33 Greencastle Pier Road, Kilkeel, Newry, Co Down, BT34 4DE

33 Greencastle Pier Road, Kilkeel

A small group of four vernacular dwellings and associated outbuildings forming a settlement accessed by a lane on the north side of Greencastle Pier Road. The buildings date from around 1820–1839 and are shown on the 1834 Ordnance Survey map. While this represents an attractive grouping of a type uncommon in the local area, the buildings are not of special architectural or historic interest in a wider context.

Building A is a two-storey, three-bay vernacular farmhouse positioned at the west end of the group, with its south-facing facade overlooking the lane. It has a pitched roof with natural slate covering the central and right bays; the left bay (a later addition) is covered with artificial slate. The natural slate rear pitch is in poor condition. The right gable has a cement fillet; the left has a plain slated verge. Four corbelled rendered chimneys are present—one to each gable and one on either side of the central bay. There are no rainwater goods. The walls to the centre and right bays are harled and whitewashed, while the left bay is painted smooth cement render. At the left side of the central bay is a shallow windbreak porch with walls matching the facade and a natural slate monopitched roof; the door is sheeted and painted. To its right is a 2/2 exposed box sliding sash window with a painted granite cill; a similar window appears to the right bay at ground floor. Above each ground floor opening at first floor is a similar window. The ground floor of the left bay has a pair of 1/1 sliding sashes set into a single opening, with a similar arrangement above. The left gable is abutted at ground floor by a lean-to outbuilding with a monopitched natural slate roof and painted wet dashed walls, featuring a door to the front and a boarded-up window to the rear. Its exposed left end has a small boarded-up window opening. The rear elevation is abutted to the centre and left bays by a lean-to return with a monopitched natural slate roof, cement verge, and no rainwater goods. The walls are whitewashed random rubble with a small window opening at the right end of the yard-facing wall and doorways at either end. The rear of the central bay has a similar boarded-up window opening. The right bay is painted smooth render with a single boarded-up window opening on each floor. The right gable is blank and abutted on its right side by a red brick outshot with a slate roof, harled walls, and no openings. To the west along the lane is a small pig house with rubble walls, a natural slate roof, and an enclosed pen to its east gable.

Building B is a single-storey outbuilding (animal house) aligned west to east, positioned across the lane to the east-north-east of Building A. It has a pitched asbestos slate roof with cement verges. The walls are of granite and shalestone rubble, with the front wall (south-facing) of notably better quality than the others. The front wall has two sheeted doors in separate openings and a pair of similar doors at the right end. The left gable has a sheeted loft door with a small shuttered opening below. The rear wall has a small shuttered opening at the right-hand end. The right gable is abutted by a rubble stone lean-to extension; the gable above is obscured by vegetation. The lean-to has a monopitched natural slate roof, rubble walls, and a sheeted door.

Building C is a two-storey, two-bay vernacular farmhouse with a third single-storey, single-bay wing. The main block has a pitched natural slate roof with tiled verges and corbelled eaves. A projecting rendered chimney is present to each gable, with no gutters. The walls are rubble stone, harled (though missing in places) and washed with an ochre colour. The front elevation faces north. The main entrance is to the right bay of the main block, set into a shallow windbreak porch with a monopitched natural slate roof, walls matching the facade, and a sheeted door. To its immediate right is a small rectangular window sheeted over without a cill. The ground floor left bay has two boarded-up window openings at its left end. Two four-paned windows without cills appear at first floor. The left gable has a single large boarded-up window opening at first floor. The rear elevation of the main block has a 1930s glazed and panelled door to the centre, a boarded window to the right, and a similar opening to the left; both windows have brick jambs. The right bay is blank and abutted at ground floor by the single-storey wing. The wing has a pitched natural slate roof and walls matching the main block. Its front elevation has two brick-dressed window openings (larger than those on the main block), one on its end gable and the other on its right cheek. The house fronts the lane, with a rear garden enclosed by rubble walls and accessed by a gate abutting the right bay.

Building D is a two-storey, three-bay vernacular farmhouse, the most easterly of the four buildings. It has a pitched natural slate roof with cement verges. Rendered chimneys appear to each gable and a third between the second and third bays. Projecting eaves support half-round cast iron gutters. The walls are harled over random rubble. All original window openings have painted granite cills, but those with steel casements have been widened and fitted with concrete cills. The entrance is to the left of the central bay, with a sheeted door set within a single-storey, lean-to windbreak porch with a monopitched natural slate roof and walls matching the main block. To its right is a 2/2 sliding sash window with horns and a painted granite cill. A similar window opening appears to the ground floor of the right bay, though the sashes are gone. The left bay has a steel casement window. At first floor, aligned with the ground floor windows, there is one window to each bay, all of which are steel side-hung metal casements. The left gable has a small steel casement at ground floor to the rear. The rear elevation has, on its right bay, a flight of cement-rendered steps abutting at right angles and serving a sheeted timber door at first floor. The central bay has one window opening at ground floor and two at first floor. The right bay is blank, with walls heavily overgrown. The right gable is blank and abutted by a monolithic granite gate pier. A small front garden has been cleared of vegetation and walling. Two ruinous single-storey outbuildings enclose a rear yard. In the rear garden is a dry latrine with rubble walls and a monopitched natural slate roof.