Building Sensitively and Sustainably in County Louth

1. Page 41(read from a scan)

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   SETTLEMENTS Town form and landscape The town is defined on the south side by a deep river valley which is heavily treed and landscaped. To the north, the landscape is less accentuated, and leads into open agricultural land. The town spine is a sinuous route with interesting spaces - at the gateway, then in front of the brewery, and finally where the road forks. Each space is landscaped, and creates a pleasant rhythm in the sequence through the town. Modest street buildings - a combination of houses and shops - front onto and enclose the street. Completion of the M1 motorway will reduce traffic substantially and allow for the charm of the town as a local centre to be rediscovered. Gateway to the castle grounds Village green with mature trees marks the town centre

2. Page 42(read from a scan)

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   SETTLEMENTS Summary of the patterns which have generated form • The gently sinuous route through the town produces an interesting variety of views and places. • The buildings at the centre follow the street and front directly onto it. The scale of houses is modest - two-storey - and contrasts with the much larger scale of the brewery building in the centre. • The river produces a strong landscape context, and a sense of natural environment co-existing with the built environment. The presence of mature trees in the triangular space produces another strong landscape element. • Both the gateway to the castle and the brewery buildings make a strong visual impact, and give a unique identity to the town. • The group of widows' almshouses built around the church and beside the gateway are a lovely example of picturesque architecture, and contribute as a group to the quality of the town. Conclusion Castlebellingham is a small town with considerable architectural, urban design and landscape interest. It will have a new opportunity to exploit these when the M1 mototway frees the town of its pitiless traffic burden. Picturesque group of widows' houses Brewery and maltings in the centre of Castlebellingham Row of modern houses produces an unusual rhythm along the street

3. Page 43(read from a scan)

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   SETTLEMENTS Carlingford Mediaeval borough Carlingford received borough status in 1326, which marked the beginning of the creation of a fortified town with walls. Early maps of Ireland in the 15th and 16th centuries record the position of Carlingford and its significance as a port and town. The tight urban structure is explained by the constriction of walls, which contained the main street and market square. There are still several fortified houses in the town, which, according to Lewis's Topographical Dictionary, arise from the town's frontier position within the Pale. The position of Carlingford in the landscape is very striking. It is located at what was a convenient ferry crossing-point - a sheltered and deep-water position on Carlingford Lough. The town is backed by the mountains of the Cooley Peninsula, and lies on the open, level ground of the peninsula's coastal strip. It looks out over its harbour at the north side of the lough to the mountains of Mourne. The combination of a tight mediaeval town and a spectacular landscape generates a considerable visual impact. Figure-ground plan of Carlingford Seal of the arms of Carlingford and introduction to entry in Lewis's Topographical Dictionary

4. Page 44(read from a scan)

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   SETTLEMENTS Settlement and town form The enclosure of the streets of Carlingford is striking. The internal form of the town is closed, with a hard ground landscape of streets and square. The town layout is simple and intelligible, with two parallel streets leading at the south end to the predominantly green areas built outside the walls. The growth of the harbour and the incursion of the railway effectively severed the town edge from the coastal edge, but with the disappearance of the railway this connection is gradually becoming re-established. The growth of suburban-scale development around the town has damaged the clarity of form, and needs a clear redefinition of the mediaeval form and future areas of growth by some sort of considered buffer zone and conservation guidelines for the town. The mediaeval lane pattern is still evident Mediaeval form is apparent in this view towards the churchyard

5. Page 45(read from a scan)

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   SETTLEMENTS Mediaeval street pattern leading from one of the gateways to the town Mediaeval stone building and churchyard at the edge of the walled town Gateway at the southern end of the walled town

6. Page 46(read from a scan)

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   SETTLEMENTS Summary of the patterns which have generated form • The town is positioned on a coastal strip, in a linear form which follows the coast. • The streets are narrow and buildings front directly onto them in the core of the town, creating a powerful urban form. • The mediaeval tower-houses produce a striking historical atmosphere, whilst the height and frontage of other buildings maintain the urban quality. • Materials in the town include a large amount of slated roofs and natural stone, some directly painted, and some plastered and painted. White-painted buildings prevail, but there are several strong-coloured buildings which produce an effective contrast. • The southern edge of the walled town is marked by a mediaeval gate and the mature trees which surround the former Church of Ireland church. The church tower is supposedly a part of the town wall. The northern edge is defined by King John's Castle, a powerful visual stop on a rocky promontory. • The mature trees which form an immediate backdrop to the core of the town on the southern side are a most important visual element on the open coastal edge. • Much of the harbour has a strongly rural feel, as development has not linked it to the town. Conclusion Carlingford is truly a heritage town of great historical, architectural and urban quality. It has a series of patterns within the town which have been followed effectively in most development. Landscape characteristics need to be protected and reinforced as new development is accommodated. Traditional and modern architecture combine in the D'Arcy Magee Centre Mediaeval tower-house beside Larkin's pub opposite View of Carlingford from the hills behind

7. Page 47

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8. Page 48

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9. Page 49(read from a scan)

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   Chapter 3 – Building tradition in County Louth Any consideration of appropriate building design in County Louth should start with an appreciation of the architectural tradition and qualities of the many centuries of building which can be observed. This chapter is a simple guide to the main building types which can be seen in houses in County Louth, and spans over six centuries. Even in this small selection, the diversity and quality is remarkable. Some of the buildings visited were in poor condition and were at risk through neglect or disuse, underlining the need for building protection to cover the simple, domestic, traditional buildings, as well as the more obviously architectural historic tower-houses and country houses. It is vital that the rich and diverse building tradition be conserved, as this will provide the backdrop and continuity for modern buildings. Georgian house in Queensborough opposite A Victorian two-storey stone estate manager's house with spectacular chimneys is contained in the landscape. Stone wall and gateposts complement the building fabric.

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    BUILDING TRADITION Tower-Houses 15th-17th century Tower-houses became the typical residences of the gentry during the fifteenth century, and were prevalent for about two hundred years. They were fortified houses, the residence of the local landowner. In County Louth they followed much the same design: three or four floors, barrelvaulted ground floor, round spiralstair tower, massive walls, narrow slit windows, and a wall-walk on the roof. They can be found within the mediaeval boroughs of Carlingford and Ardee, and in prominent, defensible places in the countryside. Knock Abbey, Thomastown, has an extensive early Georgian addition and a 20th-century mock-mediaeval extension The Mint, Carlingford

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