Stephenstown House

focus_mad

How are ya folks,

I'm living in Dundalk for college and I recently came across Stephenstown House, out near Knockbridge, does anyone know anything about it or where I could get information on it??

I'm considering using it for a project.

Thanks in advance

Stephentlig

I used to visit it from time to time, went out there with my ex girly and her friend once. The puported story I heard was that an English family owned it. the butler had an affair with one of the maids, shot himself and the maid too. However I feel that such storys are only ever inspired by the old dutch gold and never sound mind.

My dad told me a really rich lady owned it, whom he met when he was a kid, she owned the pond too and would frequent the place from time to time and he said that when he met her she wore a white veil and was real lady ( posh ) like. thats all I know, but I'll ask more of him for you.

focus_mad

Stephentlig wrote: »

I used to visit it from time to time, went out there with my ex girly and her friend once. The puported story I heard was that an English family owned it. the butler had an affair with one of the maids, shot himself and the maid too. However I feel that such storys are only ever inspired by the old dutch gold and never sound mind.

My dad told me a really rich lady owned it, whom he met when he was a kid, she owned the pond too and would frequent the place from time to time and he said that when he met her she wore a white veil and was real lady ( posh ) like. thats all I know, but I'll ask more of him for you.

ah you'v been on the abandoned ireland website I see

Yeah if you wouldn't mind asking and if he knew who owns it now.?

its in some ruin i was up there the other day with the gf(she putsup with my derelict building hobby hahaha):D

Stephentlig

focus_mad wrote: »

ah you'v been on the abandoned ireland website I see

Yeah if you wouldn't mind asking and if he knew who owns it now.?

its in some ruin i was up there the other day with the gf(she putsup with my derelict building hobby hahaha):D

haha, everyone seems to go up their with their girlfriends.

well, apparently the lady left it to nobody, therefore nobody owns it, its a pity because if I was given the chance I'd renovate the place, its on some lovely land at the moment. I'm sure that if someone did really own it they'd of smashed it by now and built something else.

hows the inside of it now? did you attempt climbing the stairs?

focus_mad

The stairs? is that when you go in the main front entrance and they should be right infront of you?

I couldnt see any stairs I think they've collapsed awhile ago. I did climb up onto the window frame (thank god it took me weight!!) and its some view I gotta say.

the project Iv to do is to change an existing building so Im thinking of "changing" it into a hotel? the exterior is fancy enough..

qc3

Built in 1785 by Matthew Fortescue for his new bride Marian McClintock.

A square Georgian house of 2 storeys over a basement 5 bays long and 5 bays deep. Extended in 1820 by the addition of 2 wings of one storey over basement. One of these wings was further demolished later in the 19th century. Some time in the earlier part of the 19th Century the windows were given Tudor-Revival hood mouldings but later the house was refaced with cement and the hood mouldings replaced by classical pediments and entablatures.
In 1817, William Galt was contracted by Matthew Fortescue to build two ponds, the water being needed for new gardens which had recently been constructed at Stephenstown house and also to drive to the grinding mills in the house farmyard.
William Galt who was married to Agnes Burns, the sister of the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns.
Galt was retained as manager to Mr. Fortescue after the completion of the ponds with the generous salary of 40 guineas per annum - the post also came with the use of a cottage as well as land for keeping a cow and growing vegetables. Galt adorned the whole site with a bewildering array of trees and shrubs with those years being part of the golden age of tree planting in Ireland. William and Agnes had no children but lived comfortably for the rest of their lives. Agnes lived to be 72 years old and died on October 17th 1834, her husband survived her by 13 years and died on March 3, 1847. The couple are buried in St Nicholas Cemetery in Dundalk.
Marianne Fortescue (1767-1849) married to Matthew Fortescue and for whom Stephenstown house was built wrote a diary at the family home on Merrion Street in Dublin where they were staying when the 1798 uprising broke out. Her diary is of significant historical value. In July 1798 she was able to return to Stephenstown house, Country Louth.

