A Prospect of the North Front of Castle Durrow
TitleA Prospect of the North Front of Castle Durrow
Reference2022/092.
Date
8 January 1744
Scope and ContentSurvey map of part of the Castle Durrow estate, with an elevation of the north front of Castle Durrow and attached out-buildings. The map shows the terrace to the north of the house, the ‘Decent’ to the ‘River Urkin’ (Erkina), and an obelisk on the hill directly north.
Castle Durrow is shown as a two-storey, five bay house with a attached single-storey wings containing stables and coach house (left) and kitchen and dairy (right). The central pedimented entrance is flanked by windows with triangular pediments. These are in turn flanked by windows with segmental pediments. The pattern is repeated at first floor level. Three attic dormer-windows are shown, and a high-pitched roof with four tall chimneys.
The Dictionary of Irish Architects records Benjamin Crawley superintended the building of Castle Durrow for William Flower, 1715-1726. Presumably, this is the house depicted. Surviving building accounts indicate works to the house in the 1740s which may be when it was expanded to the nine-bay block which still stands. The house lost its dormer windows in the second half of the 20C.
The Buildings of Ireland records that in 1743 ‘marble ornaments were provided by one Barnaby Domano to adorn an obelisk’. This may be the obelisk shown on the drawing, though whether this is the same structure as remains on the site is open to question.
The drawing is initialled I.FP and recorded as ‘Laid Down by a Scale of Five perches to an Inch, Jan[uar]y 8th 1744’. Indicated on the drawing are ‘Road to ye Woods’, ‘Firr Grove’ and an ‘Explanation’ or key to various structures as follows:
‘A The Gate between Durrow & ye Castle
B The Hay Yard
C The Coach House
D The Stable
E The Castle
F The Kitchen
H The Diary
K the Bawn
L The Chair Road to the River – 24 feet in Breadth
N The Foot Walk by the Rover – 60 fet in Breadth
P The Terrace wt. a Beaughtyfull Decent to yt River
S The Slope ir Descent
T An Obelisk on a Green Hill Opposite the Castle’
Castle Durrow is shown as a two-storey, five bay house with a attached single-storey wings containing stables and coach house (left) and kitchen and dairy (right). The central pedimented entrance is flanked by windows with triangular pediments. These are in turn flanked by windows with segmental pediments. The pattern is repeated at first floor level. Three attic dormer-windows are shown, and a high-pitched roof with four tall chimneys.
The Dictionary of Irish Architects records Benjamin Crawley superintended the building of Castle Durrow for William Flower, 1715-1726. Presumably, this is the house depicted. Surviving building accounts indicate works to the house in the 1740s which may be when it was expanded to the nine-bay block which still stands. The house lost its dormer windows in the second half of the 20C.
The Buildings of Ireland records that in 1743 ‘marble ornaments were provided by one Barnaby Domano to adorn an obelisk’. This may be the obelisk shown on the drawing, though whether this is the same structure as remains on the site is open to question.
The drawing is initialled I.FP and recorded as ‘Laid Down by a Scale of Five perches to an Inch, Jan[uar]y 8th 1744’. Indicated on the drawing are ‘Road to ye Woods’, ‘Firr Grove’ and an ‘Explanation’ or key to various structures as follows:
‘A The Gate between Durrow & ye Castle
B The Hay Yard
C The Coach House
D The Stable
E The Castle
F The Kitchen
H The Diary
K the Bawn
L The Chair Road to the River – 24 feet in Breadth
N The Foot Walk by the Rover – 60 fet in Breadth
P The Terrace wt. a Beaughtyfull Decent to yt River
S The Slope ir Descent
T An Obelisk on a Green Hill Opposite the Castle’
Extent292 x 363
Physical descriptionThe drawing is executed in black and red inks and green and yellow washes on paper. It was treated by a professional conservator prior to acquisition.
LanguageEnglish
Archival historyPurchased by the IAA with support from the FNCI, the IGS and private donors.
Level of descriptionItem
