House - 17th century

The National Monuments Service's description

On W edge of flat low-lying poorly drained land which forms part of the flood-plain of the River Barrow which flows 80m to the NE. The religious house (KD035-022006-) of the Crutched Friars founded by Richard de St. Michael in the thirteenth century is 520m to the SSE, also located on the W bank of the River Barrow. A 13th century hall house known as Woodstock Caste (KD035-021----) built by Richard de St. Michael stands on dry ground overlooking the River Barrow to SE and possibly a fording point over the river. A series of linear earthworks forming rectangular features in the poorly drained field to SE may represent the remains of medieval fish-ponds (KD035-021002-). The land to the NW is higher dry ground and does not appear to have formed part of the floodplain. There are archaeological earthworks in the field to the N and S of the castle. Some of the earthworks in the field to the N of the castle may form part of the bawn wall (KD035-021001-) of the castle and a two storey house depicted on a drawing of the castle dating from 1795 (Costello 1992-3, 87; TCD MS 942/2:51, 56, 58,68). The 1656 Down Survey map of Kildare depicts a settlement (KD035-021003-) in the form a cluster of buildings standing on the W bank of the River Barrow between Woodstock Castle and the religious house (KD035-022006-) of the Crutched Friars (downsurvey.tcd.ie/down-survey-maps.php#c=Kildare). A drawing of the castle dating from 1795 shows the W face of the castle as it was drawn from SW looking NE. Several buildings along with the bawn wall are no longer visible today. However some of the earthworks in the field to the N of the castle represent the remains of these structures. A two storey house aligned on a E-W axis can be seen a short distance to the N of the rectangular tower. This house appears to be 17th century in date as it possesses a single gable-end chimney stack on E gable that projects externally beyond the gable wall and rises high above the roof line. The top of the chimney is crowned with a string-course with moulded shaft above typically found on 17th century houses. The wall footings of a single pile building aligned along an E-W axis located to the N of the castle which are visible on aerial photographs could be the levelled remains of this building depicted on the 1795 drawing.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 27 April 2016

References

Costello, C. 1992-3 Four eighteenth-century drawings of County Kildare, Journal of the Kildare Archaeological Society 18, 87-91.