Ardress House

Ardress House was originally built sometime before 1705 for Thomas Clarke. It was enlarged and remodelled in the 1780s by the architect George Ensor who acquired the house through his marriage to the heiress Sarah Clarke. Ensor embellished the plain, five-bay planter’s homestead with a modest portico and added a beautiful Adamesque drawing room with plasterwork by Michael Stapleton, Ireland’s leading stuccadore in this style. Ensor’s son, George Ensor II, remodelled Ardress again in the early 19th century, adding a dining room and library to the west, and lengthening the east front by 4 bays. Close to the house is the charming farmyard, with its many small houses, each with their different agricultural function. It was given to the Trust by the Ulster Land Fund in 1959.

Ardress House, County Armagh

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A small part of the collection of Ardress is original and reflects the aspirations of a family who were modest yet fashionable in their tastes. It includes a set of prints by James Barry, RA., and good pieces of early Irish furniture including a magnificent mahogany side table. On loan are a fine collection of 18th-century Dutch, Flemish and Italian paintings, and 18th century Irish furniture. The farm yard contains many agricultural implements and machines from the local area, dating from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

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