Gowran Castle, County Kilkenny

Gowran Castle
Detached seven-bay two-storey over part-raised basement Classical-style house, built 1817-9, probably incorporating fabric of earlier house, 1713, with three-bay two-storey pedimented breakfront having three-bay single-storey flat-roofed projecting porch to ground floor, three-bay two-storey side elevations, and five-bay two-storey Garden (south) Front having three-bay two-storey pedimented breakfront.

Subsequently extended, pre-1840, comprising five-bay two-storey over part-raised basement wing to left. Truncated, post-1902, with wing dismantled. Now disused. Hipped slate roof on a quadrangular plan behind parapet with clay ridge tiles, limestone ashlar chimney stacks having moulded coping, and concealed cast-iron rainwater goods. Flat roof to porch not visible behind parapet.

Tooled limestone ashlar walls to ground floor (rusticated limestone ashlar walls to basement) with cut-limestone course, cut-limestone quoins to corners, cut-limestone stringcourse supporting unpainted rendered walls to first floor having cut-limestone band, dentilated moulded cornice, blocking course to parapet, moulded surround to pediment, cut-limestone frontispiece to Garden (south) Front having engaged Corinthian columns (some paired) with frieze, and moulded surround to pediment.

Square-headed window openings (rectangular recessed panels over to ground floor Entrance (north) Front; in camber-headed recesses to ground floor to remainder having voussoirs incorporating keystones; blind to centre first floor breakfronts) with cut-limestone sills, carved cut-limestone architraves to first floor having friezes supporting entablatures, six-over-six (ground floor) and three-over-six (first floor) timber sash windows.

Round-headed door opening to porch with square-headed flanking window openings in cut-limestone frontispiece on five cut-limestone steps having engaged Doric columns supporting frieze incorporating modillion cornice, blocking course, carved cut-limestone architrave to door opening having keystone, timber panelled double doors having overlight, cut-limestone sills to flanking openings, carved cut-limestone architraves, and one-over-one timber sash windows.

Square-headed door opening to house with carved cut-limestone architrave, and glazed timber panelled double doors. Square-headed openings to ground floor breakfront to Garden (south) Front (in camber-headed recesses to outer openings having voussoirs incorporating keystone; blind to central opening having rectangular recessed panel over; all approached by bowed iron perron platform on decorative brackets with nine steps having iron railings) with timber casement windows having single sash overlight.

Interior with timber panelled shutters to window openings. Set back from road in own grounds with slightly unkempt grounds to site.
The Castle Man