Seaforde gate, 181 Newcastle Road, Seaforde Demesne, near Seaforde, Downpatrick, Co Down

Seaforde Gate

A large and impressive Greek Revival gateway of 1833 designed by English architect Peter Frederick Robinson, constructed in ashlar sandstone. The structure marks the main entrance to Seaforde Demesne, on the northern edge of Seaforde village, approximately five miles west of Downpatrick, and is aligned on an axis with the main road running through the village from Newcastle.

The gateway features identical facades on both north and south faces. The stonework on the north face shows considerable discolouration. At the centre is a tall semicircular carriage arch with moulded archivolt and Greek key frieze, topped with a cornice-like course at springing level. Above arch level is a plain string course, above which sits a recessed rectangular panel. The tall central section is crowned with a mutuled pediment bearing carved anthemion acroteria. The carriage gates themselves are missing, having been removed during World War II. The arch is flanked by plain pilasters that carry through all courses and are topped with simple curved entablatures featuring small carved roundels, positioned above the string course level.

To the outer side of these pilasters are relatively large flat arch wicket gates for pedestrian access. Both are topped with the same cornice-like course, above which is a recessed rectangular panel and the string course. To the outer side of each wicket gate is another pilaster. Between both sets of pilasters the entablature spans on top of the string course in a blocking course-like fashion, with curved portions at the centre of each stretch matching those above the pilasters. The wicket entrances retain tall decorative iron gates, though their decoration is now broken in places.

To each side of the main gateway structure stretch tall curved quadrant iron railings, similar in style to the wicket gates. These link to tall sandstone-faced walls with square pillars topped with Greek key friezes and shallow pyramidal caps.

The history of the gateway dates to the late 1790s, when Matthew Forde first commissioned plans for a grand entrance to the estate. Architects Samuel Wolley and Charles Lilly submitted designs around 1797 and 1805 respectively, but nothing was built before Matthew's death in 1812. In the 1820s, his heir, also named Matthew, revived the project and commissioned six designs from Peter Frederick Robinson, who was probably also responsible for Seaforde House itself. Robinson's design was submitted in 1825 but was not executed until 1833. Robinson also provided plans for the neighbouring classical gate lodge, erected around the same date.