It was many years before I could finally afford to buy a house in the Mournes and during that time the value of property here has underwent a rise as steep as any of the slopes I've ever climbed. But aside from their potential as holiday homes or as building sites for grander designs, vernacular buildings, whether occupied, deserted, rundown or even derelict have always been highly valued by many groups and individuals, and none more so than by artists. The traditional cottages that have come to typify our countryside and the historical buildings that house our heritage are under constant threat. Casual observation and recent surveys highlight the frightening pace and extent at which they are disappearing from the Mourne area. After reading in the Mourne Observer that 63 King St might soon be demolished to make way for two new buildings, I cycled up, or rather pushed the bike up King Street to sketch what remains.

The building is obviously in a poor state but it is still easy to gain a sense of how it would have looked in its prime, from the dirty curtains that hang in its windows or the pots now filled with weeds sitting by the boarded front door. A hard hat and the necessary permission would no doubt have provided a greater insight into the lives lived in this old property, views from the windows long dead people once gazed through and the rooms they would have occupied. From the hanging gate barely supported by its hinges, to the elegant chimney pots perched on top of a broken roof, comfort is now afforded to a range of flora and fauna, creating sense of calm and slow decay. I wonder what future generations will think of the houses that may soon be built in its place. A wealthy individual or group might be able to retain these buildings by purchase and restoration, as an artist with means as simple as pencil and paper I feel privileged to be able to add to their preservation.