Survey Data

Reg No

12402821


Rating

Regional


Categories of Special Interest

Architectural, Historical, Social


Original Use

Country house


In Use As

Country house


Date

1740 - 1760


Coordinates

260090, 144023


Date Recorded

02/12/2004


Date Updated

--/--/--


Description

Detached five-bay two-storey double-pile over basement country house, c.1750, possibly incorporating fabric of earlier house, 1691, on site with two-bay two-storey lower return to east. Extended, 1814-30, comprising single-bay single-storey recessed flanking end bays returning along side (north) elevation as five-bay single-storey entrance range. Hipped double-pile (M-profile) slate roofs behind parapets (hipped to return; hipped to end bays/entrance range) with clay ridge tiles having sections of rolled lead ridges, limestone ashlar chimney stacks having some rendered chimney stacks throughout, and concealed cast-iron rainwater goods. Ivy-clad unpainted rendered walls (possibly ruled and lined; painted rendered walls to entrance range) with cut-limestone dressings including quoins to corners, band to eaves supporting carved cornice, and blocking course to parapets having urns (rising to centre to end bays incorporating rectangular recessed panels). Square-headed window openings (in tripartite arrangement to end bays having rectangular recesses over) with cut-limestone sills, moulded rendered surrounds (with friezes to entrance range having moulded entablatures supporting blocking course), and six-over-six timber sash windows (four-over-four timber sash windows to ground floor) having six-over-nine timber sash windows to tripartite openings with timber panelled pilaster mullions leading to two-over-three sidelights. Square-headed door opening with cut-limestone step, moulded rendered surround, and glazed timber panelled double French doors having overlight. Square-headed door opening to entrance range in Classical-style tetrastyle frontispiece (comprising engaged columns with flanking pilasters supporting frieze, modillion cornice, and blocking course to parapet rising to centre incorporating rectangular recessed panel) with cut-stone step, moulded rendered surround, timber panelled double doors having overlight, and shield plaque over. Interior with timber panelled shutters to window openings. Set back from road in own grounds with landscaped grounds to site. (ii) Attached four-bay single-storey service wing/servants' wing with dormer attic, c.1750, parallel to east. Pitched slate roof (gabled to dormer attic windows) with clay ridge tiles, rendered chimney stacks, rendered coping, rooflights, decorative timber bargeboards to dormer attic windows, and cast-iron rainwater goods on red brick eaves having sections of saw-tooth detailing. Painted rendered walls. Square-headed window openings with cut-limestone sills, red brick dressings to dormer attic, and two-over-two timber sash windows.

Appraisal

Forming an important element of the domestic architectural heritage of County Kilkenny an elegantly-composed mid eighteenth-century substantial country house represents the continuation of a long-standing occupation of a site having origins dating back to at least the late seventeenth century. Classically-derived proportions, refined detailing, and so on all serve to enhance the architectural design value of the composition while additional ranges established under the direction of Charles Kendal Bushe (1767-1843), Chief Justice of Ireland, further enhance the formal quality of the house. Having been carefully maintained the house presents an early aspect with substantial quantities of the historic fabric surviving intact both to the exterior and to the interior where an Arts-and-Crafts-style fireplace (1896) executed by E. Hollahan (fl. 1890s) features together with delicate Adamesque plasterwork. Forming the centrepiece of a large-scale landholding (including 12402846 - 9/KK-28-46 - 9) the house remains of additional importance in the locality for the connections with the Bushe, the Alcock, the Ponsonby, the Butler (including Mildred Anne Butler (1858-1941), artist), and the Archer-Houblon families.