Burnchurch House, Bennettsbridge, Co Kilkenny
Mark Bence-Jones. A Guide to Irish Country Houses (originally published as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses volume 1 Ireland by Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 1978); Revised edition 1988 Constable and Company Ltd, London.
p. 50. [Butler sub Dunboyne, De Montmorency] A 2 storey 3 bay late Georgian house built for Rev Richard Butler, Vicar of Burnchurch. Large drawing room. Remained in the Butler family until 3rd quarter of C19, being occupied by successive vicars; then sold to the Mosse family, millers, of Bennettsbridge. Bought by Capt J.P de Montmorency, formerly of Castle Morres, 1949.
https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/12402304/burnchurch-house-burnchurch-burnchurch-co-kilkenny
Burnchurch House, BURNCHURCH, Burnchurch, County Kilkenny
Detached three-bay two-storey house, c.1850, on a T-shaped plan possibly incorporating fabric of earlier ranges, pre-1840, on site with single-bay single-storey flat-roofed projecting porch to centre ground floor, and three-bay two-storey double-pile return to west. Refenestrated. Hipped slate roof (pitched double-pile (M-profile) to return) with rolled lead ridges, red brick Running bond chimney stacks having profiled capping, and cast-iron rainwater goods on rendered eaves. Flat roof to porch not visible behind parapet. Ivy-clad unpainted roughcast walls to main block with carved cut-limestone coping to parapet to porch, and painted roughcast walls to remainder. Square-headed window openings (one round-headed window opening to porch) with cut-limestone sills, and replacement uPVC casement windows. Square-headed door opening in camber-headed recess with glazed timber panelled door. Square-headed door opening to house with glazed timber panelled double doors. Set back from road in own grounds.
Appraisal
Positioned on the site of a collection of ranges indicated on archival editions of the Ordnance Survey a well-appointed middle-size house represents an important element of the mid nineteenth-century architectural legacy of County Kilkenny. Occupying a sizeable yet compact footprint the aesthetic appeal of the house is identified by the balanced arrangement of pleasantly-proportioned openings centred on a porch. However, although the original composition attributes survive largely in place together with evidence of early joinery to the interior the character of the house has not benefited from the insertion of inappropriate replacement fittings to the window openings. Forming the centrepiece of an estate with a collection of ancillary ranges (including 12402311-3/KK-23-11 – 3) the resulting ensemble makes a pleasing visual impression in the local landscape. The house remains of additional importance for the historic connections with the Butler family.
https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/12402311/burnchurch-house-burnchurch-burnchurch-co-kilkenny
Farmyard complex, c.1850, possibly incorporating fabric of earlier ranges, pre-1840, on site including: (i) Attached two-bay single-storey coach house with elliptical-headed carriageway to right. Pitched slate roof with clay ridge tiles, rooflight, and no rainwater goods on red brick eaves. Random rubble limestone walls. Square-headed door opening with timber lintel, and timber boarded door. Elliptical-headed carriageway to right with red brick voussoirs, and no fittings. Set back from road in grounds shared with Burnchurch House. (ii) Detached three-bay two-storey outbuilding with elliptical-headed carriageway to centre ground floor, and two-bay single-storey wing to left. Pitched slate roofs with clay ridge tiles, rendered coping, and rainwater goods not visible. Random rubble limestone walls. Square-headed window openings with no sills, timber lintels, and remains of timber fittings. Square-headed door openings with timber lintels, and timber boarded doors. Elliptical-headed carriageway to centre ground floor with voussoirs, and no fittings. (iii) Detached single-bay single-storey outbuilding. Pitched slate roof with clay ridge tiles, and no rainwater goods. Random coursed squared rubble limestone walls. Square-headed door opening with red brick voussoirs, and timber boarded door. (iv) Detached two-bay single-storey outbuilding with half-attic. Pitched slate roof with clay ridge tiles, and rainwater goods not visible. Random rubble limestone walls. Camber-headed door openings (including to first floor side elevation) with red brick voussoirs, and timber boarded doors. (v) Detached four-bay single-storey outbuilding, post-1947. Pitched corrugated-iron roof with iron ridge. Painted mass-concrete walls. Square-headed window openings with no sills, and corrugated-Perspex fittings. Square-headed door openings with timber boarded doors.
