Former school house, 182 Newcastle Road, Seaforde, Naghan, Downpatrick, Co Down, BT30 8NZ

Former School House

This irregular single and two-storey building at 182 Newcastle Road, Seaforde, dates from circa 1810-20 and combines a school room with a master's house. It was extended in the early 1900s and has been converted to a private dwelling. The property occupies the east side of the small village, adjacent to the drive leading to the Church of Ireland parish church.

The building plan resembles a mirror image of a lowercase letter 't', with the southern foot being single-storey and originally the school room, while the northern upright and shallower projection formed the former master's residence. The west-facing front façade is asymmetrical. To the far left on the ground floor stands a panelled door serving as the main entrance to the former master's house, with a somewhat crude granite hood above. Immediately to the right is a large gabled bay containing double sash windows on each floor, all with Georgian panes in a 6/6 configuration. To the right of this bay is a single sash window with label moulding. Further right is the large gabled projection of the former school house, which extends considerably beyond the bay to the left. Set within the angle created by this projection is a three-sided flat-roofed porch, clearly the original school entrance. The porch has a timber-sheeted door on its broad central northwest face and a very small plain sash window on the smaller west face; both openings have linked label moulding. The porch roof features a slight overhang with exposed rafter ends. The north face of the larger projection contains a sash window matching those described above, with a similar window set in the gable and two further windows on the south projection. The south-facing gable to the right of the last two windows is blank.

The north elevation is largely dominated by a gable, with a large portion of its right side set back. Two small gothic windows are positioned at high level within the gable, likely serving a stairwell; the lower right-hand window has label moulding above.

The rear elevation cannot be viewed entirely because a high rubble wall abuts the façade, dividing the rear areas of the former school and master's residence. The left portion (former school) contains a timber-sheeted door with fanlight to the far left and three sash windows to the right. Immediately right of the last window stands a single-storey extension with a mono-pitched roof and modern window and door on its south face, abutting the dividing wall. The right portion of the rear elevation features a squat double sash window with 6/6 panes in each light, directly above which sits a single sash window within a gabled half-dormer. To the right of these, the façade projects with a single ground-floor sash window.

The main façade is finished in lined render and painted; the extension employs roughcast. The gabled roof is slated with two rendered chimney stacks and cast iron rainwater goods.