# Rock Big, Co. Wicklow: townland, land parcels and planning

Townland in the civil parish of Arklow, barony of Arklow, Co. Wicklow; in Irish An Charraig Mhór.

- Area (Tailte Éireann): 1,073,556 m² (107.36 ha, 265.28 acres)
- Land parcels (Tailte Éireann): 35 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in it, median 2,404 m² (0.24 ha, 0.59 acres)
- Zoning (national zoning, MyPlan): C2.2 Extractive Industry, the zone with the most parcels
- Planning (National Planning Applications): 7 applications since 2010
- Civil parish: Arklow, https://everytownland.com/wicklow/parish/arklow.md
- Barony: Arklow
- Electoral division: Arklow Rural, the unit of the census
- Census 2022 (Central Statistics Office): 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.
- County: Co. Wicklow, https://everytownland.com/wicklow.md
- Placenames Database of Ireland: https://www.logainm.ie/en/55175
- Townland number at Tailte Éireann: 251188
- Centre: latitude 52.772417, longitude -6.151095 (WGS 84)

## Land parcels (registered freehold land, Tailte Éireann)

35 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Rock Big, from 198 m² to 263,225 m² (26.32 ha, 65.04 acres); 19 neighbouring parcels touch its boundary. Largest first:

- Parcel 1290165: 263,225 m² (26.32 ha, 65.04 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1290165.md
- Parcel 1270254: 160,980 m² (16.1 ha, 39.78 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1270254.md
- Parcel 1296447: 95,863 m² (9.59 ha, 23.69 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1296447.md
- Parcel 1265384: 70,900 m² (7.09 ha, 17.52 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1265384.md
- Parcel 1266415: 55,251 m² (5.53 ha, 13.65 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1266415.md
- Parcel 1289643: 52,038 m² (5.2 ha, 12.86 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1289643.md
- Parcel 1290155: 47,123 m² (4.71 ha, 11.64 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1290155.md
- Parcel 1288050: 45,260 m² (4.53 ha, 11.18 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1288050.md
- Parcel 1274861: 37,098 m² (3.71 ha, 9.17 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1274861.md
- Parcel 1267433: 10,827 m² (1.08 ha, 2.68 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1267433.md
- Parcel 1258906: 7,767 m² (0.78 ha, 1.92 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1258906.md
- Parcel 1290166: 7,503 m² (0.75 ha, 1.85 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1290166.md
- Parcel 1294818: 4,944 m² (0.49 ha, 1.22 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1294818.md
- Parcel 1267434: 4,139 m² (0.41 ha, 1.02 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1267434.md
- Parcel 1273039: 3,756 m² (0.38 ha, 0.93 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1273039.md
- Parcel 1297885: 3,096 m² (0.31 ha, 0.77 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1297885.md
- Parcel 4435511: 2,601 m² (0.26 ha, 0.64 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/4435511.md
- Parcel 1284085: 2,404 m² (0.24 ha, 0.59 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1284085.md
- Parcel 1275449: 2,321 m² (0.23 ha, 0.57 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1275449.md
- Parcel 1288263: 2,321 m² (0.23 ha, 0.57 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1288263.md
- Parcel 2656066: 2,030 m² (0.2 ha, 0.5 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/2656066.md
- Parcel 1271384: 1,911 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1271384.md
- Parcel 1298993: 1,879 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1298993.md
- Parcel 1283009: 1,738 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1283009.md
- Parcel 1282602: 1,608 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1282602.md
- Parcel 1271029: 1,218 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1271029.md
- Parcel 1248362: 1,087 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1248362.md
- Parcel 1291398: 890 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1291398.md
- Parcel 1268582: 830 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1268582.md
- Parcel 3037908: 675 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/3037908.md
- Parcel 1267547: 529 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1267547.md
- Parcel 3037915: 499 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/3037915.md
- Parcel 1271163: 411 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1271163.md
- Parcel 1277053: 294 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1277053.md
- Parcel 3083600: 198 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/3083600.md

## Zoning (national zoning of development plans, MyPlan)

- C2.2 Extractive Industry (General industry): Arklow and Environs Local Area Plan, Wicklow; 11 parcels. The zoning objective in the plan: https://www.wicklow.ie/Living/Services/Planning/Development-Plans-Strategies/Local-Area-Town-Settlement-Plans/Arklow/Arklow-and-Environs-Local-Area-Plan-2018-2024
- R2 Existing Residential (Existing residential): Arklow and Environs Local Area Plan, Wicklow; 2 parcels. The zoning objective in the plan: https://www.wicklow.ie/Living/Services/Planning/Development-Plans-Strategies/Local-Area-Town-Settlement-Plans/Arklow/Arklow-and-Environs-Local-Area-Plan-2018-2024

## Planning applications whose site touches the townland (National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)

7 applications, newest first.

