Mahee Castle
Mahee Castle Nendrum Castle | |
---|---|
Mahee Island, County Down, Northern Ireland | |
Coordinates | 54°30′03″N 5°38′55″W / 54.500951°N 5.648475°W |
Type | Tower house |
Height | 25 feet (7.6 m) |
Site information | |
Open to the public | Yes |
Condition | Ruined |
Site history | |
Built | 1570 |
Built by | Captain Thomas Browne |
In use | 16th–17th centuries |
Mahee Castle, also known as Nendrum Castle, is a small ruined
Location
Mahee Castle is in the west of Mahee Island. It is beside a causeway; the only land crossing to the island. Today this causeway is crossed by a narrow road. Mahee Island is near the western shore of Strangford Lough, southeast of the town of Comber. The tower house sits on a drumlin. Nearby is a car park.[5]
Architecture
The rectangular tower house guards the bridge onto the island,
History
The tower house was built in 1570 by an English soldier, Captain Thomas Browne, after petition to the Bishop of Down. It was abandoned by the early 17th century. The corner stones may have been taken for local building projects, and stones from the northeastern wall were used to make the causeway to the island.[4] During the 15th and 16th centuries, Mahee Castle was near the border of two territories: Clandeboye to the north and Dufferin to the south. At this time the area would have been subject to border conflicts, and Mahee Castle may have changed hands many times.[1]
In 1923, under the direction of H.C. Lawlor, restoration works were undertaken by the
Excavations
Under a program sponsored by the
The archaeological finds consisted of shells and animal bones, knives and an array of pottery ranging over several centuries.[3] Large quantities of modern glass were found, in addition to flint and pot shards.[4] The excavations revealed that the foundation of the tower was on an artificial terrace which was created for the purpose on the northeastern end of a drumlin. The rear end of this terrace had been stabilised by a buttress retaining wall built in 1923, 4 metres (13 ft) from the tower's southwestern end.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e Philip Macdonald. "Data Structure Report: Mahee Castle, Mahee Island, County Down" (PDF). Queen's University Belfast. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
- ^ "Archaeology Strangford" (PDF). Strangfordlough.org. Retrieved 28 March 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Ó Baoill, Ruairí. "Mahee Castle, Mahee Island". Belfast: Environment and Heritage Service. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
- ^ a b c MacDonald, Phillip. "Data Structure Report: Mahee Castle, Mahee Island, County Down" (PDF). Retrieved 28 March 2013.
- ^ a b c "Late Medieval Monuments" (PDF). Northern Ireland Environment Agency. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
- ISBN 978-1-74321-145-8.