Houses and disused corn kiln at Kinghill, 6 Kinghill Rd, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34 5RB

The buildings at Kinghill comprise a range of houses and a disused corn kiln, primarily of historical interest due to their 18th-century date and association with the nearby Kinghill cornmill (HB16/07/064A), along with related sites HB16/07/032, /039 and /065.

The range is now very ruinous and incorporates two houses and the kiln, which is located a short distance southeast of the cornmill. The buildings are aligned down the slope, with the west end accommodating the two-storey kiln. The pitched natural slate roof is largely gone, except for a section over the house at the east end. The walls are of random rubble, with projecting eaves and traces of lime render. All sections are accessed from the north side. Each house has a single room and a door and window on its north wall. The kiln’s upper floor can be entered from ground level on the left side of the bay, and the lower floor from ground level on the right side. Much of the kiln wall on the north side is ruinous. Two windows are visible on the west gable of the kiln; the upper floor window has a projecting sill.

The site is shown on the 1833 Ordnance Survey 6-inch map. The 1836 Ordnance Survey Memoir notes that the cornmill was erected around 1730 and initially belonged to William N Barron, although it was then rented by Samuel Fitzsimmons. The kiln likely dates to the same period. Ownership was confirmed by the 1838 Valuation Book, which also listed Barron as owner. The kiln measured 51 feet 6 inches by 17 feet 6 inches by 12 feet, and the miller’s house measured 28 feet by 17 feet 6 inches by 7 feet 6 inches. A subsequent valuation around 1861 described the houses as workmen's houses. The Valuation revision books record that James Wamsley took over the lease of the mills in 1868, but by 1874 they had reverted to Barron's ownership. The kiln was vacant in 1888, along with the corn mill, and ceased to be used thereafter. The buildings are recorded as derelict and are of industrial archaeological interest.