Stephenstown house remained in the Fortescue family until recent times.
After the death of Mrs Pyke-Fortescue in 1966, Stephenstown was inherited by her nephew Major Digby Hamilton who sold it in 1974.
It was let fall into ruin in the 1980's.
Try to get hold of the Knockbridge book published late 90s, maybe in the local shop.

focus_mad

did ya get that off the abandoned ireland website?
Yeah I might try get the book.
I'm more so looking for any existing plans of the buiding so I can draw them, I dont mind having to survey the building myself but it is in a precarious state ya know?

qc3

If i remember right,There was a dispute over who owned it in the 80s when someone was looking to buy it.
You could not see the house from the road for all the trees that were planted on the grounds, then some clown came in and leveled the whole place.Ther was also a murder in the house,A maid who worked there.

You best bet would be to try and contant Pádraig Ó Néill.He would know more than most about the house.
http://openlibrary.org/b/OL18906092M/History_of_Knockbridge

LOTTOWINNER

http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=LH&regno=13901114

mattock

Its owned by a local farmer who did plan to do it up , make some enquiries locally and you will get his name, he may have some plans drawn up.

I dont want to name him as he is quite a private person.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Likewise, I'm not naming the owner here. Enquire at the pond/Burns Cottage across the road. I know the present owners don't like people on their land generally, so please ask first.

focus_mad

Howrya,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to respond, I have no internet in the house I'm staying in during the week, I emailed the Knockbridge Tidy Towns Committee and I got the name and address of the land/property owner. However would anyone have his email address? because I dont want to sound informal by just ringing them up.

Thanks in advance.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

focus_mad wrote: »

Howrya,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to respond, I have no internet in the house I'm staying in during the week, I emailed the Knockbridge Tidy Towns Committee and I got the name and address of the land/property owner. However would anyone have his email address? because I dont want to sound informal by just ringing them up.

Thanks in advance.

Sorry but are you for real? His Email address?? Much better to make a personal phonecall.

focus_mad

When I meant email address, I meant I'd email just stating what I was doing then follow it up with a phonecall.. Without sounding sleezy where would be the best place to get the owneer's phone number?
Obviously you can't give it out over this but if you could point me in the right direction?

Going to try get out to Stephenstown House tomorrow or Wednesday and enquire at the pond/cottage.

focus_mad

I called up to the owner and they happily gave me permission however the lecturers have returned to me saying the house is in too bad a condition and so is unsafe from a health and safety aspect so I'm back to the drawing board.

Thanks again.

Waitsian

http://www.abandonedireland.com/start.html

I like Glyde Court.

Stephenstown family: http://www.fortescue.org/d1321.htm#P1321

http://www.irishidentity.com/extras/gaels/stories/burns.htm

http://knockbridgetidytown.com/Placesofinterest.html

Just for local interest.

DK man

Glyde is a super place - although recent major tree felling has left the place very bare and has stripped some of the magic.

I was out there on 1-1-2010 - and its hard to believe how the place has fallen into ruin! Only @ 12 yrs ago I was upstairs wandering up and down the great hall and looking up the tree avenue from the balcony.

It's a shame if this house is not saved - we've built so much trashey housing in the last 12 years and this gem is left to fade away during this time....

Was out at Stephenstown House today nice place and again it's a shame it is lying in ruin.....

'Abandoned Ireland' is a brilliant site - great photograghy and important documentation work.


Philipstown is worth a visit too............

DK man

louthguy25

i only came across this today and i would have been able to give all the contact details of stephenstown houses owners as i know the guy sons .If your looking somewhere else there is a castle close by to knockbridge and also a run down old 2 storey town house too down a country lane that nobody knows of, i only know of it due to the fact i live there

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

louthguy25 wrote: »

i only came across this today and i would have been able to give all the contact details of stephenstown houses owners as i know the guy sons .If your looking somewhere else there is a castle close by to knockbridge and also a run down old 2 storey town house too down a country lane that nobody knows of, i only know of it due to the fact i live there

Nobody else knows about an old house down a lane (Town House??). Brilliant. I'd be interested in what Castle is close to Knockbridge. Not Dun Mahon in Dromiskin surely!

