House - 16th century

The National Monuments Service's description

Commonly known as 'Bathe House' since it was erected by Nicholas Bathe in 1570. It occupied the angle formed by the junction of Shop Street and Laurence Street. It was three storeys high and built of wood. In 1824 it was condemned by Drogheda Corporation and demolished. . . The house was built mainly of oak and was three storeys high, with the upper storey projecting beyond the one immediately underneath. The upper storey had a strong, square oak framing with spandril pieces each forming a quadrant; the interstices were filled with plaster. The second storey, which contained the drawing room, was finished with panelling, each panel being about one foot square and decorated with carving. In the angle of the drawing room, which looked out onto Shop Street and Laurence Street, there was a semi-circular bay window with four divisions. It contained in a panel of its pedestal the arms of Bathe. On the bressimer (a load-bearing beam that extends the length of the building) facing Laurence St. was an inscription, stating the building to have been "MADE *BI *NICHOLAS *BATHE *IN *THE *IEARE *OF *OUR *LORD *GOD *1570 *BI *HIV *MOR *CARPENTER". This oak beam is now preserved in the National Museum of Ireland. (CLAJ 1905, 32; CLAJ 1941, 67; CLAJ 1936, frontispiece)

The above description is derived from the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). In this instance the entry has been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 3 July 2014

References

Garner, W. 1986 Drogheda: architectural heritage. Dublin. An Foras Forbartha.