Abbey Ville

Freestanding single-bay two-storey "apple barn", extant 1822, on a chamfered square plan. Now disused. Chamfered pyramidal slate roof with finial to apex, rendered "wallhead" chimney stack (west) having creeper- or ivy-covered capping supporting yellow terracotta tapered pot, and no rainwater goods surviving on red brick header bond stepped eaves. Part ivy-covered roughcast walls with rendered flush strips to corners. Segmental-headed central door opening with concealed dressings framing remains of timber fittings. Square-headed flanking window openings with cut-granite sills, and rendered flush surrounds framing remains of timber fittings. "Venetian Window" (first floor) with cut-granite sills, and rendered flush surrounds framing one-over-one timber sash window having one-over-one sidelights. Round-headed window openings (remainder) with cut-granite sills, and rendered flush surrounds framing remains of one-over-one timber sash windows. Set in walled garden in grounds shared with Abbey Ville.

A folly-like "apple barn" surviving as an interesting relic of the Abbey Ville estate following the decline of the eponymous 'house [belonging to] Mr. [Anthony John] Cliffe of Bellevue…said to occupy the site of a religious establishment of which there are no particulars on record' (Lewis 1837 I, 364) with the architectural value of the composition suggested by such attributes as the chamfered square plan form; the diminishing in scale of the "Venetian" openings on each floor producing a graduated tiered visual effect; and the high pitched pyramidal roof. NOTE: An ivy-enveloped "pigeon house" illustrated on the map titled "Abbeybraney" from the "Survey of THE ESTATE OF Anthony Cliffe Esquire in the COUNTIES of WEXFORD Cork Kilkenny and MEATH" (1822) by Sherrard's Brassington and Greene also survives [RMP WX040-092----].