Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in a fairly level landscape. This is a probable Catholic church of the Penal era that is marked only on the 1940 ed. of the OS 6-inch map in a field that is known locally as the church field. It was thought locally in 1940 that the church, known as ‘Chapel Larden’ or ‘Sarden’, was in use until c. 1800-1820 (OSFM), and it is described as a Mass House by Grattan Flood (1915, 69). A slightly raised rectangular platform (dims. 9.7m E-W; 7.2m N-S; H 0.3m) is visible, but there is no surface evidence of an enclosure or burial. Archaeological testing (07E0530) identified the clay-bonded wall (Wth 0.6-0.7m) of the church and uncovered a fosse or ditch (Wth 1.5-1.8m; D 0.7m) that pre-dated the platform (diam. c. 30-35m). Coarse medieval ceramics were recovered from the ditch and the enclosure may have had an entrance at NW where a terminal is recorded. No burials were recovered. (Stafford 2007, 4, 5; Stafford 2010)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wexford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1996). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload/revision: 16 October, 2013

References

OSFM. Ordnance Survey Field Memorandums. A collection of survey notes and descriptions of monuments on pro-forma sheets compiled by Ordnance Survey field staff in the course of the 1:2500 map revision of various counties, mostly dating from 1931 – early 1960s. These unpublished manuscripts form part of the records of the Archaeological Survey of Ireland, National Monuments Service Archive, Dublin.

Flood, W.H. Grattan 1915 History of the Diocese of Ferns. Waterford. Downey.

Stafford, E. 2007 Archaeological assessment report, Lake, Co. Wexford. Licence: 07E0530. Unpublished report, Stafford/McLoughlin Archaeology.

Stafford, E. 2010 Lake: medieval. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2007: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 548, No. 1968. Dublin. Wordwell.