(Site of) silos and barn at Finnebrogue estate farmyard, at 31 Killyleagh Road, Finnabrogue, Downpatrick, Co Down

Site of silos and barn at Finnebrogue estate farmyard, 31 Killyleagh Road, Finnabrogue, Downpatrick, County Down

This site, located at the north end of the Finnebrogue estate farmyard on the south-east side of Killyleagh Road roughly two miles north of Downpatrick, formerly contained circular corrugated-metal grain silos and a modern Dutch barn. Both structures have been demolished, with the site now largely reclaimed by grass.

The grain silos were built in the early 1900s. There were six silos in total, with five arranged in a crescent formation. Four of these silos were demolished between 1975 and 1991. Two silos remained standing in 1991 before being removed, along with the Dutch barn, some time after that date.

The Dutch barn was constructed in the early to mid-20th century on the site of a 19th-century building that had appeared sometime between 1858 and 1900. It was also demolished after 1991.

These structures formed part of a larger farmyard complex that was built in various stages from perhaps the 1790s to the mid-1900s. The earliest documented plan of the complex appears on the Ordnance Survey map of 1834, which shows a long range of buildings straddling a boundary wall to the north-west, a large stable to the south-east, the house to the east, a smaller house at the south end of the yard, and a large threshing barn with a horse walk beside it. The 1838 valuation grades certain buildings as 'A' (possibly built in the previous 25 to 30 years) and 'B' (possibly over thirty years old), indicating that the complex witnessed various periods of development.

Industrial archaeologist Dr Fred Hammond has suggested that much of the construction work may have taken place shortly after the refurbishing of Finnebrogue House itself, around 1795 to 1800, and that the creation of a 'model' farmyard may have been intended.

Between 1834 and 1858, map evidence shows that the long north-west range was extended northwards. A large cow shed, corn store, steam engine house and chimney grouping—a collection of structures all geared towards the feeding of cattle—were built to the north-east, with a single-storey range to the south, opposite the large stable, also added to the site. Plans within the Perceval-Maxwell Papers at PRONI indicate that the large 'cattle-feeding' grouping to the north-east was built around 1854.

Between 1859 and 1900, a single-storey stable block appeared on the far east side of the complex, along with a single-storey shed to the immediate east of the threshing barn. A brick gate house was built to the north side of the south gateway, and a building (now demolished) was added to the very north-east corner of the yard.

In the early 20th century, a long single-storey extension was added to the north side of the old threshing barn, and two metal-framed Dutch barns were built just to the north of the large stables (both now demolished). Throughout the 1900s, many of the buildings were adapted to new farm uses. Much of the long north-west range was demolished at some point and partly replaced with a corrugated-metal roofed lean-to structure. In the latter decades of the century, the complex appears to have fallen into disuse.

The farmyard was sold to its present owner around 1990 to 1991. Since then, the large house to the south-east has been refurbished, along with the smaller dwelling to the south-west. Some of the farm buildings are currently used as stores.