Farmyard, Narrow Water Demesne, Warrenpoint, Newry, Co Down

Farmyard at Narrow Water Demesne, Warrenpoint, Newry, County Down

A square-plan farmyard located immediately north-west of the walled garden. The yard is accessed through archways at the centre of its south-west and north-east boundaries. It is enclosed on all sides by single and two-storey outbuildings, with the ground surface comprising both concrete and earth. At the centre of the yard stand two walls (south-east and north-east) of a former midden, with a curving south-east corner.

The north-east archway provides access from the main driveway. It is constructed in finely dressed ashlar granite with raised imposts carrying a segmental-headed arch with an advanced keystone incised with the date and initials 'W J H / 1880' (William James Hall). A pair of modern wire mesh gates hangs from its jambs. Above the archway head is a coped coursed granite rubble wall.

South block (south-east boundary): On entering the yard at left is the north-west gable of the south block, which encloses the north-east side of the yard. This single-storey building of six bays faces south-west onto the farmyard and has a pitched natural slate roof aligned north-west to south-east, hipped at the south-east end and gabled at the north-west end. The north-west gable has red brick skews and a matching chimney. Walls are coursed granite rubble with stepped brick dressings to openings and a single brick eaves course. The north-west gable is blank. The right bay of the north-east external elevation contains a window with a 6/6 timber sash (top part centre pivoting) and dressed granite cill; all windows are of this type unless otherwise stated. The south-east gable is blank. The south-west elevation facing the farmyard has six distinct bays. The left bay contains a window to the left and a framed tongue-and-groove sheeted door with a transom light. The right bay is abutted by the north-east gable of the outbuilding enclosing the east end of the south-east boundary. The remaining bays are open, with timber beams to the eaves supported on three cast iron posts.

South-east boundary outbuildings: Three blocks of single-storey outbuildings enclose the south-east boundary, with the south-west end block stepping up with the ground slope.

Left (north-east) block: A single two-bay-wide structure with a pitched natural slate roof aligned south-west to north-east. Its south-west and north-east gables are abutted by other outbuildings. The south-east external elevation has a single modern door. The yard-facing north-west elevation has two windows and a central door, with modern grilles over the windows.

Central outbuilding: Two bays wide (the north-east bay being wider), both now roofless. The south-west and north-east gables and south-east wall are blank. The yard-facing north-west elevation of the east bay has a narrow round-headed window to the left and a segmental-headed doorway to the right; all timber is gone but old window frames indicate they were originally 2x3 paned and fixed. The west bay has a window to the left and a door to the right (all timbers gone). A red brick chimney stands on the north-east gable.

West block: A single-storey structure of six bays facing north-west onto the farmyard, with a pitched natural slate roof aligned south-west to north-east (gone to the east bay, with the remaining roof hipped at the south-west end and gabled at the north-east end). Walls are coursed granite rubble with stepped brick dressings to openings and a single brick eaves course. The south-west gable is blank. The right bay of the south-east external elevation has a doorway containing a flat iron gate. The north-east gable is blank. The north-west yard-facing elevation has six distinct bays. The left bay contains a window to the left. The right bay is abutted by the south-east gable of the outbuilding enclosing the south-west boundary. The remaining bays are open, with timber beams to the eaves supported on three cast iron posts.

South-west boundary: Between the south and north blocks is the rear archway, a finely dressed ashlar granite construction with raised imposts carrying a segmental-headed arch with a plain advanced keystone. Modern wire mesh gates hang from its jambs. Above the archway head is a coped coursed granite rubble wall.

South outbuilding: A single-storey structure of three uneven bays, now roofless. Its south-west elevation and north-west and south-east gables are blank. The north-east yard-facing elevation has six openings alternating window-door-window-door-window-door: the left three are in the left bay, the right one in the right bay, and the remaining two serve the central bay. A red brick chimney stands between the central and right bays.

North block: An L-shaped, two-storey barn with a pitched natural slate roof hipped at each blank end wall. The structure wraps around the west corner to enclose the west end of the north-west boundary. The north-east farmyard-facing elevation has, from left to right, a doorway, a segmental-headed archway, a window, and another archway. At first floor, aligned with these openings, are two sets of openings: a window at left and a framed tongue-and-groove sheeted loading door with a transom at right. The south-east farmyard-facing wall has, from left to right, a doorway, a window, and a segmental-headed archway; above at first floor, left and right, are windows. The south-west external-facing wall has a window at ground floor left, with ground level rising to the left abutting the ground floor. At first floor there are four window openings: one to either side of centre and a pair at the north (left) end. The north-west wall of this outbuilding has a high ground level obscuring the ground floor. The first floor has four openings: three are windows and that to the right of centre is a segmental-headed doorway.

North-west boundary outbuildings:

Central block: A single-storey structure, now roofless and derelict. Its north-west external wall is blank and south-west and north-east gables are abutted by other outbuildings. The south-east farmyard-facing elevation has two window openings with a central doorway between them. Additionally, steel casement windows have been inserted into modern openings on either side of the door.

East block: A single-storey structure, roofless and derelict. Its north-west external wall is blank and south-west and north-east gables are abutted by other outbuildings. The south-east farmyard-facing elevation has two window openings with a central doorway between them. The left window has a steel casement inserted, with the void infilled with concrete blockwork. Steel casement windows have been inserted into modern openings at the left and right ends of the elevation.

North-east boundary: A single-storey derelict structure with a pitched natural slate roof collapsed to all but the south bay, which has a red brick skew and matching chimney. The south-east gable is blank and the north-west gable abuts the outbuildings at the north-east end of the north-west boundary. The south-west yard-facing elevation is five openings wide: the second, fourth and fifth are windows; the first (at left) is a blocked-up segmental-headed doorway, and the third is a doorway. The north-east external elevation has a small window at the left (south) end. The north end is abutted by a single-storey two-bay return structure, now roofless with a door on its left (south-east) side. Its front north-east wall has a window and door to each bay and is enclosed in two yards by walls of similar height, each with a doorway on its east face. Its north-west gable is blank.