What is recorded here

Darver Castle stands in County Louth as a four-storey tower house built around 1500, still wearing its square plan, projecting round tower and crenellated parapet. It has remained in use for centuries, absorbing newer rooms, stables and gardens as rural life changed around it. The old stone work and later additions suggest a place where defence, domestic comfort and everyday practice kept overlapping long after the castle era faded.

Detached four-storey former tower house, built c. 1500, now in use as house. Square-plan with projecting round tower at north-east angle and square tower at north-west angle, adjoining two-storey dwelling house, built c. 1820, to east, various attached outbuildings and stables, two-storey box bay to east of south (main) elevation of tower. Roof to tower hidden by crenellated parapet, pitched slate roof to dwelling house, clay ridge tiles, painted smooth rendered flat-capped chimneystack to east gable, moulded uPVC gutters and downpipe. Coursed random rubble walling, projecting slight abutment to south-west corner, unpainted roughcast parapet wall with square crenellations and concrete caps, concrete string courses, concrete pediment headed parapet walling to bay, concrete coping with emblem on front. Square-headed window openings, unpainted moulded stone slightly projecting reveals and soffits, evidence of various block in window openings with painted and other red brick arch headings, splayed red brick window headings and red block-and-start surrounds, painted stone sills, various uPVC casement windows, one painted timber replacement casement window, one painted three-over-six timber replacement sliding sash window to bay; tooled stone headed painted timber replacement window to west elevation, slit window openings to towers. Square-headed door opening to bay, stone plinth blocks, unpainted tooled stone surround, timber replacement panelled door, round-headed door opening to west elevation, tooled stone surround, painted vertically-sheeted timber replacement door. Various outbuildings of similar style to house, some reroofed with artificial slate all sand-blasted and some repointed. Medieval remains of gateway with replacement iron gate, gardens and fields surrounding dwelling, set back from road driveway entrance to which is coursed random rubble walling with square stone coping square squared-and-snecked piers flanking gate, all replacement.

Darver Castle retains its much of its original character and form. The building has been in use for many centuries and its extension and outbuildings tell of the changing requirements of rural life over time.

This does not grant access. Most recorded buildings are privately owned; view them only from public ground unless the owner allows entry.