Johnsfort House, built in the late 1700's.

Steeped in history and charm, we look forward to sharing the beauty of Johnsfort with you.

History of Johnsfort

The main house and the out buildings were built by the Chapman Family from the estate of Killua Castle (www.killuacastle.com) in the late 1700's. They were built for the blacksmiths of the castle. The blacksmiths went on to become farmers. 'Marianne Cottage' at Johnsfort, which gets its name from our mother’s, Marie and Anne (R.I.P.), is over 200 years old. The building was once a forge and a labourer’s cottage. There were two Bartholomew Ball's from two different generations who lived at Johnsfort in the 1800's. We know one of them was born in 1810 and died in 1861. The other, his son, became a priest and was in the missions but died in Algeria at the age of 21. We named 'Bartholomew's Loft' in their memory. The walls and the buildings around you are steeped in history. The house and buildings have seen famine, revolution and has stood steadfast through civil wars. Through all of this it has remained true to its Georgian self. Even the windows in the main house 'Johnsfort House' are the original windows and panes of glass.

The Story of Marianne Cottage

More than 200 years old, Marianne cottage is a two bedroom cottage newly renovated with lots of modern luxury while retaining its old cottage feel with pre-existing limestone walls and cut stone arch. It has one double bedroom en suite and a twin room (can be made into superking size bed if requested in advance). There is a large open plan kitchen living dining area, a main bathroom and a serarate utility room. It forms part of an old farmyard with an abundance of old stone buildings. Our country cottage is a spacious 80m sq with many interesting unique features. The main room boasts a huge stove with firewood provided. It is perfect for those cold winter nights and warm summer evenings. It has a cathedral ceiling and architectural features such as the original exposed stone arch, steel beams and salvaged sliding doors giving it industrial charm.

Description

We took great pleasure from renovating this 200 year old forge and labourer's cottage. The roof was collapsing, the chimney was exposed and unstable and the lean to had caved in. Cutting back the ivy removed lots of the stones and the mini digger was there for days removing dirt and old rotten furniture. In salvaging the walls and the arch and rebuilding the chimney stack we gradually brought this beautiful stone building back to life. We retained its original charm and accentuated its best features. We took care and precision when selecting artwork, furniture and soft furnishings so as not to lose the wealth of character that this cottage has to offer. We look forward to meeting you and showing you the fruits of our labour. We invite you to come and stay with us and to make yourselves a part of the story of Johnsfort and in particular Marianne Cottage.

The Story of Bartholomew's Loft

It is the epitome of modern comfort in a 200 year old farmyard setting. With parquet floors, salvaged timber clad walls and Chesterfield couches, Bartholomew's oozes luxury, comfort and style. Every corner of the loft has an interesting feature from the home office area with a genuine 1940's bankers desk and the1950's bright orange kitchen.

Loft living...

The bedrooms are both downstairs, as well as the main bathroom with its handmade floor tiled wet room. The larger bedroom has both a double and single bed while the smaller has a double bed. Stop to look out the huge window at our beautiful Highland cattle or Jacob sheep grazing the pastures. At the top of the stairs is a large fully equipped kitchen/dining area. We leave out fresh farm eggs from our own hens for our guests, the perfect start to a day that can be filled with walks and discovery around our abundance of local castles, abbeys and natural beauty spots or perhaps as a hearty breakfast after a night enjoyed in our beautiful "speakeasy" style lounge, just off the kitchen. This room is the essence of moody luxury, with leather sofas, Scatterbox feather cushions and velvet armchairs. It is perfect for a good book and a glass of wine, a good movie or perhaps a get together with a group of friends and G n' T's. As with Marianne Cottage, Bartholomew's Loft is child friendly (highchair and travel cot) and safe (the stairs has a properly fitted permanent stair gate). We leave out lots of toys and we happily welcome guests of all ages!

The Future

Johnsfort House has been in the Ball family for many generations. It was Mary (born 1882) and William (born 1853) Ball’s daughter, Rose Ball (born 1908), who left the house to Richard Ball (your host) so that the Ball name could continue at Johnsfort House. We hope to restore Johnfort to its former beauty, building by building. We are hoping to share this journey with the wonderful guests that stay with us, watching as the gradual reconstruction evolves.