Castlelands Fortified House
OS 33: 6: 4; OD 150-210ft. North
county Cork.
Castlelands is a fortified house on a limestone outcrop overlooking the
river Blackwater; the river is located to the south. It is a rectangular three storey house (internal
- 25m north-south and 8m east-west), with four storey towers projecting from the northwest and the southwest corners and from
the centre front and rear walls. The former are polygonal in plan and the latter have straight sides and
pointed fronts. The entrance is through two ground floor doorways, located in the central projection and
in the main west wall within the central projection. The interior is divided by a cross-wall and the house
had wooden floors throughout, indicated by a line of joist sockets. The floors were well-lit by many rectangular
windows. The windows within the main block were divided by mullion and transom light divisions. The northwest
corner-tower contained a spiral (possibly) wooden stairs and there may also have been stairs in the central east tower which
has a possible collapsed garderobe (or chimney flue) shaft. The house was defended by numerous gun
loops with stirrup openings; many are located on the main west and north walls and in the northwest and southwest corner-towers;
the loops are positioned directly under or near windows. The other two sides of house (south gable and
east wall) have few loops, probably because they face out into the bawn and because much of the original outer face of the
south and north-east of the building is now missing. There are many fireplaces, all in poor condition;
they are found on numerous floors and levels. A ground and a first floor door, both, located close
to the east end of the south wall access a lean-to extension (6.5m north-south and 9m east-west), this building originally
stood to three storeys, the walls are now reduced to ground level, it houses a large fireplace within its north wall.
There are doorways inserted into the walls of the corner-tower, one above the other. The main block also contained
a semi-basement immediately north of the stone cross-wall. The house was possibly built by Sir Thomas Norris
who died in 1599.
;-)
Field Walking Photography
The Fortified House - Main elements
