Rock Big

35 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Rock Big, from 198 m² to 263,225 m² (26.32 ha, 65.04 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary. 19 neighbouring parcels touch it.

Download the townland as DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its boundary, parcels and buildings, or as GeoJSON or KML.

• C2.2Extractive Industry (General industry)
  Arklow and Environs Local Area Plan, Wicklow · 11 parcels The zoning objective in the plan
• R2Existing Residential (Existing residential)
  Arklow and Environs Local Area Plan, Wicklow · 2 parcels The zoning objective in the plan

Source: Tailte Éireann and the Department of Housing (MyPlan), national zoning, CC BY 4.0.

• 15 May 2025Conditional

  construction of a single storey dwelling, new vehicular entrance and driveway, new treatment system to current EPA standards and all associated site works

  Permission · Wicklow County Council, 2560358

• 24 Feb 2023Conditional

  for an extension to the side and rear of the existing house (75m2), removal of existing sheds, reconfiguration of existing internal layout, new window opens and external insulation to the existing house, widening of the existing entrance gate, new wastewater treatment system, and all associated site works

  Permission · Wicklow County Council, 23177

• 7 Feb 2023N/a

  an extension to the side and rear of the existing house (75m2), removal of existing sheds, reconfiguration of existing internal layout, new window opes and external insulation to the existing house, widening of the existing entrance gate, new wastewater treatment system, and all associated site works

  Permission, 1 home · Wicklow County Council, 2398

• 15 Dec 2022Conditional

  the construction of a bungalow with garage, new entrance and driveway, new effluent treatment system to EPA current standards and all ancillary site works

  Permission, 1 home · Wicklow County Council, 221343

• 24 Jan 2022Conditional

  directional sign at junction of L2188-0 and L6688-0

  N/a, 1 home · Wicklow County Council, 2248

• 8 Jun 2020Conditional

  construction of a domestic two storey extension to the rear of my property

  Permission · Wicklow County Council, 20530

• 20 Apr 2020Unconditional

  extend the appropriate period of a permission - (15/135) - the erection and operation of a semi-mobile asphalt plant and ancillary facilities (including bitumen storage tanks, fuel storage tanks and generator) on 0.3 hectares of land within the existing quarry (QY/13)

  Extension of duration · Wicklow County Council, 20378

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

Designated sites

• Proposed Natural Heritage Area: Arklow Rock-Askintinny 001745

Recorded monuments

• WI045-004 Ritual site - holy well
  Description

  Situated on level ground, the well is surrounded by concrete shoring and supplies the nearby farm. When the concrete was put in there were no traces of any features around the well, which may be associated with the church (WI045-010001-) and graveyard (WI045-010002-) c. 100m to the SE at Ballinbanoge. Annotated 'St. Ivers Well' on the 1838 ed. OS 6-inch map and as 'St. Iver's Well Site of' on the revised 1885 ed. OS 6-inch map indicating that the well was filled in between these two dates. The Ordnance Survey Letters of 1838-40 recorded that there 'is another holy well on the same townland called St. Iver's [Divers] Well' (O'Flanagan 1928, 137). The Ordnance Survey Field Name Books for Arklow Parish recorded the following information about St. Divers Well; 'So called on account of people in former times bathing in it for the cure of Palsey, there has been no recourse to it for some time & is now covered with weeds and dirt' (OSNB). Folklore collected from Arklow National School recorded the following details about this well which they called St. Ibar's Well; 'St Ibar's well is situated about one field from Rock - Castletown Road on Moncrief's farm at Clugga, Arklow Rock. A very old graveyard is near-by. The place is believed locally to have been the site of an early Danish monastery. An old local resident says that the graveyard was visited by people who prayed for the dead up to about 30 years ago. No customs are connected with the well, at present or have been within the memory of the oldest resident.' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0924, Page 45; www.duchas.ie) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 25 May 2020

