The Rise, Nobber

Area

234 m²

Buildings

2 buildings touch it, 260 m² on the ground

Zoning

M2 B1 - Commercial Town or Village Centre (Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027) The objective

Townland

Nobber

Planning applications on this parcel

• 27 Sept 2024Conditional

  the development consists of and will consist of the following: Retention Permission for: (1) The conversion of the rear sheds of the existing surgery at ground floor level for use as treatment rooms, recovery room for small animals and store rooms. (2) and ancillary site works. Planning Permission for: (1) To complete the ground floor stores area. (2) To raise the rear walls and construct a new roof over the entire rear of the building. (3) To construct a two bedroomed self contained apartment at first floor level with access from a new stairs in the rear yard. (4) To set back and alter the existing side entrance to the yard. (5) Connect the new apartment to existing foul and water connections. (6) and all ancillary site works

  Permission · Meath County Council, 24388

Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.

Designated sites

No designated site (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natural Heritage Area or proposed one) touches this parcel.

Recorded monuments around it

This parcel is in the zone of notification of 25 recorded monuments.

• ME005-071 Historic town
  Description

  Situated on a slight NE-SW spur with the ground falling away slightly to the NW and SE and to the SW where a diverted channel of the River Dee runs NNW-SSE just to the E of Moynagh Lough and re-connects with the original channel c. 1km to the SE of Nobber. This channel had been established by 1698 and is depicted on a Gormanston map (21 F 145) in NLI. The NW-SE cutting for the Kingscourt railway line was excavated through the tip of the spur, isolating it from the medieval church and the present village. If there was not already an existing settlement around the early church (ME005-071001-) a borough was probably established by Gilbert d’Angulo who also built the motte (ME005-070----), which is N of the church on its own hill. The d’Angellos fell out of favour with Prince John, who had been restored as Lord of Ireland in 1196, and the manor of Nobber returned to the younger Hugh de Lacy c. 1200. The borough is first mentioned in 1227 when the burgesses were granted four carucatees (townlands) and an annual fair of 14 days in November. Mills are mentioned in 1211-12, while burgage plots and a charter were referred to in 1290. Besides the annual fair a weekly market had also been established by 1467. The town was ruled by a Provost and had its own court and stocks. On the death of Hugh de Lacy in 1243 the manor of Nobber passed by marriage to the Fitzgerald family who held it into the fourteenth century when it passed by marriage through the le Botiller and de Londres families until in 1386 it came to Christopher Preston, the second Lord Gormanston, and it remained with the Preston family into the nineteenth century. (Bradley and King 1985, 118-22; Mount 2008) Nobber was at the edge of the Pale and came under increased pressure in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In 1400 there are references to vacant plots, and the town was burned by Irish raiders in 1425 and 1434. Eighty hostages were taken in the latter incident and two years later Christopher Preston received permission to fortify the town with ditches. A second grant to fortify was issued in the sixteenth century, but it is unlikely that either was put into effect. A Mansion House, two bridges – Nobber Bridge and Lady’s Bridge on the River Dee c. 800m to the SE, a mill and three eel-wears are recorded in the Civil Survey (1654) (Simington 1940, 333). (Bradley and King 1985, 117-122; Seever 2011, 80-5) The town was laid out around the wide NW-SE Main Street (Dargan 1998, 35-7), although it was wider in the seventeenth century on the SW side according to a Gormanston map in NLI (21 F 145) dated 1698. The street probably accommodated the medieval market and fair which were clearly important, while the rectangular ‘Fair Green’ depicted on the 1836 edition of the OS 6-inch map is N of the town and is considered to be post-medieval (ibid. 37). A ‘Market Cross’ is indicated on the OS maps at the lane leading from Main St. to the church. Apart from some archaeological testing (02E0599; 02E1243; 02E1657; 04E0989; 05E0271) for single houses, or services in the Main Street (Meehan 2004a, b, c) and in relation to new houses close to the motte (Noonan 2006) there was little excavation or evidence of medieval deposits or features before Seaver (2010, 2011) recovered extensive evidence of occupation dating from the later twelfth century (ME005-071022-). Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 5 September 2018 Amended: 17 February 2021