Appraisal
An appealing collection of modest-scale agricultural outbuilding ranges displaying a traditional construction in locally-sourced stone. Informally arranged about a shared courtyard the resulting ensemble contributes significantly to the group and setting values of the Burnchurch House estate.
Gateway, c.1900, comprising pair of rusticated cut-limestone piers with iron double gates, and random rubble limestone curved flanking walls having cut-limestone coping. Road fronted at entrance to grounds of Burnchurch House.
Appraisal
Displaying high quality stone masonry an attractive gateway of modest architectural aspirations makes a pleasing, if subtle visual statement at the entrance to the grounds of Burnchurch House.
https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/12402313/burnchurch-house-burnchurch-burnchurch-co-kilkenny
Detached three-bay single-storey gate lodge, c.1900. Refenestrated. Now in private residential use. Hipped slate roof with clay ridge tiles, rendered chimney stack, and cast-iron rainwater goods on rendered eaves. Painted roughcast walls. Square-headed window openings with concrete sills, and replacement timber casement windows. Square-headed door opening in round-headed open internal porch with tongue-and-groove timber panelled door. Set back from line of road in own grounds with random rubble limestone boundary wall having cut-limestone coping, iron gate, and iron double gates.
Appraisal
A small-scale gate lodge of humble architectural aspirations retaining the original form and massing, thereby maintaining much of the character of the composition. Forming a neat sub-group with an attendant gateway (12402312/KK-23-12) on the opposite side of the road the resulting ensemble makes a positive impression at the entrance to the grounds of Burnchurch House.
https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/12402406/burnchurch-house-burnchurch-glebe-house-skeaghaturrish-co-kilkenny
Burnchurch House (Burnchurch Glebe House), SKEAGHATURRISH, County Kilkenny
Detached three-bay three-storey Board of First Fruits glebe house, built 1815, with two-bay single-storey flat-roofed projecting entrance bay to ground floor incorporating single-bay single-storey advanced porch to left, two-bay three-storey side elevations, and three-bay three-storey rear (south) elevation having four-bay single-storey open veranda along ground floor. Converted to private residential use, pre-1902. Hipped slate roof with rolled lead ridges, rendered chimney stacks (one on axis with ridge), slightly swept eaves, and cast-iron rainwater goods on rendered eaves. Flat roof to entrance bay not visible behind parapet. Hipped slate roof to veranda on timber posts with clay ridge tiles, cast-iron rainwater goods on timber eaves, and open work timber parapets. Unpainted rendered, ruled and lined walls with cut-limestone stringcourse to first floor, and ivy-clad walls to porch having stringcourse supporting parapet. Square-headed window openings (round-headed window opening to porch; one in tripartite arrangement to ground floor rear (south) elevation) with cut-limestone sills, six-over-six (ground floor), three-over-six (first floor), and three-over-three (top floor) timber sash windows having three-over-six timber sash window to porch incorporating fanlight (six-over-six timber sash window to tripartite opening having two-over-two sidelights). Square-headed door opening on three cut-limestone steps with moulded surround, and timber panelled door. Round-headed door opening to house with timber panelled pilaster doorcase, and glazed timber panelled double doors having fanlight. Interior with timber panelled shutters to window openings. Set back from road in own grounds with gravel forecourt, and landscaped grounds to site.
Appraisal
Originally established as a Board of First Fruits-sponsored glebe house referenced by Samuel Lewis (1837) a well-appointed house built for Reverend Richard Butler (n. d.) represents an important element of the early nineteenth-century architectural legacy of County Kilkenny. Incorporating Classically-derived proportions the architectural design value of the house is identified by attributes including the diminishing in scale of the openings on each floor producing an elegant tiered visual effect. Having historically been well maintained the house presents an early aspect with most of the original fabric surviving in place both to the exterior and to the interior. The house remains of particular additional significance in the locality for the historic connections with the Mosse family and the de Montmorency family of Castle Morres (not included in survey).
Irish Historic Houses 