• WI045-005 Chapel
  Description

  Situated in modern Roadstone quarry on a marked NE-facing slope overlooking the seashore, 2.1km SSE of Arklow town. Two holy wells, Lady's Well (WI045-006----) and St. Patrick's Well (WI045-007-----) lie 130m to the SSW and 280m to the SSE respectively. Site of chapel now occupied by a quarry office. Today there are no surface remains visible of Chapel Hogan which was annotated 'Site of Chapel Hogan' on the 1840 ed. OS 6-inch map. In 1838-40 the site of the church was described in the Ordnance Survey Letters as following; 'there is an old little burial place at the south end of the strand in the Townland of Bigrock; it has no name'. Price (1967, 484) wrote about the OS Letters and stated that 'the place he is referring to is Chapel Hogan. There was a mound here with a small piece of masonry on it, but it has now been levelled. I cannot explain the name, but it may have some connection with Baltinglass Abbey (WI027-024001-). The Abbey owned a slat-pan at Arklow adjoining the lands which had been granted to the Cistercians of Furness; it must have been somewhere on the sea-shore here. Baltinglass Abbey also owned the lands of the parish of Clonmelsh, Co. Carlow, and there is a place there called Killogan Burial Ground (CW012-025001-) or Kill Hogan, as it was pronounced locally. Chapel Hogan may have been a chapel belonging to the Abbey near their salt-pan'. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 22 May 2020

• WI045-005001 Graveyard
  Description

  Situated in modern Roadstone quarry on a marked NE-facing slope overlooking the seashore, 2.1km SSE of Arklow town. Two holy wells, Lady's Well (WI045-006----) and St. Patrick's Well (WI045-007-----) lie 130m to the SSW and 280m to the SSE respectively. Annotated 'Site of Chapel Hogan, Grave Yard' on the 1838 ed. OS 6-inch map. In 1838-40 the graveyard was described in the Ordnance Survey Letters as following; 'there is an old little burial place at the south end of the strand in the Townland of Bigrock; it has no name'. Price (1967, 484) mentions the site of a church, then only a mound of rubble. It is now occupied by a quarry office. According to Jim Rees a local historian this graveyard was later used as a burial place for unbaptised children also known as a Cillín [Killeen] (pers. comm. Jim Rees 22 May 2020). Around 1960-1 this area was being levelled in order to construct the office building and the weighbridge when the graveyard wall was revealed along with human bones that were uncovered by the works. The skeletal material was then reburied in a pit in front of the Lady's Well (WI045-006----) grotto (SMR File). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Revised by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by Jim Rees Date of revised upload: 22 May 2020

• WI045-006 Ritual site - holy well
  Description

  Situated in modern Roadstone quarry on a rocky N-facing slope overlooking the sea, to the S of site of Chapel Hogan (WI045-005----). Site of St. Patrick's Well (WI045-007----) 210m to the SE. The well has dried up since the quarry opened, and the site is now occupied by a Marian shrine (10/10/1954) and a hawthorn on which offerings are suspended in May. Pilgrimages to the shrine take place annually on the 25th of March. According to the Ordnance Survey Letters the well 'used to be visited on 25th March and 15th August' (Price 1967, 484; O'Flanagan 1928, 137). Folklore collected from Arklow National School recorded the following details; 'The Lady's Well is a small well situated on Murray's Farm at Arklow Rock, about one mile south of the town of Arklow. It is situated within about 100 yards of the old ruined church called Chapelhogan (perhaps Sepeal an logain)". A small part of the wall of this church still stands. People from the Rock district pay great respect to this well. Every year the people from the lower part of Arklow town visit this well on 25th March, say a decade of the Rosary, take some water from well, and drink it. They also take home some water and bring it home to give to people at home to drink. Each on as he takes water ties a 'bit of rag' on a bush out the well.' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0924, Page 42; www.duchas.ie) The following folklore was collected from Arklow Convent about this well; 'There is a well called the “Lady Well” which is situated on the “Rock” in Arklow. In the olden times the people used to go out and whitewash all round the well for the Priest to go out and say the Rosary and bless it on the 25th March. This custom is still carried on for crowds of children and old people go out and say the Rosary and tie pieces of ribbon on the tree and bring home bottle of the water which is believed to be a cure for various ailments. Convent to the Lady Well is a large stone or rock on which supposed to be the imprint of a deer’s fore-feet said to have leaped from Tara Hill in Co Wexford' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0923, Pages 200-01; www.duchas.ie) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 25 May 2020

