Swifte's Heath

Detached three-bay single-storey gate lodge, c.1850, with single-bay single-storey gabled entrance breakfront. Refenestrated. Hipped slate roof (gabled to breakfront) with clay ridge tiles, rendered chimney stack, timber bargeboards to gable, and cast-iron rainwater goods on exposed timber eaves. Painted roughcast walls with rendered, ruled and lined piers to breakfront and to corners. Square-headed window openings with cut-limestone sills, cut-limestone block-and-start surrounds, and replacement uPVC casement windows. Square-headed door opening with tongue-and-groove timber panelled door having overlight. Set back from road at entrance to grounds of Swifte's Heath.

A pleasantly-composed small-scale house making a positive visual impact at the entrance to the grounds of Swifte's Heath: forming a neat group with an attendant gateway (12401001/KK-10-01) the resulting ensemble represents a prominent landmark on the road leading from Ballyragget in the north to Kilkenny City in the south. Fine detailing in the Classical manner enhances the architectural design value of the composition: however, the external expression of the house has not benefited from the inappropriate replacement fittings inserted to most of the openings.