window. At first floor are two 6-over-6 sliding sash windows. Between first and second floors on the left is a 6-over-6 half-landing window. At second floor are two 3-over-3 sliding sash windows.

The right elevation is abutted to the left by the gable of the adjacent building. The remaining visible wall is painted lined cement render with setbacks demarcating the first and second floor levels. At ground floor level on the left is a modern nine-paned and panelled door reached from the veranda of the right-hand building, with modern stone steps descending to ground level. At basement level, directly below these steps and aligned with the ground floor door, is a similar door.

RIGHT BUILDING

The right-hand building is two storeys with a basement and attic. Again, the basement is at ground level due to the sloping topography. The roof is pitched and natural slated with a cement-rendered chimney to each gable — that to the left shared with the first building. The right gable has granite skews. Walls are lined render with a raised unpainted concrete eaves course.

At basement level on the right is a semi-elliptical coach arch with stepped painted granite quoins to the jambs and head, now infilled with lined cement render. Inserted into this infill is a small 6-over-6 sliding sash window with a granite cill and security bars. To the left is a small casement with bars and a granite cill. At ground floor level are two 6-over-6 sliding sash windows, the right one resting on the flattened quoins of the coach arch. At second floor level are two similar windows. The left gable abuts the gable of the first building.

The rear elevation is painted lined cement render. Each floor has two openings. At basement level on the left is a modern timber flush door; to the right is a 6-over-3 sliding sash window with security bars. At first floor are two French windows, each with a pair of square transoms above. Three moulded granite steps lead from each window to a cantilevered granite slab veranda enclosed by plain iron balusters with a metal handrail; two decorative iron trellises support the veranda. At first floor level are two 6-over-6 sliding sash windows, each with external horizontal bars guarding the bottom sash.

The right gable is abutted to the left by the gable of the link block connecting to No. 9. The remaining wall is cement rendered, with single 1-over-1 sliding sash windows with granite cills at second floor level, positioned over each pitch of the link block roof. At ground floor level on the right is a modern cement-rendered lean-to boiler house with an artificial slate roof, metal flues, a metal-sheeted door to the rear, and a louvred panel to the right cheek.

To the rear of both buildings, the former garden has been converted to car parking, with a small sundial retained in a planted area below the rear veranda. Rear access is gained through the coach arch in the link block from No. 9.

HISTORY

This area of ground was first developed by Isaac Corry — grandfather of the Isaac Corry who served as Chancellor of the Irish Exchequer — in the mid-18th century. A house, probably this one, is shown on John Rocque's 1760 map of Newry, and the site occupies the location of an earlier Cistercian monastery. The property remained in the Corry family well into the 19th century. From the early 1900s until 1972 it formed part of the Christian Brothers School; its present name derives from its original use as residential accommodation for the schoolmasters. After the school relocated, the building fell into dereliction before being restored by Clanrye Community Workshop between 1986 and 1991.