Lodge to Narrow Water Castle, 16 Mound Road, Warrenpoint, Newry, Co Down, BT34 3PP

This attractive lodge to Narrow Water Castle was designed by Thomas Duff around 1837, inspired by the English Picturesque movement pioneered by P.F. Robinson. It stands on the east side of Mound Road, Warrenpoint, and is listed Grade B2 for its architectural character and group value within the Narrow Water demesne.

The building is L-shaped, measuring one and a half storeys with two bays, and features a pitched natural slate roof with an ashlar granite chimney at the centre of the main ridge. The chimney comprises a pair of square stacks set at angles on a common base. The roof has boarded overhanging eaves with exposed rafter tails and decorative fretted bargeboards (reproductions of the originals) with cusped ends and slender finials.

The walls are built of finely dressed granite blocks, regularly coursed on an advanced basecourse. The principal elevation faces east towards the road and is two bays wide. The right bay advances as a gable, while the left bay contains the main entrance sheltered within an open porch. The porch has a lean-to natural slate roof supported by a single granite Tuscan column at its left end, with a flagged granite threshold. The entrance doorway is set to the left and contains a reproduction timber door with 3/3 bolection panels. To its right is a window opening with a pair of 2x3 paned timber casements, each with a 2x2 transom over, sharing a flush and splayed granite cill. All other windows follow similar detailing unless otherwise noted.

The right bay advances forward slightly, its exposed left (south) cheek being blank. The gable features a large central window opening with three 2x6 paned vertical lights with 2x2 paned transoms over, finished with a moulded granite drip mould with labels. The apex contains a pair of 2x3 paned casement windows (without transoms) in a small common opening. The left (south) gable incorporates a single storey canted bay window with finely dressed granite mullions and moulded cornice, topped by a hipped slated roof on timber eaves board. Its front window contains a pair of 2x6 paned casements with 2x2 transoms, while its cheeks have similar single lights, and the apex has a pair of 2x3 casement windows as the front.

The rear (west) elevation is built of granite rubble brought to courses without an advanced basecourse. A small narrow 2x3 paned fixed window with 2x2 transom appears at the extreme left, with the centre abutted by a modern timber and glass link block serving the new extension. The right (north) elevation matches the left (south) one and incorporates the blank right cheek of the advanced gable from the front elevation.

An extension was added consisting of a slightly taller one and a half storey block aligned north-south behind the original lodge, with end gables having single storey returns aligned west-east and advancing towards the east on either side of the original block. The extension has a pitched natural slate roof with partly boxed eaves and plain bargeboards. Its walls are painted cement dash with roughly dressed raised granite quoins and finely dressed granite heads and cills. Windows are reproduction. A garage occupies the north return and a sitting room the south one.

The lodge is enclosed by a granite rubble stone wall to the road (east) and the lane into Narrow Water Demesne (north). The wall to the road is terminated at its north end by two strap-pointed square granite rubble gate piers with finely dressed moulded copings. Gates feature plain vertical wrought iron bars with cast-iron spearhead finials. At left and right are smaller pedestrian gates hung from plain one-piece granite posts with diagonal dogbars and circle and diamond repeat lock bars. A gravelled driveway leads south towards the estate, and on its left side are gates similar to the pedestrian gate, supported on cast-iron birdcage posts with similar repeat panels and boss-topped pyramidal hoods. A concave granite dwarf wall supports curved spear-end screen railings, terminated at either end by square in section granite blockwork piers with raised corners.

The lodge first appears on the 1860 Ordnance Survey 6-inch map with a carriageway to the main house along its east side. Deane attributes it to Thomas Duff circa 1837. The building eventually fell into complete decay around 1980 but was restored in 1994. Although most of its fabric has been replaced, it retains much of its original character. An almost identical single storey building serves as the east lodge to Tamnaharry House, which retains original cast-iron window frames, its front door, and internal detailing. The gates were made by Samuel Weir, whitesmith of Newry.