Derrymore House facts for kids
Derrymore House is a special old house in Bessbrook, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It's looked after by the National Trust. This group helps protect important places. You can visit the beautiful grounds for most of the year. The house itself, especially the drawing room, is open on certain days. The National Trust calls it a "late 18th-century thatched house in gentrified vernacular style." This means it's an old house from the late 1700s with a traditional, fancy thatched roof.
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What Makes Derrymore House Special?
Derrymore House is built like a "cottage orné". This is a fancy style of cottage. It has only one floor. The house sits in a large parkland with some walls around it. This parkland covers about 100 acres (0.4 square kilometers) of trees and open spaces.
Unique Features of the House
The house has a very special thatched roof. It uses reeds from the River Shannon. This makes it unique to the local area.
The Beautiful Parkland
The parkland around the house was designed by John Sutherland. He was a famous landscape designer. He followed the ideas of Capability Brown. The park has many features for you to explore.
- There are belts of woodland with lots of trees.
- You can find a walled kitchen garden. It's not used much now.
- There's also a small quarry.
- A short walking trail lets you explore the grounds.
Gate Lodges
Within the grounds, there are four small buildings called gate lodges. These were added later, in the 1800s. One of them was the home of the head gardener. It's called Hortus Lodge.
History of Derrymore House
Isaac Corry, The Builder
Derrymore House was built between 1776 and 1787. It was built by Isaac Corry. He was a MP for Newry for 30 years. He built the house on land he received from his father. People at the time thought it was a very elegant summer home.
Isaac Corry was a very important financial leader in Ireland. He was the last "chancellor of the exchequer" before the Act of Union in 1800. This Act joined Ireland and Great Britain. Corry played a big part in making this happen.
The "Treaty Room" Story
It's sometimes said that the Act of Union might have been discussed in the drawing room of Derrymore House. This room is also called the "Treaty Room." However, there isn't much proof that the Act was actually written there. The official signing happened in Dublin.
Later Owners and Changes
Isaac Corry sold Derrymore House in 1810 when he moved to Dublin. After that, it was owned by the Young family. In 1825, Sir William Young sold the estate to the Smyth family.
Later, a wealthy merchant named Robert Glenny bought the estate. He then sold it to John Grubb Richardson. Richardson was a linen manufacturer. He lived in a nearby estate called The Woodhouse. John Grubb Richardson was important for starting the village of Bessbrook. He also built the Bessbrook Friends' Meeting House. This meeting house is still in the Derrymore estate.
Donation to the National Trust
In 1952, Mr. J. S. W. Richardson donated Derrymore House to the National Trust. He was a descendant of John Grubb Richardson. The National Trust then made some changes to the house. They removed a large part that had been added by the Richardson family. They wanted to make the house look like it did when Isaac Corry owned it.
Challenges and Repairs
The house faced challenges during a difficult time in history. It needed repairs on several occasions between 1972 and 1979. The person looking after the house at the time, Edmund Baillie, bravely helped protect it. Because of this damage, most of the wooden parts inside the house were replaced. Some changes were also made to the interior.
World War II Camp
During World War II, the Derrymore estate became a military camp. The US Army used it as a supply depot from 1943 to 1944. Most of the buildings from that time have been taken down. The land has been restored. You can still see a concrete road and some earthworks from that period.
Derrymore House Today
In recent years, a special company has helped the National Trust manage Derrymore House. Different people have lived in parts of the house. However, the National Trust keeps the central area, especially the drawing room. They use it for various events.
There are plans to make changes and improve the house's wings. This will allow for separate living areas. These changes won't affect the National Trust's activities.
In 2019, funding was secured for big improvements to the Derrymore Estate. The plans include creating new walking trails with different themes. There will also be new play areas, places to sit, and viewing spots. These changes will make the estate even better for visitors.
