Portnason House

Walled garden associated with Portnason House (see 40910764) on sub-rectangular or L-shaped plan, erected c. 1820, now partially in use as farmland. High rubble stone boundary walls with additional brick courses (in English garden bond) over in places; rendered coping over. Integral segmental-headed carriage-arch to the west side having brick voussoirs to arch, roughly squared rubble stone surrounds, and a pair of modern gates. Wall breached to the north-west corner to provide access from complex of outbuildings (see 40910765). Integral square-headed pedestrian entrance to the west, adjacent to house, having timber door, and with modern gable-fronted timber summerhouse/gazebo to interior having trelliswork walls. Blocked pedestrian entrances to other elevations having red brick voussoirs to arches. Modern single-storey stables to the west. Possible former estate worker’s/gardener’s/steward’s house built into boundary wall to the extreme north-west corner. Walls undulate along with topography. Remains of fruit trees to the south part of site. Evidence of former pond to the east, now dry. Located to the east of Portnason House (see 40910764), and to the south-west of Ballyshannon town centre.

This substantial former walled garden complex retains its early form and character, and forms part of an interesting group of structures associated with Portnason House (see 40910764). The simple but well-built boundary walls survive in relatively good condition, albeit with some modern breaches, with the unrefined rubble stone construction indicative of the original utilitarian uses. It is interesting that the walls were increased in height by a layer of brick at some stage, probably to provide additional shelter from the prevailing Atlantic winds to the west. The simple entrances to site add some interest to the blank boundary walls. There was formerly a glass house to the north of this site, now demolished (Ordnance Survey twenty-five inch map c. 1907). The scale of these walled gardens provides an interesting historical insight into the extensive resources required to run and maintain a middle-sized country estate in Ireland during the nineteenth-century, when they would have been used to produce a variety of foodstuffs for use in the main house and throughout the estate, and possibly also to provide an income source. Cartographic information (Ordnance Survey first edition six-inch map of 1836) suggests that the northern end of the garden was cultivated at this time, while the south end was in use as an orchard. The survival of some fruit trees to the south of site enhances this impression. According to local information this walled garden was at time in use as a parade ground/for military training ground (possibly during the first decades of the twentieth century) associated with the Finner Camp military site adjacent to the west of site. This former walled garden(s) adds context to the setting of the main house, and is an addition to the built heritage of the local area.