• ME005-071001 Church
  Description

  Situated on a rise overlooking a shallow basin to the W. The parish church of Nobber was within a subcircular graveyard (dims c. 60m E-W; c. 55m N-S) defined by scarps (H c. 1m) that were retained by a low masonry wall (H c. 0.5m), which is still visible at S. This graveyard was extended on all sides (dims c. 75m E-W; c. 50m N-S) except the N after 1836 and it is now defined by masonry walls (H c. 2m). The name ‘Nobber’ is thought to derive from ‘an obair’ meaning the work, probably referring to the Anglo-Norman motte (ME005-070----), c. 300m to the NW, although it might derive from ‘an abar’ meaning the marsh (de hÓir 1965, 98). In any case discovering a pre Anglo-Norman history of what was an early ecclesiastical site is almost impossible (King 2007, 59-62). During the High Middle Ages the location became the parish church of Nobber, which was a prosperous borough, but by the 17th century it was in decline. According to Dopping’s Visitation (1682-5) the church was dedicated to St. John the Baptist, it had been in ruins since 1641 and was not enclosed (Ellison 1973, 4). The present Church of Ireland church, now closed, was built in 1771 (Lewis 1837, 1, 443), re-cycling stones from older structures, including a stone head on the S wall. Three medieval graveslabs (King 1987, 297-99) and an early cross-base had always been in the graveyard or its vicinity (Dargan 1998, 30-2). The effigial tomb-cover of Gerald Cruise and Margaret Plunkett, dated 1619, is set upright on the path into the church. Two others dating from c. 1690-1700, including that of Murtagh, the priest, are nearby in the graveyard. A font, described as a bowl-shaped vessel (ext. diam. 0.42m; int. diam. 0.34m; D 0.18m) that narrowed to the base (diam. 0.26m) and has two lug handles (Roe 1968, 125) was moved c. 1990 to St. Ernon’s Church of Ireland church at Kingscourt, Co. Cavan (CV035-063----) (King 2007, 64), but this is 18th or 19th century in date. The medieval church is represented by the ivy-covered W wall (L 6m) and part of the N wall (L 4.2m) of a belfry tower that was vaulted over the ground floor. The tower has four storeys with small lights on the lower floors and two large pointed openings at the third storey for the belfry stage. It is thought to be 15th century in date and was probably an addition to the medieval church, of which there is no trace. However, a clean-up of the graveyard in 2006 brought many early features to light, which are almost all worked pieces of sandstone (King 2005) and all are still in the graveyard, except one of the high crosses and the cross-slab. The cross-base is conical (diam. of base 0.84m; diam. of top 0.42m; H 0.6m) with a rectangular mortice (dims 0.26m x0.18m). Two bands of interlace or fret-pattern are separated by two rib-mouldings (King 2005, 21). The solid ringed head of a small high cross (H 0.45m; Wth c. 0.3m) is missing the upper shaft and one arm but has an interlace pattern surrounding a small holed boss at the centre on one face. The upper shaft has roll-moulding framing an interlace pattern with a row of pellets along the top. The other face has a boss at the centre surrounded by eight D-shapes inside the ring with bosses at the cardinal points. The upper shaft has a pattern of knot interlace between roll-mouldings. Part of the shaft (dims 0.26m x 0.14m; H 0.76m) of another cross may have been connected with the cross-base. Its angle moulding is distinctive, and there is a small interlace knot with a fragment of figure sculpture on one face. A cross-slab (L 0.99m x 0.66m; T 0.13m) is decorated on one face with a ringed cross in relief that occupies almost the whole stone, with two winged figures on either side of the stem that appeared to be winged but are cloaked and one has a staff or crozier (King 2005, 22-4; 2007, 43-55). Seven smaller crosses in the graveyard that are acting as grave-markers could also be early because of the pecking technique to decorate them, but they need not all be very early. The form is of latin crosses (Wth 0.27-40) and the height varies (H 0.25-0.9m) depending on how deeply buried they are. All have incised crosses of one or more lines on their surfaces; one has a circular pecked ring and another has a square one. A fragment of a churchyard cross has recently been identified amongst the architectural fragments. (King 2007, 52-6) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In this instance the entry has been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Revised by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 2 September 2013 Amended by: Michael Moore 10 July, 2014

• ME005-071002 Cross - High cross
  Description

  This cross-base has been described by King (2005, 21) as follows: ‘This truncated cone-shaped base has not been previously published, although it was mentioned by Helen Roe in The high crosses of Kells (Dublin, 1975). It is located immediately on the left inside the gate to the graveyard. The visible height is 60cm; the diameter is 84cm at the base and 42cm at the top. The mortice is filled with concrete but approximate measurements are 26cm by 18cm. Two bands of an interlaced pattern framed by one wide and one narrow rib moulding can be seen toward the upper end of the stone. Unfortunately the decoration on over half of the surface of the base is almost entirely degraded, as the stone was used as a gate-stop at the entrance of the lane to the graveyard in the early part of the twentieth century. The base compares very closely with that of the North cross at Kells in shape, scale and ornamentation, and was almost certainly carved by the same craftsman. A date in the tenth/eleventh century is suggested.’ Compiled by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 2 September 2013

