Signal tower

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on top of a low and short E-W running ridge c. 290m N of the coastline at its closest point (OD c. 84m). Located on gently rising ground with a short steep slope adjacent to the S. The surrounding area consists of small irregular pasture and arable fields defined by general linear field boundaries. Area of rough pasture adjacent to S. The adjacent stations in the signal station\tower chain are found at Ballylinchy, near Kedge Point (CO150-042----), located c. 9.4kms to the WSW, which survives to its original height, and at Reenogrena, Glandore (CO143-086----), which is located c. 11.5kms to the NE, now demolished. This signal station\tower at Gortnacrossig, Toe Head, is located c. 725m WSW of a coastal promontory fort (CO151-042----) located at Scullane Point, and c. 1.2kms NE of the fragmentary remains of a tower house (CO151-053----) that is located on a narrow natural promontory, the site of an earlier coastal promontory fort (CO151-040----).

An early-nineteenth-century (c. 1804-5; altered c. 1822-40) three-storey over partial raised basement square-plan signal station\tower (ext. dims. c. 5.85m NW-SE x c. 5.85m NE-SW; int. dims c. 4.2m NW-SE x 4.27m NE-SW; wall T c. 0.8m), built with roughly coursed rubble stone masonry. Exterior lime rendered with surviving sections of weather-slating still insitu; flush roughly dressed sandstone quoins to corners. The walls of the signal tower face, NW, NE, SE and SW. The rear elevation (NW) bows slightly towards slightly outwards in the centre to house the chimney flue. The signal station\tower has been heavily modified at some stage (probably when the site was converted for use as a coastguard station c. 1830; Coastguard Service established in Ireland in 1822; Toe Head was apparently among the first stations established). The original form was likely that seen at other contemporary sites of its type: two-storey over partially raised basement, doorway at centre of first floor level (SE in the case) with machicolation over, pairs of window openings at ground and first floor levels to the side elevations (SE and NW in this example), and with bartizans to the corners of the rear elevation (NW at this example) and a chimneystack rising to the centre of the rear elevation. This example at Toe Head has been increased in height with a third floor added with a battlemented\crenelated parapet installed, and the corner bartizans and machicolation have been removed. These were likely originally present but removed when the height of the building was extended. There is a projecting cut stone stringcourse to the base of the battlement parapet, which is supported on moulded cut stone corbels. The fenestration pattern has also been altered to the front elevation (SE) with central single large square-headed window openings added at ground floor and second floor levels (above and below original doorway). A large two-storey addition (C0151-041001-; ext. dims. c. 7.88m NW-SE x c 5.8m NE-SW) has been built adjoining the NW side of the original structure. This is constructed of rubble stone masonry with lime render and sections of weather-slating surviving (in sections) to the exterior, with square-headed openings, is divided internally into two rooms, and has a gabled end to the NW. There is a small rectangular-plan single-storey outbuilding\structure attached to the NW elevation of this later addition. These changes presumably occurred after the station was converted to a coastguard station, as identified on the Ordnance Survey first ed. six-inch map, surveyed 1841-2. Kerrigan established that the signal mast had been erected by 1804 and the signal tower was completed by 1805 (Kerrigan 1995, 277).

The signal station\tower is set within a rectangular enclosure (ext. dims. c. 35.5m NW-SE x c. 25m SW-NE) defined by rubble stone boundary walls. These walls survive along large sections to the SW and NW boundaries but have largely collapsed\been removed elsewhere. A modified World War II-era Lookout Post (LOP 28) is located in the centre of the rounded end of the enclosure, c. 18.8m SW of the SW elevation of the signal station\tower.

Hamilton’s 1806 map shows the signal tower located in a narrow rectangular enclosure with a narrow fan-shaped termination to the SE (Kerrigan 2003, 37). The Ordnance Survey first ed. six-inch map, surveyed c. 1841-2, shows the signal station\tower with the additions to the rear (NW). The fan-shaped termination to the SE end of the enclosure is also depicted.

The signal tower was part of a system of over 80 signal stations constructed by the British Board of Ordnance in the first decade of the nineteenth century to warn of the approach of a French invasion fleet. Signalling between sites was accomplished using a naval signal post. The system formed a continuous chain from Dublin Bay running clockwise all the way around the coast to Malin Head in County Donegal. It was abandoned by the mid-1810s when the threat of a French invasion diminished (Kerrigan 1995, 157-66).

Compiled by: Stuart Rathbone

Uploaded on: 21/09/22

References

Kerrigan P.M. 1995 Castles and fortifications in Ireland 1485-1945. Cork. The Collins Press.

Rathbone, S. 2020. ‘The Construction, Survival and use of Signal Defensible Guard Houses in Connacht and Ulster’; unpublished PhD Thesis, Institute of Technology, Sligo

Kerrigan, P.M. 2003 Signal towers on the West Cork coast. Mizen Journal 11, 29-45.