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ARCT40080 Research & Innovation I 05/09/2019
Matthew Murphy – 12362101
The Built Environment of The Hook Peninsula
Matthew Murphy 12362101
ARCT40080
Research Essay
05/09/2019
ARCT40080 Research & Innovation I 05/09/2019
Matthew Murphy – 12362101
The tapering promontory of the Hook, located in the barony of Shelburne in the southwestern corner of County Wexford, forms the Eastern boundary of Waterford Harbour.
Although this study focuses primarily on the peninsula itself. Due to its peninsular character,
the Hook has always been a considered remote and isolated; yet its association with
Waterford Harbour has given the region strategic importance, particularly evident in the
medieval period. Remoteness by land and accessibility by sea have had a profound impact on
the evolution of the landscape and settlement on the peninsula, contributing to the
development of a cultural identity and continuity. The traditional use of the estuary as a
political and ecclesiastical boundary further isolated the Hook as a frontier area. The
significance of the harbour with its three sister rivers the Barrow, the Suir and the Nore has
been recognised since earliest times known in Irish as Comar na dTr? nUisce (the confluence
of three rivers). The harbour has been used by many waves of newcomers including the
Vikings (who gave it its present name), the Anglo-Normans and the English.
Fig. 1 This view, taken form 3,000m looking towards the north-east, dramatically illustrated
the peninsular, rock-bound topography of the Hook, its threat to shipping emphasised by the
imposing medieval lighthouse. The regular estate field-system of Loftus Hall in the middle
distance contrsts sharply with the small fields and fragmented holdings associated with the
farmhouse cluster of Churchtown in the left foreground. In the right foreground the townland
of Slade replicates the contrasting field patterns. The manorial village of Slade, with its tower
house, developed at the only natural landing place on the peninsula, beside a small bay
sheltered from prevailing south-westerly winds. In the far distance, the promontory of
Baginbun and the island of Bannow are visible, both sites associated with the arrival of the
Anglo-Normans in the late twelfth century.
ARCT40080 Research & Innovation I 05/09/2019
Matthew Murphy – 12362101
The importance of Waterford Harbour as a trade route inevitably influenced the growth
of settlement in the adjoining district. In the medieval period, the foundation of key ports on
its tributary rivers made the protection of the harbour a priority. Security requirements in the
late twelfth century led were partly responsible for the granting of the land bordering
Waterford harbour in the Hook region to high profile religious orders; the Cistercians at
Dunbrody and the Templars at Templetown. In the early thirteenth century the volume of
shippingusing the harbour led to the building of a unique tower at the tip of the peninsula as
a lighthouse and navigation aid. In the late Sixteenth century the construction of Duncannon
fort was motivated by security and economic concerns. The Civil Survey compiled in the
1650s emphasised the commercial significance of the harbour and its river system:
Those three incomparable sisters commonly called the three famous rivers of Barrow, Nore
and Suir, whose lovely embracements makes the harbour deep and spatious, safe for
navigation which plentiful enricheth the several parts of this nation and commerce, with
shipping both foreign and domestic.
The granting of the region to three religious foundations in the medieval period
established the fundamental matrix for subsequent social and landscape organisation, giving
a cohesiveness and distinctive character plan to the settlement pattern. This was particularly
true for the Cistercian estates which in theory at least, created a tabula rosa by removing all
lay people form the monastic lands. The three secular estates which evolved from the Church
lands in the sixteenth century inherited existing lands and tenants and, in turn, added a new
layer of occupants and infrastructure. These two principal periods of colonisation and change
in land ownership led to a three-tiered society made up of Irish, Old English and New English.
By the mid nineteenth century the Hook had one of the highest densities of English family
place-names in Ireland. Similarly, the high ratio of Irish and English place-names with cultural
elements is the product of this distinctive settlement history.
