Drumbanagher House
| Drumbanagher House | |
| County Armagh | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | J05423648 |
| Location: | 54°15’59"N, 6°22’57"W |
| History | |
| Built 1829 | |
| For: | Maxwell Close by William Notman and William Playfair |
| Country house | |
| Information | |
| Condition: | Demolished |
| Owned by: | Close family |
Drumbanagher House (also known as Drumbanagher Castle and Closes Castle) stood near Poyntzpass in County Armagh. It was a large country house, designed and built in 1829 for Maxwell Close by William Notman, working under William Playfair[1] Amongst Playfair’s works, Drumbanagher was described as "one of his grandest country houses."[2][3]
During the Second World War, the house was used by American and British army units. After the War, in 1951, Drumbanagher was demolished by its owner due to the expense in up keeping the property. Writing in the Belfast Telegraph in 1962, the then owner said:
"No mortal could have afforded to keep the castle going. So I had it demolished. Death duties, upkeep and financial difficulties meant I just had to get rid of it...It was perfectly sound and in good order when it was demolished...Now it looks like a nuclear bomb hit it."
The estate remains in the possession of the Close family. All that remains of the house is the "vast arched porte-cochere" (by Bence-Jones), which Sir Charles Brett described as "resembling a Roman Arc de Triomphe".[2]
References
- ↑ http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=202346
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Brett, Sir Charles, Buildings of County Armagh, UAHS, 1999, p. 272
- ↑ Castles in County Armagh