What is recorded here

Cantwell’s Castle stands at the southwest edge of a low mound in County Kilkenny, anchoring a deserted medieval settlement that stretched two hundred and fifty metres northeast through fields now hidden beneath ploughing. The tower house still marks the western angle of its bawn, but the broader complex of enclosures and drainage channels has faded into rolling grassland, leaving only irregular ground and memory behind. What remained visible in 2016 was a shadow of layout rather than a living town, its boundaries smoothed by time and cultivation.

In rolling grassland, now mainly reclaimed. Good views in all directions except to the S where the vista is blocked by the small hill. The tower house (KK015-021001-), known as Cantwell’s Castle, is situated at the SW end of a low mound (dims. 48m N-S; 41m E-W; H c. 1m) and at the W angle of a bawn (KK015-021002-). Settlement earthworks extend NE and eastward (L c. 250m) from the castle mound. This consists of a complex of field boundaries and enclosures as well as drainage channels. There are semi-circular and rectangular enclosures in the field S of Sandfords Court castle (KK015-020001-). The W part of Cantwell's Castle field is absolutely flat and no earthworks are visible at ground level. The E part is under tillage but is very irregular and there are clearly remains of earthworks which have been obscured by ploughing. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 1 March 2016

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