- 15 May 2025, Wicklow County Council 2560358: Conditional. Permission. construction of a single storey dwelling, new vehicular entrance and driveway, new treatment system to current EPA standards and all associated site works. File: https://www.eplanning.ie/WicklowCC/AppFileRefDetails/2560358/0
- 24 Feb 2023, Wicklow County Council 23177: Conditional. Permission. 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. File: https://www.eplanning.ie/WicklowCC/AppFileRefDetails/23177/0
- 7 Feb 2023, Wicklow County Council 2398: N/a. Permission, 1 home. 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. File: https://www.eplanning.ie/WicklowCC/AppFileRefDetails/2398/0
- 15 Dec 2022, Wicklow County Council 221343: Conditional. Permission, 1 home. the construction of a bungalow with garage, new entrance and driveway, new effluent treatment system to EPA current standards and all ancillary site works. File: https://www.eplanning.ie/WicklowCC/AppFileRefDetails/221343/0
- 24 Jan 2022, Wicklow County Council 2248: Conditional. N/a, 1 home. directional sign at junction of L2188-0 and L6688-0. File: https://www.eplanning.ie/WicklowCC/AppFileRefDetails/2248/0
- 8 Jun 2020, Wicklow County Council 20530: Conditional. Permission. construction of a domestic two storey extension to the rear of my property. File: https://www.eplanning.ie/WicklowCC/AppFileRefDetails/20530/0
- 20 Apr 2020, Wicklow County Council 20378: Unconditional. Extension of duration. 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). File: https://www.eplanning.ie/WicklowCC/AppFileRefDetails/20378/0

Applicants are not shown.

## Designated sites (National Parks and Wildlife Service)

- Proposed Natural Heritage Area: Arklow Rock-Askintinny, site code 001745

## Recorded monuments (Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service)

- WI045-004: Ritual site - holy well, https://heritagedata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=0c9eb9575b544081b0d296436d8f60f8&query=18a4b61b268-layer-9%2CSMRS%2CWI045-004----. 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, https://heritagedata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=0c9eb9575b544081b0d296436d8f60f8&query=18a4b61b268-layer-9%2CSMRS%2CWI045-005----. 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, https://heritagedata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=0c9eb9575b544081b0d296436d8f60f8&query=18a4b61b268-layer-9%2CSMRS%2CWI045-005001-. 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, https://heritagedata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=0c9eb9575b544081b0d296436d8f60f8&query=18a4b61b268-layer-9%2CSMRS%2CWI045-006----. 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, https://heritagedata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=0c9eb9575b544081b0d296436d8f60f8&query=18a4b61b268-layer-9%2CSMRS%2CWI045-007----. 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

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).

## Architectural heritage (National Inventory of Architectural Heritage)

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

## Ground and risks (Radon Risk Map of Ireland, EPA; Landslide Susceptibility Classification and LiDAR, Geological Survey Ireland)

- 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: https://www.epa.ie/environment-and-you/radon/radon-testing/#d.en.82887
- 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, https://gsi.geodata.gov.ie/downloads/LiDAR/OPW_NASC/OPW_3352.zip (ZIP).
- Flooding: the flood maps of the Office of Public Works, https://www.floodinfo.ie/map/floodmaps/, linked only: their licence does not allow re-use.

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.

## Downloads

- DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its boundary, parcels and buildings, for a drawing program: https://everytownland.com/wicklow/rock-big.dxf
- GeoJSON, in WGS 84, for a map: https://everytownland.com/wicklow/rock-big.geojson
- KML, for Google Earth: https://everytownland.com/wicklow/rock-big.kml

## Homes sold (Residential Property Price Register)

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: https://everytownland.com/wicklow.md

## Neighbouring townlands (National Statutory Boundaries, Tailte Éireann)

- Askintinny: https://everytownland.com/wicklow/askintinny.md
- Ballinabanoge: https://everytownland.com/wicklow/ballinabanoge.md
- Bogland: https://everytownland.com/wicklow/bogland.md
- Rock Little: https://everytownland.com/wicklow/rock-little.md
- Springfield: https://everytownland.com/wicklow/springfield-251258.md

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.

---

Everytownland reads the registered freehold land and the statutory boundaries of Tailte Éireann, the national zoning, planning file and heritage records of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the Residential Property Price Register. A parcel is the land of a title, not an address. The owner's name is in the Land Registry of Tailte Éireann: a copy of the folio can be ordered on landdirect.ie, for a fee; this site names no owner. A price is the price recorded for a past sale, not a valuation.

Sources: Cadastral Parcels Freehold, Townlands, Civil Parishes, Baronies, Electoral Divisions and Buildings, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0; national zoning of development plans (GZT, MyPlan) and National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0, applicants not shown; designated sites, National Parks and Wildlife Service, CC BY 4.0; Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service, CC BY 4.0; National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, CC BY 4.0; Residential Property Price Register, Property Services Regulatory Authority, re-used with the source acknowledged.

- Page: https://everytownland.com/wicklow/rock-big
- In JSON: https://everytownland.com/api/townland/wicklow/rock-big