• ME005-071003 Cross
  Description

  From King (2007, 55-6, No. 7). A slab type stone in the south-east end of the graveyard. The upper quarter has a cruciform shape. It is 90cm in height, 40cm across the upper arms, 42cm side and 13cm in depth. It is not dissimilar to some plain cruciform stones in the western highlands in Scotland. Date of upload: 10 July, 2014

• ME005-071004 Tomb - effigial
  Description

  from King (1987, 297): NOBBER I. 1619. This slab, in ten fragments, to the memory of Gerald Cruise is on the left side of the path between the old graveyard in Nobber and the eighteenth century church. It is in an upright position above the vault of the medieval church although according to Dopping (Ellison 1973, 4) it was in the choir of the church in 1693. It depicts a knight in full armour with his sword shown separately at his side. Two shields on either side of his head show the arms of Plunket and Cruise. There is a marginal inscription in relief in Roman capitals: HERE LIETH THE BODY / OF GERALD CRVS OF THE BRITTAS AND MARGARET PLVNKE / T HIS WIF WHICH GERRALD / DID BVILD THIS MONVMENT AND IS HEYRE LINEALLY DECE / NDED FROM SR MAURICE CR / VYS WHOE DYED THE FYRST YEARE OF KYNG HENRY / THE THYRD IN ANNO / DOMINI 1216 TO WHOSE SOVLES DOD GRANT HIS / MERCY AMEN 1619+. Three stones lying on top of the vault record an early repair of the monument or perhaps its erection in its present position: REPAIRED IN THE 21YR OF THE REIGN OF GEORGE 3RD 1781. The letters N.C. are carved on one of the coping stones above the monument. Dimensions: L 2.14m; Wth 0.92m. (Smith 1888, 27) See attached screenshot of 3D model of effigial tomb created by Digital Heritage Age under the direction of Gary Dempsey and Orla Peach Power. Photogrammetric 3D model can be accessed at the following website: https://skfb.ly/6swoR Date of upload: 10 July, 2014

• ME005-071006 Graveyard
  Description

  Situated on a rise overlooking a shallow basin to the W. The early church site and the parish church of Nobber (ME005-071001-) are within a subcircular graveyard (dims c. 60m E-W; c. 55m N-S) defined by scarps (H c. 1m) that were retained by a low masonry wall (H c. 0.5m), which is still visible at S. This graveyard was not enclosed in 1682-5, according to Dopping (Ellison 1973, 4), but it was extended on all sides (dims c. 75m E-W; c. 50m N-S) except the N after the 1836 ed. of the OS 6-inch map was made, and it is now defined by masonry walls (H c. 2m). When the present Church of Ireland church was built in 1771 (Lewis 1837, 1, 443) the graveyard may have been cut back at N. The graveyard contains the decommisioned 18th century church with a stone head (ME005-071017-) in the S wall, the ruins of a medieval church (ME005-071001-), two high crosses (ME005-071007-, ME005-071008-), a cross-slab (ME005-071009-), the Cruise effigial tomb (ME005-071004-), a font (ME005-071005-), a cross-base (ME005-071002-), seven crosses (ME005-071003-, ME005-071010-, ME005-071011-, ME005-071012-, ME005-071013-, ME005-071014-, ME005-071015-), architectural fragments (ME005-071016-), two 17th century effigial tomb-covers (ME005-071018-; ME0056-071019-) and a medieval graveslab (ME005-071005-). King (2005, 24; 2007, 58-63) records a number of other items including two mill-stones, that would appear to date from the early medieval period. Compiled by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 2 September 2013 Amended by: Michael Moore Date: 10 July, 2014

