Burrenwood Cottage, 32 Burrenwood Road, Burrenreagh, Castlewellan, Co Down, BT31 9DR

Burrenwood Cottage is a one and a half storey rubble-built cottage orné of around 1820, located on the north-east side of Burrenwood Road roughly one mile south of Castlewellan, set within extensively wooded grounds. The building is J-shaped in plan, comprising a main front section to the north with long rear wings extending to the east and west.

The main front section displays distinctive cottage orné characteristics, particularly its oversailing hipped roof supported on roughly hewn tree trunks, some of which are now missing. The thatch has been removed and replaced with corrugated iron and asbestos. The façade is constructed in random rubble with brick dressings to most window and door openings. The front is roughly symmetrical, featuring a narrow central one and a half storey projecting porch with steep gable. The porch contains a panelled timber door with three-pane fanlight at ground floor, and a small four-pane window within the gable (now boarded up). To either side of the porch are large square window openings with smooth stone dressings; the right opening is now blocked, while the left retains the remains of a segmental projecting timber bay frame. Both bay windows are blocked. The hipped roof has large overhangs to the north, east, and west. Two symmetrically placed chimney stacks stand at 45 degrees at the centre of the ridge line. Small gabled dormer windows with sash windows of Georgian panes (9 over 3) are set within the east and west hips. The west façade of the main section has one timber-sheeted door with three-pane fanlight over, sheltered by an extending section of roof. The east façade is blank.

The long eastern return wing is very long and gabled. Its exposed north gable has one sash window with Georgian panes at an intermediate level, lighting the stair. The main west façade of this wing has one large window opening on the right side (now boarded over) with a small roof overhang. The eastern façade has seven small sash windows with Georgian panes (window 6 has 6 over 3; the remainder have 4 over 2). Four gabled dormers are set within the left side of the roof. Five tall chimney stacks rise from this wing—the leftmost is traditionally shaped; the remainder stand at 45 degrees. All chimney stacks are in facing brick. The south of this wing contains outbuildings. The west side of this wing has three small sash windows to the left and a sheeted door to the right. The exposed south face has one small four-pane window. The right of this façade is set back with one small four-pane fixed window to the left of the first floor and one larger four-pane window to the right. At ground floor, left of centre, is a wide opening for a small carriage, with two sheeted timber doors having three-pane fanlights to the right.

The shorter western return wing merges with the main front section on its right side. The first floor of its exposed south gable has a sash window with Georgian panes (6 over 3). A small lean-to extension is attached to the ground floor of this section with the remains of a timber-sheeted door to its east face. The east face of this wing has a small lean-to to its far left, with a tall brick chimney stack rising from it. Small single storey outbuildings are located to the south of this wing.

To the rear (south) of the main front section, sandwiched between the return wings, is a wholly single storey section with a longer roof. It contains a small four-pane window to the right and a single storey lean-to bathroom extension to the left.

The long eastern wing may in part have been built around 1790, with the main front section and western wing added in 1820.

To the west of the house, fronting Burrenwood Road, are decorative cast iron entrance gates with simple octagonal granite gate posts and pass gate. The gates and side screen form a gentle curve.

The property appears to have been vacant for some years and is now in poor repair.