Historic town in Newcastle Middle

Known in medieval documentation as Newcastle MacKynegan this was a royal manor situated almost halfway along the coastal route from Bray to Wicklow. A grant of tolls for repairing walls was received in 1303-4 (Lewis 1837, vol. 2, 427) and documents of 1304-5 indicate that there were 191 burgages and two mills in the settlement (Orpen 1908, 135). The borough centred on the castle (WI019-005002-), the motte (WI019-005004-) and the church (WI019-005001-). A mill (WI019-005003-), gaol and courthouse are also mentioned in 1228 (ibid., 129). Lewis (1837, vol. 2, 427) mentions two other castles but the sites of these are unknown. The town appears to have been deserted after the fourteenth century. (Bradley and King 1989, 62-7) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 17 December 2008