• ME005-071007 Cross - High cross
  Description

  This cross has been described by King (2005, 22) as follows: ‘This small, sandstone, solid-ringed cross stands close to the entrance gate at the east end of the graveyard. It is unfortunately now set in modern cement and it is uncertain how much of the shaft is buried, but the surviving height is 35cm, with a maximum width of 32cm and depth of 8cm. The upper part of the head is worn smooth and one arm is missing. The present east face has a cross within a circle, with a central small holed boss surrounded by a simple interlace pattern that wraps around the boss and extends into the terminals of the arms. The west face has a small holed boss in the centre of the head, surrounded by a wheel of eight D-shaped sections within a circle. The sections to the top, bottom and two sides enclose small bosses. The lower shaft is framed by roll mouldings and the upper panels were decorated with interlaced patterns, but as only 4-7cm are visible the decoration is unintelligible. There is no previous account of this cross, and local people involved In the graveyard clean-up have assured me that It was found in this location. It appears, therefore, that the cross became buried in or close to Its present location some considerable time ago. This type of small, i.e. under 1.5m, 'high' cross was generally not included In Peter Harbison's major work 77V high crosses of Ireland (Bonn, 1992), although he does include three similar-sized crosses In Mcath at Balsitric, Colp and Knock. These three crosses are all solid-ringed crosses, and while the decoration on each is quite different they provide the best parallel for the Nobber cross. The simple, if slightly crude, interlace pattern on the head of the east face of the Nobber cross compares closely with that on the cross at Knock, while the west face with its bossed design Is not totally dissimilar to the design on one face of the Balsitric cross. Although all four crosses are small, their decoration is compatible with the repertoire of decoration on the more familiar non-scriptural high crosses in Meath and elsewhere.’ (King 2007, 44-6) Compiled by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 2 September 2013

• ME005-071008 Cross - High cross
  Description

  This cross has been described by King (2005, 22-3) as follows: ‘The second early medieval cross is located upside down in the centre of the graveyard. It is also carved from sandstone and stands 47cm above present ground level, with a further 15cm (minimum) below ground, and has a width of 26cm by 14cm. Two small rectangular holes in the north face provide the clues to the fate of this early medieval monument. These glazing bar holes indicate that the piece was reused as a window jamb probably in the later medieval church. The original edge roll mouldings, an iconic feature of so many early medieval crosses, can still be seen on the almost intact south-east angle; sections of the framed panels are still recognisable on the south, east and north sides, but the west face has been completely cut back and the north-east roll moulding removed to allow the shaft to serve its secondary function as a window jamb. In its current post-medieval life it marks an otherwise unidentified grave.' A note added to the image accompanying the article records that the cross shaft was lifted as the article was going to press and that the shaft is almost 1m in height and was decorated. 'The fragmentary figures have not been identified but the combination of figures and interlace without frames is reminiscent of the carving on the Broken cross at Kells.' (ibid., 2007, 47-9) See attached screenshots of 3D model of high cross created by Digital Heritage Age under the direction of Gary Dempsey and Orla Peach Power. Photogrammetric 3D model can be accessed at the following website: https://skfb.ly/6ssNq Compiled by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 2 September 2013

• ME005-071009 Cross-slab
  Description

  This cross-slab has been described by King (2005, 23) as follows: ‘This large sandstone slab was noticed leaning up against the north wall of the eighteenth-century decommissioned church. It had apparently been recovered when a grave was being dug some time ago in the graveyard. On placing it on the ground it took a few seconds to realise that this was a unique piece of early medieval sculpture. It is decorated in relief with a large ringed cross with hollowed angles, a circular hole 1.5cm deep in the centre of the transom and two figures flanking the shaft of the cross. The upper part of the slab is in good condition but a large section from the lower end is missing, and part of the surface in this area and a small number of spalls from the upper right side of the slab are broken away. It is 99cm in length. 66cm wide and 13.5cm thick. It is notable that the cross was carved almost completely within the matrix of the slab but that the arms of the cross extend for c. 1.5cm beyond the edge of the slab. The ring is carved in lower relief than the cross and tapers slightly as it joins the main shaft of the cross. The two figures facing the onlooker have short hair and small protruding ears and wear cloaks. The figure on the right, possibly bearded, has what appears to be a Celtic-type crosier, which he holds in his right hand against his left shoulder. What can be seen of the crosier shows the crook at right angles to the shaft and the drop at right angles to the crook, and there may be an indication of a knop immediately above the hand. The figure to the left is holding a square object, possibly a book, in his left hand against his right shoulder.’ (King 2007, 49-52) Compiled by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 2 September 2013

• ME005-071010 Cross
  Description

  From King (2007, 53, No. 1) Latin cross, 63cm in height, 33cms in width, 10cms deep in the south-west end of the graveyard is decorated on both faces. Almost all surfaces are chipped or damaged with spalls missing from the surface of both main faces. The east face has a cross pecked within a ring encircling the transom. The west face has a central cross pattern with bi-furcated stem and a second transom. The central cross is flanked by two uprights which attach to the crossing bars and to the terminals of the stem. There may have been a ring enclosing the upper part of the transom. This cross was noted in the Urban Archaeology Survey. Date of upload: 10 July, 2014

And 15 more.

Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).

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