Friday 6 January 2012

Mount Panther Visit

I have spent a most illuminating day at Mount Panther estate today. I was invited to accompany a friend on a private visit. The estate comprises 170 acres. Mount Panther House, despite having been built around 1770, remains a noble mansion, now ruinous without a roof.

I saw the very large walled garden; the extensive outbuildings, including stable block with its clock tower (alas the clock faces and bell are no longer there); the old kitchen with its Aga still in situ, in the corner, the remains of a curved wall that once encased a spiral staircase giving access to upper floors.

The library, though now in a state of disrepair, still has the original bookshelves set into the walls.

The basement is magical: A labyrinth of vaulted rooms. One can almost sense the hive of activity that this part of the house would have generated.

Le morceau du bijou was the ballroom, once used by the cream of County Down society. Sections of the 18th century stucco plasterwork with Wedgewood blue paint still remain, an extraordinary phenomenon given its age and exposure to the elements for half a century.

The house has three storeys over a basement.

5 comments :

Irishlad said...

A place i often wished i could have gotten a closer look at . Btw further to your statement about earning a wage i saw in last night's job section of the BT several paid positions in the NT down at Mount Stewart,i've said to you before i think you'd be ideally suited to (paid)work with the NT.

Timothy Belmont said...

Indeed, I stood on the rubble in the old ballroom, looking at what remained of the fine wedgewood blue and white plasterwork.

alas the ceilings are long gone.

Still, it's a most remarkable house with extensive outbuildings and large walled garden.

Thanks for letting me know about the NT by the way. Craig told me about a working volunteer position, though it was unpaid and included accommodation instead.

Sandy said...

Any pics of your Mountpanther visit?

Timothy Belmont said...

No, they'd have been a duplication of these excellent ones:-

http://stuartblakley.blogspot.com/2010/12/mount-panther.html

zoffany said...

incidentally, the plasterwork at malone house was produced from impressions taken from the mount panther plasterwork