durrow abbey co. offaly conservation plan - Offaly County Council

west walls measuring 70-85m. Its construction of
mostly uncoursed limestone rubble suggests that it
predates the other demesne buildings.
The main entrance to the garden was (and remains)
through a gate off-centre (east of centre) in the
nor thern wall adjacent to the farm buildings. The
typically geometric layout of the garden depicted
on the nineteenth century maps shows a perimeter
pathway several metres inside of the wall and the
garden divided into four par ts (two larger, two
smaller) by the extension of the entrance path
across the space and another path crossing east
to west.
The four central areas were outlined with single
rows of small fruit trees or shrubs. The two larger,
western areas contained larger trees at the corners.
There is a circular form in the middle of the nor th
western area shown on the 1337-38 map, possibly
a water feature. The south-western area contained
by a building, possibly a greenhouse (close to the
centre of the garden), and several parallel rows of
crops. The two eastern areas were each depicted
to contain two large trees. The area between the
perimeter path and wall also contained crops of
some form. This depiction of the walled garden
layout remained largely the same on the 1875-84
map.
On the 1910-12 map the layout has changed. A
fur ther east-west path has been added along with
a second entrance to the garden through the east
wall. This path divided the two nor thern areas
inside the garden into four. Additional buildings are
located in the vicinity of the central, single building
and one of these is labeled ‘tank’. Two fur ther
structures are shown inside the garden abutting the
nor thern wall east of the entrance. No detail of the
planting layout is shown.
The garden is in a state of relative neglect. The path
layout remains in place, as do the walls. The nor theastern
por tion is maintained as a formal garden,
characterised by low box hedges, lawn and rhus
typhina specimens. Flower beds are also maintained,
containing hybrid tea roses and lawns 34 . The larger
western por tion has been used in the twentieth
century for sheep grazing and more recently as a
nursery. Large numbers of nursery beech and sitka
spruce trees remain in the western and southern
areas of the garden, surrounding remnants of an
apple orchard which still produces substantial
quantities of fruit. There are remains of several
structures (possibly potting and glass houses) 35 in
the centre of the garden on the site of buildings
depicted on the historic maps, as well as against
the nor th wall.
Maintained eastern portion of walled garden
St Columba’s Church and Graveyard
St. Columba’s Church is located within an area of
woodland. The 1910-12 map shows the area surrounded
by a roughly circular pathway leading to
and from the house to the west. This woodland area
remains to the nor th of the graveyard in the present
day, encircled by a pathway from which access
is gained to St. Columcille’s Island.
The Motte
Following the establishment of the demesne
landscape the historic maps show the motte
enclosed within the domestic woodland throughout
the nineteenth century but cleared of vegetation
by 1910-12. A rustic stone structure was built (it is
not known if the uncovered stone was used), at the
turn of the nineteenth century.
The motte is a steep sided, flat topped ear then
mound some for ty meters in diameter at the base,
thir ty meters diameter at the top and exceeding
five meters in height. It is densely overgrown which
severely restricts views of and from the feature.
Stone steps and a rough ‘banister’ probably from the
early twentieth century, lead up the southern slope
to an entrance feature comprising two sets of steps
leading to the left and right onto the summit. A
stone archway also exists on the summit, appearing
to form an entrance to a basin or depression,
possibly the site of the structure.
St. Columcille’s Island and Well
The feature known as St. Columcille’s Island
comprises a low-lying, marshy area of roughly 0.63
hectares, surrounded by a ditch (a por tion of the
boundary is formed by the stream). It is densely
wooded with horse chestnut, five mature oaks, alder,
crab apple, beech, ash, hawthorn-dominated scrub
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