'Shepherd's cottage', Donard Park, King Street, Newcastle, Ballaghbeg, Co Down, BT33 0GR

This is a substantial, single-storey gabled vernacular dwelling, likely dating to around 1840, situated within Donard Park, approximately one mile west of Newcastle town centre. Originally a shepherd’s cottage within the estate surrounding Donard Lodge, the former residence of the Earls Annesley, it stands at the end of a long track. The front façade faces north and features a doorway to the left, with windows on either side. To the right of the main façade is a slightly smaller doorway and two further windows, though the openings on the right side appear to have been altered recently. The west gable is blank, while the east gable has a small lean-to shed with a modern door. To the rear of the building are two very small, high-level openings, now boarded up. The building is currently used as an outdoor pursuits centre. The front façade and gables are finished with rough-cast render and painted, while the rear façade has unpainted render. All front openings are covered with metal shutters, and the windows behind them are modern. The roof is now covered in pantiles, with three rendered chimney stacks present. Two modern rooflight windows are visible to the front, and some uPVC window frames are incorporated. The building does not appear on the 1834 Ordnance Survey map but is marked as ‘Shepherd’s Lodge’ on the 1859 map. It was noted in the 1863 valuation records as the shepherd’s house, and a portion of the building may have originally served as a byre. Primary source documentation includes Annesley Papers (PRONI D.1503), Ordnance Survey maps (PRONI OS/6/3/49/2), and the Second (‘Griffith’s’) valuation of Kilcoo (1863).