Oakley Park, Kells, Co Meath
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.
“(Bomford/IFR) Originally a square C18 house, with a three bay front and a long hall with an apse at its inner end where a doorway led to the inner hall, containing a partly curving staircase. Bought by the Bomfords during the minority of George Bomford, and enlarged; stylistically, and from an unsigned and undated plan in existence, it would appear that the work was done soon after George Bomford came of age 1832. The house was almost doubled in size by adding a new block to its front’ of the same length as the original block, and nearly as deep. The new front, of stucco and stone facings, is of two storeys and three bays, with a tripartite window above a single-storey portico of fluted Doric columns. Inside the addition provided a new entrance hall behind which was an impressive staircase hall at right angles to it, with a bifurcating staircase behind a screen of columns. At the top of the stairs was an upper hall lit by glass dome and surrounded by fluted columns and pilasters. To the left of thehall and staircase was a large drawing room en suite, wih the somewhat smaller drawing room of the original block. The original dining room, entered from the staircase hall, continued to serve as such’ but the original entrance hall, deprived of its light, became a back lobby and the original stairs the back stairs. A small two storey addition was made later at the back of the original block. Sold 1955 by Lt-Col George Bomford to Mr Laurence McGuinness, who has reduced the size of the house by demolishing the original block and the 2nd addition, leaving only the main C19 addition, which he has remodelled internally, to provide more rooms.”
Not in national inventory
Record of Protected Structures:
Oakley Park, townland: Oakley Park or Lawrencetown; town: Kells.
The original house demolished leaving 19thC additions which consist of a white rendered 3 bay, 2-storey hip roofed house. The central bay is brought slightly forward and is accentuated by a Doric porch. Gate lodge in different Ownership.
€1,500,000
Oakley Park House,Kells,County Meath,A82PY88
For Sale 11/7/22
OAKLEY PARK HOUSE IS A FINE PERIOD HOME ON APPROX. 19.34 HECTARES (47.8 ACRES) WITHIN THE HEART OF THE ROYAL COUNTY OF MEATH AND A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE HISTORICAL TOWN OF KELLS ALL ON APPROX. 19.36 HECTARES (47.80 ACRES) OF FANTASTIC GARDEN AND GRAZING LANDS. LOCATION Oakley Park Manor is located near the historical town of Kells in the Royal County of Meath. Close to the M3 motorway, Dublin City and Dublin airport are easily accessible. Meath is the 14th largest county in Ireland and the 9th in terms of population and was formed from the eastern part of the former Kingdom of Mide, but now forms part of the province of Leinster. The seat of the High King of Ireland was located at Tara Hill, which is only some 10 km / 6 miles from Navan. The archaeological complex of Bruna Boinne is around 5,000 years old and includes the burial sites of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth, in the north-east of the county and are designated a World Heritage Site. Kells is best known as the site of Kells Abbey, from which the Book of Kells takes its name. The book of Kells is exhibited in Trinity College Dublin where it attracts tourists from around the world. It is one of Ireland’s greatest cultural treasures and the world’s most famous medieval manuscript. The monastery at Kells is thought to have been founded around 804 A.D. by monks from St Colmcille’s monastery in Iona who were fleeing Viking invasions. HISTORY What is Oakley Park House now seemed to have stemmed from around 1649 for a ruin of a castle and may have been where the Oakley family resided. The house around the 1700 was renamed by its previous name of Laurencetown. It is understood that around 1710 Mr. Joseph Williams was in residents and he is to have supposed to have built the new house in 1715. The Crawford family who lived in the house from 1730 to 1829 brought back the name Oakley Park and since then the house kept this name. They made many improvements to the house and with the main road from Kells to Moynalty being repositioned it gave more space around the house and as a result the parkland and yard was built around 1815. Around 1837 Oakley Park House was supposedly bought for £15,000 by George Bomford who extended the house doubling it in size. At this point the walled garden to the west was built and is approx. 2.5 acres in size. The current owners bought Oakley Park House in 1955 and in 1979 they began running a successful thoroughbred breeding and training establishment for over 40 years. Some notable horses bred at Oakley Park House include Justified and Big Matt who both triumphed in many graded races in Ireland and the UK. OAKLEY PARK HOUSE When approaching the main residence there is a beautiful sweeping driveway that brings you the front of the house with the manicured virginia creeper softening the exterior. When going through the 4 pillar front porch there is a very welcoming entrance hall with tiled flooring and feature staircase leading to the first floor. The drawing room to the left is a very impressive room for formal events and entertaining with its feature marble fireplace, solid wooden flooring, and stunning views of the surrounding countryside. To the right there is a fantastic family room for everyday use and is complete with wooden flooring and feature marble fireplace. To the rear is a country kitchen with tiled flooring Aga, island unit and Belfast sink. The ground floor is complete with utility room, bathroom and small study area to the rear of this. The first floor has 5 bedrooms of good size and all have wonderful views over the gardens and grounds and indeed surrounding countryside. There is also an ensuite in the master bedroom, jack and jill bathroom and w/c in the guest bedroom. GARDENS AND GROUNDS To the rear of the residence is the charming cut stone courtyard. This is a working yard and includes approx. 12 loose boxes, 5 horse walker, hay barn, lunging ring, cattle shed with slatted sheds. There is also a 5-furlong Wexford sand gallop. The lands are in good condition and well maintained with mature boundaries throughout and good access to paddocks. SPECIAL FEATURES – Charming period residence in a mature and private setting. – Located just outside the historic village of Kells in the heart of County Meath – Two-story above basement family home with superb views over the surrounding countryside – Superb gardens and grounds including walled garden – Beautiful old buildings and outhouses in a private courtyard – Productive lands suitable for several uses such as grazing or tillage.