While development on the estates over three centuries was broadly similar, there were
also marked differences. These included location, natural resources, the introduction of new
tenants and the social and political philosophy of the landlord. Based on hierarchical class
structure which generated concern about tenurial rights, the estate system encouraged
psychological dependence while providing a basic economic and social structure. The impact
of the psyche on the Hook people must have been heightened by the erection of an
impressive gateway at Porters Gate, on the neck of the peninsula, as an entrance to the
Loftus demense lands. Although the gateway was removed seventy years ago, the site is still
referred to as the piers; an indication that the gate, as well as being an actual barrier,
created a subliminal division between insiders and outsiders. The disintegration of the
estate system and revolution in land ownership at the end of the nineteenth century
introduced considerable social change. People whose ancestors had been tenants for
generations became owners of their traditional family farm; an increase in emigration was
also inevitable as the various traditional occupations which supported a labouring class on
the estate were no longer viable. In spite of the highly organised nature of the estate system,
the secluded, cul-de-sac nature of Hook allowed older landscape and cultural features to
survive intrusive forces of change, particularly on the Loftus lands in the south of the region;
the resultant landscape and society are remarkable palimpsests of complex origin.
ARCT40080 Research & Innovation I 05/09/2019
Matthew Murphy – 12362101
The physical attributes of the peninsula itself has a fundamental impact on the growth
of settlement; decisions which resulted in landscape changes were inevitably influenced by
location, topography, geology and soil quality. In a region with such extensive maritime
connections, the sea obviously played a prominent role in peoples lives, especially along the
coastal strip. The need to exploit the rich off-shore fishing grounds, for commercial as well as
subsistence purposes, led to the construction of six small harbours, which were also engaged
in low-level commercial activity. The opportunities for employment offered by the sea were
taken up by many who broadened their horizons by sailing the world. Derelict houses in the
region are reminders of many others who left by sea, not as sailors but as emigrants, whose
descendants periodically return seeking their ancestral origins.
The Hook Lighthouse
The Tower of Hook or Hook Lighthouse, located at the tip of the headland as a
navigation aid, was built in the early thirteenth century as part of the development of the
Lordship of Leinster. Realising the importance of Waterford Harbour and its river system for
trade and shipping, Marshal established the port of New Ross on the river barrow 30
kilometres from opens sea. Perhaps influenced by his own narrow escape from shipwreck,
Marshall knew that shipping needed to be guided safely into Waterford harbour if his port in
New Ross was to be a success. As a navigation aid, he had a thirty-six metre high circular
tower constructed at the tip of the peninsula to act as a landmark by day and a fire tower by
night. The monks form the monastery of Rinn Dubh?in were involved in the construction of
the tower and acted as the lightkeepers and were granted maintenance in the form of
money and otherwise from the Pembroke Estate to upkeep the lighthouse. In medieval
times religious organisations were commonly associated with the display of warning lights.
ARCT40080 Research & Innovation I 05/09/2019
Matthew Murphy – 12362101
Marshals idea for a light tower may have been inspired by Mediterranean examples such as
the Crusader lighthouse at Acre or the Pharos lighthouse in Alexandria. The tower of hook
was based on cylindrical castles which were popular in France.
The monks lived in the tower which served as a monastery and a lighthouse. For four
centuries the Tower of Hook remained in the control of Marshals of New Ross. The monks
discontinued to act as custodians following the dissolution of their monasteries in 1540. Lay
people would have tended to the lighthouse but following extremely tough economic times
in the seventeenth century the lighthouse ceased to operate. In 1671 Robert Readinge was
granted ?500 a year to repair and build six lighthouses on of these being the tower of Hook.
He erected a glass lantern to protect the coal burning fire from the elements.
In the late seventeenth century the ownership of the tower passed to Henry Loftus, who had
acquired the lands of the Hook subsequent to Cromwells campaign in Ireland. In 1706 he
leased the tower to the authorities for 21 years at ?11 a year. In 1728, Nicholas Loftus
threatened to close the lighthouse in an attempt to raise rent to ?200 per year. In 1867, the
Commissioner of Irish Lights was set up as the body in charge of Irish lighthouses. During the
1860s, three dwellings were built for the light-keepers and their families. New gas lights
were installed in 1871 lit by gas manufactured in the lighthouse enclosure still known as the
gas yard. Parrafin oil subsequently became the source of power. In 1972, electricity came the
power source and light sensitive switches were installed to control the lantern. In March
1996, the Hook lighthouse became fully autonomous and the last of the light-keepers who
had climbed the stairs and tended the light for almost eight hundred years were permanently
withdrawn from the station. The tower of Hook now is an intrinsic attraction as the
ARCT40080 Research & Innovation I 05/09/2019
Matthew Murphy – 12362101
oldest remaining lighthouse in the world and
it is now accessible to the public as a tourist
attraction.
