Conservatory and walled garden at Tobar Mhuire, 12 John Street, Crossgar, Co Down, BT30 9EQ

Conservatory and Walled Garden at Tobar Mhuire

A large walled garden of approximately 1875-80, measuring roughly 100 by 60 metres and located to the east of Tobar Mhuire House on the south side of Crossgar. The garden is bordered by a tall rubble wall, largely featureless except for its gateways. A cream brick dressed pedestrian gate with flat arch occupies the mid-point of the west wall, while the south wall features a similarly dressed vehicle gate with elliptical arch and modern iron gates set within a bay that rises slightly above wall level with ridge tile-like coping. A second, more decorative vehicle gateway to the far right of the south wall leads to a large yard still contained within the walls. This gateway has timber sheeted gates and is surmounted by a bellcote with semicircular brick-dressed arched opening set within a gable with coping and urn finial. Large gateways similar to the mid-point south wall gate occupy the north and south ends of the east wall against which the buildings stand.

Running the length of the east wall and approximately 45 metres long is an ensemble of a conservatory and a rubble and brick lean-to shed. The shed consists of two single-storey long lean-to wings and a central two-storey gabled section. To the west wall of the yard, the shed is built in rubble with cream brick dressings and a slated roof. The two-storey gabled section is rendered to first-floor level but stone at ground floor. The lengthy east façade is interspersed with Georgian-paned sash windows of 8 over 8 panes and timber-sheeted doorways, all set within shallow segmental arched openings. There are nine windows and a door on each side of the central gabled section, though not all openings are original. Much of the façade was open until the building underwent renovation around 1988-89. The ground floor of the gabled section has a central timber-sheeted door with semicircular fanlight, flanked by two windows. Above the doorway is a traditional projecting sign, and to the first floor is a small roundel window. A tall cream brick chimney stack rises from the north side of the gabled section's roof. A timber-sheeted door occupies the short north façade. The shed leans against the east wall of the garden, which is rough-cast rendered above shed level.

Leaning against the opposite side of this wall at a slightly higher level is the long timber-framed conservatory. It follows a similar plan to the shed with long lean-to wings and a taller central section, but the pitch is considerably steeper and the structure much taller. The central section is five-sided with a canted front and hipped roof. Doorways serve the central section and the short north and south façades; the south doorway is reached via stone steps. The conservatory rests on a low rubble base, and to its front a small area is bordered by a low rubble and brick wall with stone coping. Some of the shed's openings were sympathetically altered around 1988-89.

The walled garden is believed to have been laid out by John Cleland (then owner of Tobar Mhuire House) around 1875-80, with the conservatory possibly added slightly later. Both garden and buildings were leased by the Ulster Wildlife Trust around 1985-86, who undertook extensive renovations a few years later, in 1988-89.