http://meathhistoryhub.ie/houses-k-p/
Oakley Park is located as Oakley Park or Lawrencetown, Dulane, Kells. Peter Bamford has extensive details about the Bomford family and their houses on his website and most of this article is based on his research.
Originally a square eighteenth century house with a three bay front and a long hall which led to an inner hall. The house was bought by George Bomford in 1837 and enlarged. The work was completed by 1839. The house was almost doubled in size by adding a new block to its front. Oakley Park was sold in 1955 by Lt. Col. George Bomford to Laurence McGuinness who reduced the size of the house by demolishing the original block and the second nineteenth century addition leaving only the main nineteenth century addition.
The Betagh family held the property until the middle of the seventeenth century. In 1640 Thomas Betagh was the landowner at Laurencetown in which there was a ruined castle. A timber beam was uncovered during the demolition of the 1950s which bore the inscription “P. Kiernan 1649.” The townland was renamed Oakley Park after the Oakley family who held the property in the late seventeenth century.
The Graham family of Plattin also had an interest in the property. Joseph William held the property in 1709 and it is probably he who erected the house about 1715. It was a square one storey house with a basement. The Crawford family acquired the lease in 1730 and remained there until 1829. The Crawford family originated in County Fermanagh. Robert Crawford of Oakley Park died in 1784 leaving sons, Robert and John who succeeded him. John’s son, Jason, succeeded to Oakley Park. In 1797 Rev. Jason Crawford married Henrietta Rowley from Maperath and their eldest son, John Maxwell Crawford, succeeded to the estate on the death of his father in 1829. The Crawfords re-routed the Kells-Moynalty road away from the house and constructed a yard about 1815. Two gate lodges were erected. The house was leased to Thomas Rowley for a period. In the mid-1830s the house was occupied by Captain William Graham.
In 1837 George Bomford acquired Oakley Park. George Bomford was the oldest son of George Bomford of Drumlargan, Summerhill. Born in 1811, he married his first cousin, Arabella Winter of Agher in 1832. They had been brought up together at Agher. He was a Justice of the Peace and served as High Sheriff of the county in 1860. In 1876 George Bomford of Oakley Park held 2,436 acres in County Meath and 443 acres in Westmeath.
His second son, John Francis succeeded him at Oakley Park. John Francis Bomford married Elinor Jane Bolton in 1866. In the 1911 census John Francis and his family were living at Oakley Park. John Francis died later that year and is buried at Kells. Their eldest son was George Lyndon Bomford J.P. At the age of eighteen George was sent to America where he spent a period as a pony express rider in Texas. George joined the Land Commission in 1895 on his return from the United States. In 1911 there was a very bad thunder storm when eighteen cows were killed by lightening whilst sheltering in the wood to the east of the house. George served during the First World War as a captain. His sister, Elinor May, married Hugh Constable, grandson of the landscape painter, John Constable. George died in 1951 and is buried at Kells. His eldest son was Lt.-Col. George Warren Bomford. From 1917 to 1947 George Warren served with the Indian Army. George Warren served in the First and Second World Wars. He arrived back at Oakley Park as a Colonel in 1948. After he sold Oakley Park he lived in Malta and Italy.
Irish Historic Houses 