Visitors to Kilkeel could have the chance to take a step back in time as a fully-fitted, full-scale replica of a World War 1 hut could shortly be put in place in the popular coastal resort.
The Schomberg Society Kilkeel Ltd is behind the proposals for the Greencastle Street development, with the hut to function as a “small museum and educational facility”.
Proposals have now been submitted to Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.
The hut – currently in place in Downpatrick – would be relocated within a concrete yard and would have limited opening.
According to a design and access statement: “The facility will provide an educational resource for local schools, youth and community organisations, visiting tour groups and members of the public attending selected heritage events.
“The proposed use is cultural, educational and community-based. The hut will operate on a part-time and seasonal basis under volunteer supervision and is not intended to function as a full-time visitor attraction or commercial facility.”
And it adds: “In 2021, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council opened a replica Ballykinlar History Hut at Down County Museum in Downpatrick as part of a cross-community peace project. The displays reflected the shared history of Northern Ireland through the different groups and individuals associated with these huts over time.
“The Schomberg Society Kilkeel Ltd subsequently secured this resource and intends to bring it to Kilkeel, where it can be made accessible to local schools, youth groups, community organisations and visiting tour groups.”
The original Armstrong huts were designed by Major Bertie Armstrong and constructed to accommodate military personnel during the First World War, with some of the earliest occupants including members of the 36th Ulster Division.
Over the following decades, huts of this type were associated with a variety of historical events and occupants, including American servicemen, Hungarian refugees and Irish Republican internees.
The replica hut, according to the design statement, will contain display areas and historical artefacts illustrating different periods associated with the hut and its occupants.
“Its relocation will provide a valuable local resource for historical learning, cultural engagement and community understanding,” the statement explains.
“The proposal will allow the existing educational resource to be used by a wider range of people within Kilkeel and the surrounding area, supporting heritage education and community participation.”
The structure takes the form of a replica of a traditional military hut of the early 20th Century, with its simple, elongated form and straightforward construction reflecting the “utilitarian character of the original building type”.
The site is described as being “conveniently located in relation to Kilkeel town centre”, thus “allowing local schools and community groups to reach the facility on foot where appropriate”.
The hut will not operate as a continuously open public attraction; rather, its opening will be “limited, seasonal and dependent on volunteer availability and organised visits”.
It is expected to accommodate approximately 10 school visits each year, six by youth and community groups and a further six organised tour groups.
It would open during the Hairtlan Summer Festival for around two weeks on a part-time basis of about three hours per day. It is also hoped to operate on selected calendar dates and heritage events, potentially including European Heritage Open Days, Dickens Day and National Ulster-Scots Day.
The facility will be supervised by volunteers, with no more than two volunteers expected to be present at any one time.
Urging council to approve the plans, the applicants say it will provide a “valuable local heritage and educational resource for Kilkeel”, with the plans representing an “appropriate and proportionate form of cultural and educational development that will benefit the local community without giving rise to unacceptable impacts on the surrounding area”.
