County: Wexford Site name: FERNS (Castleland td)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: D. Sweetman, National Parks and Monuments Branch, OPW
Site type: Castle - Anglo-Norman masonry castle
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 700129m, N 650045m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.592447, -6.522158
Further areas of the rock-cut fosse near the south-west tower were investigated. The area excavated in 1972 was extended eastwards, and it was discovered that the fosse terminated along a north south axis at a point where the east side of the tower joined the south wall of the castle. Where the fosse ends there is a sheer rock face but to north of this face there are a series of steps cut into the bedrock which lead up to the base of the tower.
This sheer rock face is one side of an area of bedrock upon which lies the remains of a wall which is probably part of a drawbridge structure. Between this wall fragment which runs on a north-south line and the south wall of the castle there is another wall which runs on an east-west axis. The length of the latter wall is just over 3.5m, and its width at least 1.5m (it could have been greater since the south side is defaced). Immediately north of this wall there is a very narrow deep section of rock-cut fosse. It is probable that the east-west wall acted as a pier or support for a drawbridge which had two sections: one lowered from the castle side, and the other from a building represented by the north-south wall on the bedrock mentioned above. The drawbridge arrangement is not very defensive because of the large area of undisturbed bedrock and the narrowness of the fosse section directly in front of the entrance to the castle.
Immediately to the east of the drawbridge area a small section of a further part of the rock-cut fosse was investigated. The fosse here is much narrower than the section near the south-west tower. A section of the fosse was also investigated immediately east of the south-east tower which was similar in size to the section east of the drawbridge area.
At the north side of the south-east tower there is the remains of a wall which runs eastwards out from the base of the tower. Immediately north of this wall which is built on an undisturbed rock projection, the fosse was again investigated. This section of the fosse is much larger than the other two sections mentioned above and is about the same size as the original section investigated west of the drawbridge area. In the face of the east wall of castle where this section of the fosse was investigated there is a straight joint in the building as well as obvious signs of rebuilding. This probably points to a blocked-up entrance of some type.
The fact that the fosse is wide and deep west of the drawbridge area and north of the rock projection at the east side of the Castle as well as being shallow and narrow between these two points seems to indicate that there were outer defences around this area of the castle. In other words outer defences probably existed at Ferns castle from the drawbridge and eastwards around to the east side of the castle where the rock projection exists.
Finds at Ferns this year include a 13th century leather scabbard and a late medieval wine jug.
