Gosford Castle is situated in Gosford, a townland of Markethill, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, close to the border with County Down. Construction of the castle began in 1819 and finished in the 1850s. It was commissioned by Archibald Acheson, 2nd Earl of Gosford and the architect was Thomas Hopper, one of the leading London architects of the first half of the 19th century. The Ministry of Agriculture bought the estate in 1958, establishing Gosford Forest Park and in January 2006 the largest Grade A listed building in Northern Ireland, which is in urgent need of conservation, was bought by a development company, the Boyd Partnership which planned to turn it into private homes. In December 2008 the first residents of the 24 self-contained apartments moved in.
The estimated repair bill was in the region of £4m, the nature of the development was selected by a government-appointed panel.
Architecture
The style of Gosford is that of Norman revival, it being one of the few examples of this in the world. It was regarded by Robin Fredden, Secretary of the National Trust in 1952 as "one of the most original buildings of the first half of the nineteenth century", he further noted that it was "reputed to be the largest pile in Ireland", having some 150 rooms.[1] Hopper, the architect, also designed Penrhyn Castle, which is in a similar style.
History
The 4th Earl was forced to sell the Castle's contents in 1921 and, during the Second World War, it was commandeered and used as prisoner-of-war camp. Following the War the Gosfords sold the estate and, eventually, it was acquired by the Forestry Commission. It was, for periods, occupied as a hotel, barracks and restaurant.
Jamboree
The park was the site of an Irish Scout Jamboree in 1989. Gosford '89 was attended by over 3000 scouts from around the world including contingents from Canada, Japan and America. The Camp Chief was Wilson Lambe[2] and the Co-ordinator was Mark Larmour.
There were six subcamps as well as a Staff subcamp.
A reunion for those involved in Gosford 89 was held at the Armagh City Hotel on Friday 28 August 2008. The event was organised by Jack Campbell and Aubrene Willis and attended by over 50 people. Camp Chief Wilson Lambe spoke at the reunion. A facebook page (link below) has also been established to allow those who attended to meet again through the Internet.
A New Era for Gosford Castle
The government regained possession of the Castle and in February 2002. The Castle at this time was in a desperate state of disrepair and without urgent intervention was in real danger of becoming irretrievably beyond repair.
Following lengthy negotiations, in 2006 a prestigious local developer and specialist architects, in Partnership with the Northern Ireland Heritage Service, put forward a proposal to restore the Castle to its former grandeur.
The agreed proposal was to turn Gosford Castle into 23 luxury residences. The standard of the work was to be of the very highest quality. The future for Gosford Castle, for the first time in many, many years, was finally secure.
As many sections of the building have a degree of vertical independence, the principal sub-division of the Castle was be into vertically separated dwellings. To achieve this, a team of talented artisans and master craftsmen were recruited to create the highly individualistic homes of one, two, three and four storeys in height, set within the original fabric of the Castle. The development retains the innate character and historic integrity of the Castle by using existing staircases and walls where possible.
Attention to restorative detail has been extended down to the finest detail. For example, there was evidence of the original colour schemes in the principal rooms, such as the vaulted ceiling of the Inner Hall, picked out in gold; walls that were painted green to represent drapery; and, a background of scarlet used to set off the library’s wooden bookcases. These original colour palettes have been replicated in order to recapture the bright atmosphere of the Castle in its prime.
In its day, Gosford Castle embraced the very latest in 19th century technology. This contemporary restoration sees the Castle updated to the very highest standards of the 21st century. By retaining many of their original elements and features, such as doors, stairways, fireplaces, etc., each new dwelling has an immediate historical relevance. This relevance has been enhanced through the use of quality fixtures and fittings throughout and as a result, the accommodation is elegant without compromise in terms of comfort and ease of living.
With this exacting commitment to authenticity, it is entirely appropriate that the architectural practice responsible for the project is The Boyd Partnership, who are currently retained by the Environment and Heritage Service to advise on Historic Building Grants; by the Heritage Lottery Fund to monitor Conservation Projects; and, by DoE Planning Service as Conservation Area Architects.
Many of the dwellings are now fully occupied, with residents enjoying access to the 11 acres of landscaped gardens and parkland that accompany the scheme, as well as, a private walled garden and woodland with its own fairy tree. The Castle’s residents also have direct access to the almost 600 acres of Gosford Forest Park that lie on the doorstep.
This castle renovation can provide occupiers with a family home, a quiet rural retreat, or simply the delights of castle living, these new residences at Gosford Castle can provide an balance between easy accessibility, to the major conurbations of Ireland, and isolation; period style and modern living.
Gosford Castle can offer residents the opportunity to enjoy the grandeur and opulence of 1800s period living in one of the most awe-inspiring, grade A listed, properties in Ireland.
Gosford Castle was built as a family residence. Now, finally, after almost two hundred years, it is being restored to its original function and glory.
See also
References
Gosford Castle http://www.gosfordcastle.net/