It is picturesquely set at the foot of Slieve Gullion, within a maturely planted demesne. Along with its substantial farmyard, towered wall, gate screen, and walled garden it forms an important group of buildings.
Formerly known as Killevy Lodge, it was the residence of the Foxall family, whose vault is situated nearby, at St Luke's Church.
In 1836, Powell Foxall JP (1800-75), a Newry banker, commissioned the architect George Papworth to enlarge his modestly scaled farmhouse.
It was subsequently transformed into a little Gothic castle.
The estate comprised about 1,000 acres.
The 1837 ordnance survey memoirs remark that
"Killevy Lodge, the residence of John Foxall Esq, is situated in the townland of Clonlum. It stands on the eastern base of Slieve Gullion and is built with considerable taste in castellated style. It was completed during the present year".
In 1852 the castle was offered for sale by auction; however, a buyer was not found and subsequently some of the demesne was sold.
By 1881, Killevy was in the possession of the Bell family; henceforth it has become known colloquially as Bell's Castle.
There were formerly two gate lodges, both of whch have now been demolished, though paintings of these can be seen at Armagh Museum.
© National Museums Northern Ireland
The south lodge, of ca 1837, is now demolished; the north lodge is ruinous.
Killevy Castle is a mid-19th century, two storey Tudoresque crenellated house with later tower additions to each corner. It has a basement.
The castle is picturesquely set at the foot of Slieve Gullion, within a mature planted demesne.
It is accessed from the road by a granite gate screen leading to a tree-lined, serpentine drive which runs in an easterly direction to a walled garden, where it continues past the stable block and farmyard, finally reaching the castle at its western elevation.
It is set on an elevated platform, with tumbling gardens to the front, accessed by a circular tower terminating at the end of a granite boundary wall.
The house is constructed in granite throughout, laid in varying courses with castellated towers to each corner. All are square in section and similarly detailed, apart from that to the north-west, which is tall and circular, rising above the others.
The first floor of the eastern elevation is set back from ground floor, creating a balcony.
All windows are sliding sashes with granite sills.
The facade consists of a tall, central, canted bay flanked by two identical bays.
A timber-studded entrance door is perpendicular in style, with cusped panels and a Tudor arched head; set below its centre, a panel with three quatrefoil insets containing a carved, timber monkey's head door pull.
The entrance is accessed by four granite steps enclosed to either side by a rubble stone dwarf wall with dressed granite copings.
Below each window, set into the ground and lighting basement, is a cast-iron grille.
The basement is accessed by a servants' tunnel from the gardens.
The southeast Tower has an arrow-loop window to all three exposed faces of ground floor.
The exposed basement level is cement-rendered and the ground floor is wet-dashed.
The first floor level has three arrow-loop windows to the centre.
The first floor has two sliding sash windows, one to either side of a bow.
The northwest tower is circular and is the tallest component of the building: It has two plat bands - one between basement and ground floor levels; the other below the crenellated parapet.
Between each floor are several small, staggered openings.
The grounds are accessed by a granite gate-screen to the Ballintemple Road, which consists of four gate piers, two to each end and two to centre with moulded copings and shallow pyramidal caps and an elongated panel to front face.
The gate piers to the centre support a pair of wrought iron gates.
The wall is constructed in dressed granite blocks with chamfered copings; it is terminated to each end by a rubble stone wall with embattled stone copings.
There is a walled garden, roughly triangular in shape, narrowing to one end. All walls are random rubble.
There is a small, roofless, single-storey garden house with a central door opening and a small window opening to either side.
To the front of the castle is a granite rubble wall with embattled copings terminated to each end by a crenellated round tower with staggered window openings.
The tower to the right contains a spiral stone stair leading to the front garden.
Flanking the central section of the wall is a pair of towers with rendered point-headed caps.
Below the terrace, the front garden falls to an ornamental canal, which appears to be the remains, or a remodelling, of a small lake, suggesting that the castle was set in a designed landscape which changed over time and is now in a neglected state.
Killevy Castle, at the time of writing, is for sale. The estate agent states:
A rare opportunity not only to acquire an historic Castle, but also to purchase the surrounding estate of 134 acres which consist of a desirable mix of quality farmland on the lower slopes and mature woodland and pasture on the upper areas.
An additional lot of 202 acres of planted timber, leased to the Department of Agricultural (until 2112) is also available.
This unique property, situated on the lower slopes of Slieve Gullion, includes a modest pre-Victorian Castle (designed in 1836) extending to approximately 4,000 sq ft and in need of restoration.
Farmland extending to approximately 134 acres which includes the “upper wood” area to the rear of the Castle, in addition to extensive frontage to Ballintemple Road, approximately ½ mile off the Newry to Forkhill Road, 5 miles south of Newry.
Proposed Gate Lodge Building Site with Planning Consent for a 1,300sqft 1½ Storey Dwelling (granted January 2012).
Approx. 202 acres of Forestry Land, leased to Department of Agricultural with 101 years unexpired at an annual rent of £40 PA.
Guide Price:- Offers Around £975,000
Closing Date For Offers:- Friday, 16th November, 2012
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