The lighthouse was constructed with
2.5 metre thick stone walls at the base and
divided into three tiers with vaulted stone
ceilings. The lower tier has three rib-vaulted
ceilings with a stairway ascending through
the thickness of the wall. The narrower
upper section carried the warning beacon.
Still in use as a lighthouse, the substantially
intact tower may be the only secular
medieval building in Ireland still serving its
original function.
ARCT40080 Research & Innovation I 05/09/2019
Matthew Murphy – 12362101
Slade Castle
Slade Castle is one of the best preserves of its type and it is maintained as a national
monument. Some towers had attached houses or halls, usually timber and mud construction.
The castle at Slade had adjoining stone halls and is regarded as forming a distinctive type of
castle. The tower house has four floors with stone vaults over a ground-floor loft and third
story. A half-storey on top, with a look out platform overhead providing access to the
machicolation. A mural stairway in the south wall leads to the loft under the vault; a wellpreserved spiral stairway continues to the top, where almost complete stepped battlements
survive.
The principal chamber on the first floor has a fireplace, garderobe and window with
seats. The some-what later fortified
house connected with the corner of
the tower but no provision was made
for internal communication. A link
was later provided by building a
structure in the angle and knocking
out two rough openings at first floor
level. The vaulted ground floor has
loops in embrasures and a mural
chamber high on the south wall. Two
internal walls were later inserted as
well as a large fireplace and chimney
on the west wall. From an entrance
lobby, protected by a murder-hole, a
stairway ascends in the south wall to
the first floor. Now divided by a later
wall, this floor, with a loft, was
originally a large room with a
garderobe (now destroyed), free
standing fireplace and chimney.
Some ogee-headed windows had
double lights and window seats.
Stairs in the south wall and surviving
stepped battlements was presumably
from this level. An external stairway
on the east wall was part of
eighteenth-century alterations.
ARCT40080 Research & Innovation I 05/09/2019
Matthew Murphy – 12362101
Loftus Hall and Loftus Demense
Loftus Hall originates as Redmond Hall, a late medieval residence erected by the
Redmond family, who were tenants on the manor of Kilcloggan. In the late seventeenth
century, this structure was occupied by Henry Loftus, who renovated and enlarged the
building and changes its name to Loftus Hall. In 1752, the house was described as follows: A
late seventeenth century house is gable-ended and of two storeys and nine bays, with a
dormed rood and steep pedimented able. It is fronted by a forecourt with tall piers
surmounted by ball finials and has a haunted tapestry room.
It is probable that further
improvements were subsequently made,
but, by the end of the nineteenth century,
the hall was not in good repair. In 1870, a
decision was made to level the entire house
and to erect the present structure on the
same site, incorporating parts of the
previous building. Following demolition
rubble was dumped along the cliff edge,
where it can still be seen. The outbuildings,
including the coach house and walled garden
were left untouched and still survive in
various stages of preservation. Built to a rather plain design, the new building is a rectangular
Victorian pile of three storeys. The east facing front fa?ade has nine bays with hood
mouldings over windows, pedimented on the first floor, and a projecting portico with glass
panels to the south side has seven bays with a bow extension. Two stone eagles, probably
taken from the existing building are perched on the decorative balustrade which hides the
flat roof. The ground floor has several large reception rooms, some with panelled ceilings and
elegant marble fireplaces. The main feature of the house, a splendid oak stairway in a central
well lit by a cupola, ascends to a gallery around which the bedrooms are located. The
stairway was imported from Italy and assembled by local carpenters. The hall was fitted with
hot-air central heating, gas lights with Waterford Crystal chandeliers and running water,
supplied from a reservoir built on higher ground two kilometres to the north.