• WI045-007 Ritual site - holy well
  Description

  Situated in modern Roadstone quarry on a rocky E-facing slope overlooking the sea, 210m SE of Lady's Well (WI045-006-----) and 280m SSE of the site of Chapel Hogan (WI045-005----) and graveyard (WI045-005001-). Like the Lady's Well (WI045-006----), this too appears to have dried up since the quarry opened. No visible remains. Price (1967, 484) recorded that 'nothing is known about St. Patrick's Well'. Folklore collected from Arklow National School recorded the following details; 'St Patrick's Well is also situated in a field on the left hand side of the Rock Road (going in direction from Arklow) An ancient mass path runs across the rock, about 150 yards from sea shore. This Mass pass was used by the people who lived near or on Clugga Strand, apparently to reach Chapel Logan, and later to Arklow Church, Midway along this path will be found St Patrick's Well. It is not known by people of Arklow Rock but is now overgrown by weeds. No visits are made, or were made within living memory.' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0924, Page 43; www.duchas.ie) The following folklore was collected from Arklow Convent about this well; 'In the year 432 St. Patrick came to Ireland as a bishop. At that time it took three or four months to travel from one country to another as it was only sailing boats which were in use. It was in one of these boats that St. Patrick and his twelve followers sailed when they were coming to Ireland. During their long voyage their supply of water ran out. St. Patrick was in much distress on hearing this but to their great relief they sighted land. They sailed towards it and it was the Arklow Rock. St Patrick was the first to come ashore and where his foot touched a well sprang up. This well is to be seen to the present day. The local people have great faith in this well they still go and pray there; it is said the water cures certain diseases. Even though the sea water constantly mixes with it, it is always fresh and has no taste of salt.' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0923, Pages 185-6; www.duchas.ie) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 25 May 2020

Architectural heritage

No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands in the townland of Rock Big.

Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Buildings: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. 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).

Radon

At the centre of the townland of Rock Big, about 1 in 5 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home

Landslides

The 1:50,000 map rates the landslide susceptibility here as high, moderately high, moderately low, low, partly inferred. Parts of the land are made ground.

Terrain model

LiDAR of the Office of Public Works, flown in 2011, at 2 m: tile OPW_3352 (ZIP).

Flooding

The Office of Public Works publishes its flood maps on floodinfo.ie.

Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, and Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland, both under CC BY 4.0. LiDAR: contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey Ireland & the Office of Public Works) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

No address of the register names Rock Big with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Wicklow.

Name

Rock Big · An Charraig Mhór

Area

1,073,556 m² (107.36 ha, 265.28 acres)

Civil parish

Arklow, and its townlands

Barony

Arklow

Electoral division

Arklow Rural, the unit of the census

Census 2022

1,415 people lived in 498 households in the Arklow Rural electoral division. 80% of households owned their home. 30% of homes were built since 2001. 7% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 6% were holiday homes.

Neighbouring townlands

Askintinny, Ballinabanoge, Bogland, Rock Little, Springfield

Placenames

Rock Big on logainm.ie, the Placenames Database of Ireland

Townlands, civil parishes, baronies and electoral divisions, National Statutory Boundaries, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. Census 2022, Small Area Population Statistics by electoral division, Central Statistics Office, CC BY 4.0. A townland is the smallest land division of Ireland, and the unit of a rural address. Old registers such as the 1901 and 1911 censuses file it under its civil parish and barony.