A 120 year-old former water superintendent's house in Kilkeel, County Down, is set to undergo a substantial refurbishment this month.

NI Water will spearhead the project on the property located at the entrance to Silent Valley as part of its ongoing commitment to protecting listed assets in its care.

The project team will consist of RPS and GEDA Construction, who have developed a considerate programme of restoration works, while NI Water will also liaise with Department for Communities' Historic Environment Division, Mourne Heritage Trust, Dickson FitzGerald Architects and the NIEA.

Constructed by the Belfast City & District Water Commissioners at the turn of the 20th century, the two-storey granite structure was built to house the superintendent during the construction of the Silent Valley reservoir. In more recent years, the building has been used by Mourne Heritage Trust as offices, storage and welfare space.

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The distinctive property is one of several water-related buildings located within the grounds of Silent Valley.

Welcoming the refurbishment project, Mourne Heritage Trust Chief Executive, Martin Carey, said: "Mourne Heritage Trust is delighted at the plans for the restoration of the Superintendent’s House. We have been grateful to NI Water for use of the building for over two decades and the restoration will allow us to derive even greater benefit from this valued asset as we continue in our efforts in Caring for Mourne."

Commenting on how the refurbishment will benefit the Trust, Martin said: "Our growing band of conservation volunteers who, among other things, help look after the tree nursery that has been developed in the former kitchen garden of the house, will have comfortable facilities for changing, eating and resting.

"With improved IT connectivity, office and storage space, the refurbished house will better accommodate our field staff for their important desk work, and we will also be able to make more regular use of quite a large and characterful meeting room.

"We also hope to use one of the refurbished rooms as a library/archive facility to keep safe and accessible reference materials and other documents relating to the work of Mourne Heritage Trust and predecessor bodies.

"It is fitting that a building, that is itself part of the historic character of the Mourne Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, will be such a valuable hub of our activity to care for this special place," he concluded.