louthguy25

dun mahon is in haggardstown yea tats d castle but the old house is in haggardstown too just in a very secluded place

mrsc2b

Hi LouthGuy25
I think I know the house you are on about, is it down "Begleys Lane" by any chance? I am trying to find out more info about it/source pics as I have an elderly aunt who used to tell me some fabulous stories about it.
Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks

louthguy25

its close to there begleys lane is 5 mins past it maybe ur aunt called it begleys lane by mistake

peking97

Possibly Meathers' Lane? (Not sure of spelling)

locum-motion

Meathers' Lane (or "Meatherses", in the local lingo) is also known as Blakeley's Lane. There's only one house on it, and it's unoccupied. Nothing special, though.
Begley's Lane is a little bit further up the road. There's more than one house there, but I dunno what any of them are like.

focus_mad

louthguy25 wrote: »

i only came across this today and i would have been able to give all the contact details of stephenstown houses owners as i know the guy sons .If your looking somewhere else there is a castle close by to knockbridge and also a run down old 2 storey town house too down a country lane that nobody knows of, i only know of it due to the fact i live there

Howrya Lad sorry bout the delay in getting back to this..
Turns out I wasnt able to use it so Im using the Church in Rush. While its a good building its a pity i couldnt use a "ruin" cause Im mad into the restoration aspect of my course.

peking97

louthguy25 wrote: »

its close to there begleys lane is 5 mins past it maybe ur aunt called it begleys lane by mistake

There used to be a large red-brick house between those two lanes (Begley's and Meathers') set back some distance from the roadway. I think it was called *Mullen's* but I know nothing more about it...possibly not even there now!

locum-motion

peking97 wrote: »

There used to be a large red-brick house between those two lanes (Begley's and Meathers') set back some distance from the roadway. I think it was called *Mullen's* but I know nothing more about it...possibly not even there now!

Still there. And occupied.

DamoDLK

DK man wrote: »

Glyde is a super place - although recent major tree felling has left the place very bare and has stripped some of the magic.

I was out there on 1-1-2010 - and its hard to believe how the place has fallen into ruin! Only @ 12 yrs ago I was upstairs wandering up and down the great hall and looking up the tree avenue from the balcony.

It's a shame if this house is not saved - we've built so much trashey housing in the last 12 years and this gem is left to fade away during this time....
...

'Abandoned Ireland' is a brilliant site - great photograghy and important documentation work.
...
DK man

Agree fully, theres a good couple of videos on you tube - but from reading your above you probably out them there!
I wish i could have visited Glyde 12 years ago, do you've any photos from then?

Archeron

Hey everyone,
Sorry to bump an old thread.

I want to go and see both Stephenstown House and Glyde Court over the next few weeks, and I was wondering if anyone can advise if there is access to these places now? I seen mention in the thread that Stephenstown is on private land, and I dont want to trespass.

I'm also really eager to see Glyde Court if anybody knows if you can still get to it.

Cheers!

focus_mad

Archeron wrote: »

Hey everyone,
Sorry to bump an old thread.

I want to go and see both Stephenstown House and Glyde Court over the next few weeks, and I was wondering if anyone can advise if there is access to these places now? I seen mention in the thread that Stephenstown is on private land, and I dont want to trespass.

I'm also really eager to see Glyde Court if anybody knows if you can still get to it.

Cheers!

Just came across the email with the notification that there was a comment!!

Stephenstown is on private farm land but there is a track that runs up to the house, I'd say once you stay on the track you'd be ok?

Glyde Court you will have to climb a fence and there is livestock in the field but once you dont act the eejit i'd say you'd be ok?

Well worth going out to have a look!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I can tell you now that you are most certainly not alright if you stay on the path to Stephenstown House( I don't know why people make assumptions like this!). It is private land and they do not tolterate intrusions lightly. You would need to contact the owners with a good reason to visit the site and get permission (ask locally for contact details as it's not my place to give them here). The building is also unsafe so, besides access to the private land, there are insurance issues to consider.