The Grange, Mourne Park Estate, Kilkeel, Newry, Co Down, BT34 4LB

The Grange is a model farm that formed part of the Mourne Park demesne, where it played a key economic role. Although much altered, the house retains value as part of this historic agricultural establishment.

The farm comprises an extensive range of buildings constructed from granite with machined-brick dressings, arranged around two yards. Nearly all are now derelict, with only the two houses at the southern end remaining substantially intact.

The south-western house is a two-storey, three-bay building with an integral rear return. It is roofed in natural slate with hipped sections (swept at projecting eaves) and clay ridge and hip tiles. Large red brick chimneys rise from the party wall between the first and second bays; tall red brick chimneys also project from the right-hand side rising from the eaves, with a third chimney on the rear wall of the return. All chimneys feature projecting red brick courses and corbelled tops. The walls are dressed with squared random rubble granite with raised strap pointing, and ashlar granite quoins mark the corners. Machined brick provides dressings to all window and door jambs and heads, with stop-end chamfers to all jambs. Plastic half-round rainwater goods have been fitted.

The main south-facing façade (overlooking what is now a golf course) has been substantially altered. A large modern flat-roofed extension of grey concrete brick, fitted with large picture windows, abuts the ground floor left. The exposed right side contains two segmental-headed 6/6 sliding sash windows with horns and granite cills, protected by metal window grills. A large modern picture window at first floor left (above the extension) disrupts the façade balance. Three segmental-headed 6/6 sliding sash windows occupy the right bay, with the two rightmost aligned with those below.

The left elevation is three openings wide and incorporates the integral rear return. A modern single-storey extension forming a porch abuts the ground floor, featuring a shallow hipped artificial slate roof and white painted smooth rendered walls. Original openings in the main block's wall have been altered. Three 6/6 sliding sash windows occupy the first floor, fitted with ornamental white-painted rendered and pinnacled aprons to their cills. The north-facing gable of the return is blank, abutted at ground floor by a single-storey extension with hipped natural slate roof and red brick chimney at the ridge end. A modern skylight pierces its left pitch facing the yard. Walls of granite rubble brought to courses form the structure. The right cheek contains a modern granite block screen wall surrounding a central entrance door, with a modern two-pane casement window to its right. Two modern casement windows in stepped brick surrounds occupy the end gable (the left one replacing a former doorway). The exposed section of the left cheek facing the rear yard has two casement windows (the right one replacing a former door) and a third infilled opening. A 6/6 sash window appears at first floor on this elevation.

The rear elevation of the main block has been largely obscured by modern extensions at ground floor. The exposed wall above contains a small 1/1 sliding sash window at left and a 2/2 sliding sash in the centre. The extensions feature flat concrete roofs, smooth rendered cement walls and modern windows with metal security grilles. The right elevation of the main block is abutted by a modern flat-roofed extension behind a granite wall facing the façade, with the wall above remaining blank.

Cartographic evidence indicates that in 1834 buildings occupied all four sides of the first yard. The existing stable block and calf houses may date from this period. By 1858 the south-west corner of the first yard had been infilled. The 1901 map shows the first yard in its present configuration, including the tack room, and also shows the second yard. The use of machined brick in the two south-facing houses indicates a major rebuilding phase during the second half of the 19th century. The two houses, the carriage house added to the east side of the stable block, and the tack room added to its top left were all erected during this period. All buildings in the second yard are of later 19th-century date. Roof slates were stripped from the outbuildings several years ago.