Bawn

The National Monuments Service's description

Castle (WI008-002001-), 17th century house (WI008-041----) and bawn described in the Ordnance Survey letters of 1838/40 as following; ‘Old Court Castle occupies a bold and handsome situation on the brink of a little river in the townland of Old Court. It is a square tower about 70 feet (21.3m) high, 54 feet [16.45m] long and 20 [6m] broad, with all its sides perfect to the top. It has several square and two gothic arched windows or loop holes. The ascent within is by wooden ladders and partly by the original spiral stone stairs. The entrance was through a door on the west side near the N.W. angle, and apparently through a house (WI008-041----) which projected from this angle westward 54 feet [16.45m] in length by 20 [6m] in breadth; the foundation only traceable at present. The remains of two small round towers mark the gate entrance to the house, lying about 20 yards [18.2m] south of the castle. That on the right as you enter is 12 feet [3.65m] in diameter and five [1.5m] in height, the wall 2 feet [0.6m] thick, and having a breach 7 feet [2.13m] wide on the west side. Ten or twelve feet [3-3.65m] of the other remains to the height of about ten feet [3m], having a pointed arched doorway 7 feet [2.13m] high and two feet 6 inches [0.76m] wide’ (O’Flanagan 1928, 28-9).
Present remains consist of the foundations of a bawn wall extending W for 16m from the NW angle of tower house (WI008-002001-). From the SW angle the bawn wall runs W for a short distance before turning S towards two circular gate-towers. The eastern gate-tower is largely intact (H 2.5m) while only the entrance to the western one remains. The bawn wall was built along the edge of the platform above steep slopes. A short wall angle of similar uncoursed rubble occurs immediately W of the gate-towers; this may be an associated feature - possibly part of the bawn wall. A 17th-century house (WI008-041----) was attached to the W wall of the tower.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of revised upload: 10 May 2016

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 143/1940).

References

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1928 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Wicklow collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1838. Bray.