durrow abbey co. offaly conservation plan - Offaly County Council
durrow abbey co. offaly conservation plan - Offaly County Council
durrow abbey co. offaly conservation plan - Offaly County Council
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and a prolific growth of <strong>co</strong>mmon reed. Within the<br />
Island is St. Columcille’s Well.<br />
The approach to the Island is via a mostly grass<strong>co</strong>vered<br />
tarmac footpath leading from St. Columba’s<br />
church. A gate and rudimentary signage has recently<br />
been installed. The landscape at the causeway onto<br />
the island is unkempt, littered with deadwood and<br />
the path flooded.<br />
Esker Riada<br />
A roughly two kilometre stretch of Esker Riada,<br />
the largest esker in Ireland, forms the nor thern<br />
boundary of the demesne. With the establishment<br />
of the demesne landscape the Esker was <strong>plan</strong>ted<br />
as boundary woodland, the dominant species being<br />
beech as well as sycamore, crab apple and oak.<br />
Known as the High Wood, its steep sides rising<br />
above the low-lying parkland and agricultural fields<br />
adjacent to the south <strong>co</strong>ntribute greatly to the<br />
enclosure and sense of remoteness experienced<br />
within the demesne.<br />
The Spiritual / Monastic Compartment<br />
This area <strong>co</strong>nsists of St Columba’s Church and<br />
Graveyard, St Columcille’s Island and Well including<br />
the causeway and the adjacent woods and fen.<br />
This area represents the origins and spiritual<br />
associations of the site.<br />
Access Compar tment<br />
This area <strong>co</strong>nsists of the gate entrance off the N52<br />
including the road, the gate lodge and surrounding<br />
woodland and the avenue leading into the<br />
demesne.<br />
As the primary public access point to the demesne<br />
this is primarily a functional area. Its future<br />
management and development will have to facilitate<br />
improved access to the monuments, and possibly<br />
to the broader demesne landscape, without undue<br />
impact to its <strong>co</strong>mponent par ts.<br />
CHARACTER AREAS<br />
The Domestic Compar tment<br />
This area <strong>co</strong>nsists of Durrow Abbey house, the<br />
domestic landscape, the farm buildings, the walled<br />
garden and motte.<br />
The man made features form a distinctive grouping<br />
created for a definite and integrated purpose<br />
with the main house forming a focal point for the<br />
surrounding landscape. The most modern features<br />
– the house, outbuildings and farm buildings – and<br />
the older walled garden would have been the focus<br />
of life and activity for the demesne.<br />
The Motte is a much older feature within this<br />
<strong>co</strong>mpar tment and is included purely as an accident<br />
of geography. In terms of the gardens and environs<br />
of the house it creates an oppor tunity to create<br />
another more ancient focal point (a micro<strong>co</strong>sm of<br />
the landscape layers) as well as a viewing point for<br />
the wider landscape and features.<br />
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