It is difficult to understand the reasons
behind the major investment in a new building, in
view of the uncertain atmosphere of the time.
The Land Acts of the following forty years resulted
in the estate being reduced to a fraction of its
original size. In 1913, the hall with its remaining
seventy acres was put up for sale and was
purchased as a convent for Benedictine nuns. In
1936, the Benedictines left and the building was
acquired by the Rosminian Order. The first
postulants, including some local girls, were
accepted the following year. The convent was opened up as a summer venue for other
orders of nuns, who had exclusive use of the private beach known as Hall Bay. In the 1980s,
ARCT40080 Research & Innovation I 05/09/2019
Matthew Murphy – 12362101
the nuns sold the property and it was subsequently run briefly as a hotel. At present the
building is ran as a tourist attraction capitalising on locally well-known tales that the Hall is
haunted.
Following the confederate war, the Loftus family took over the lands of the Redmonds
and Laffans on the hook, containing the townlands of Hall, Church town, Slade, Galgystown
and Porters Gate. The Redmonds had previously made efforts to create a demense
environment. On the 1771 estate maps, an old deerpark is shown as well as the new one
developed by Loftus. Loftus lost non time in modernising his newly acquire property. To
establish the public identity of the manor house and demesne, Henry Loftus of Loftus Hall
Esq. 1680 was inscribed on the entrance piers at Porters Gate. Although the entrance was
removed in the 1930s, the spot where they stood is still locally referred to as the piers.
Demense developments in the Hook were located for the most part in the townland of Hall,
later Loftus Hall. The walls and gardens built by Loftus, including a large deerpark with
impressive late seventeenth-century piers, still survive, along with an estate landscape of
regular large fields surrounded by walls of local limestone. Similar piers were constructed at
the gates of the manor house and at Porters Gate. The priority given to the building of a
walled garden was a response to the difficulty experienced in growing plants on the wind
lashed and salt swept peninsula. The road down the centre of the peninsula was straightened
and enclosed with substantial limestone walls; the use of readily available stone was a
response to the absence of trees on the peninsula. The presence of a labour force with an
expertise in stonework must also have been a
factor. The network of stone walls which still exist
was encouraged by Loftus with a rent reduction on
land enclosed by stone walls by tenants. Field
maps recorded on an estate map in 1771 drawn
by Richard and Charles Frizell presented a detailed
account of tenancies, with four of the family
names still remaining today.
In conclusion the built environment of the Hook peninsula is steeped in a distinctive
personality formed from the many historic influences concentrated into a well-defined
landscape. This combination creates a distinct space, dominated by sea, sky and the
elements, with an exceptional quality that is to be appreciated and further explored by the
architectural community.
ARCT40080 Research & Innovation I 05/09/2019
Matthew Murphy – 12362101
References
1. Malcomson, The Loftus Family, p. 187.
2. Ibid., p. 210
3. T, Walsh, The history of Loftus Hall in Wex. Hist. Soc. Jn., v (1974-5), pp 32-38
4. D. Rowe and E, Scallon, Houses of Wexford (Whitegate, 2004), no. 671.
5. The people, 9 July 1913.
6. Sr M OConnor The rosminian sisters in Loftus Hall in On the Hook (1998), p 14.
7. The civil survey of the County of Wexford, (ed.) R>C> Simington (Dublin 1953), p[. 167.
8. W.J Smyth, Society and settlement in seventeenth-centruy Ireland in Smyth and
Whelan (eds), Common ground (Cork, 1988) p. 61
9. Cal. Doc. Ire., I, nos 2811, 2872
10. D. Hague and R. Christie, lighthouses, their architecture, history and archealogy
11. Hore, Wexford, , p. 407
12. J.S. Sloane, Manual for Lightkeepers (Dublin, 1873).
13. B. Colfer, The Hook Peninsula Rural Landscapes II (Cork, 2002)
