House - 16th/17th century

The National Monuments Service's description

Named 'Castlenarning' on the Down Survey (1655-6), where it is shown as a large gabled house in the vicinity of the current 'Castlewarden House', which dates to the late-18th/19th century and which, according to Garner and Craig (Foras Forbatha 1976, 56: SMR File) may be on the site of 'an important seventeenth century house' . Now the clubhouse of 'Castlewarden Golf and Country Club'. A motte and bailey (KD015-009001-) stands c. 300m to the NW.
In 2002, a building survey and archaeological test-trenching (Excavation Licence No. 02E0346: www.excavations.ie) was undertaken before construction of an extension to 'Castlewarden House'. The Down Survey representation was interpreted as suggesting a fortified or semi-fortified house akin to the small 17th-century house at Derrin, Co. Laois (Craig 1982, 135), or a larger, T-plan or H-plan building with two or four flanking towers. The west/central footprint of the existing building at basement/ground-floor level contained thick walls (T 0.6-0.8m) that, while heavily rendered, might incorporate parts of a 17th-century structure: these walls formed a T-shape, measuring 12.8m east-west by 6m, with the stem of the T projecting north for a further 6m and encompassing a staircase. Some 18th-century components were present on the exterior of the building, particularly in the south façade, indicating some renovation and/or rebuilding at that time. Castlewarden House had been added to several times in the last twenty years. The areas adjacent to what was formerly the basement had been excavated and landscaped to provide access to the former basement/present ground floor. This landscaping has removed any archaeological material that may have existed adjacent to the exterior walls. Test-trenching revealed a single find which may date to the 17th-century phase of Castlewarden House: a thick, trapezoidal, vernacular roof slate/stone shingle with late medieval/early post-medieval parallels.

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy

Date of upload: 10 June 2011