Pacata Hibernia map of Cork (Corke)
1585-1600
(Click here for full map)
This cache will take you along South and North Main Streets in
Cork. As the name might suggest, this was once the main street of
Cork, as can be seen in the Pacata Hibernia map above - Going from
Drawbridge to Drawbridge - Left to right.
This cache starts at the location of where the South Gate used to
stand (where South Gate Bridge currently stands today), and will
finish at where the North Gate used to stand (where the North Gate
Bridge stands today).
As you can see from the map above, there were three ways to enter
the City of Cork - Over these two drawbridges, or between King
& Queen's Castles. Unfortunately, none of these buildings
survive today.
Part 1 - South Gate Bridge
Starting Co-ords
A late 18th Century illustration by Nathaniel
Grogan of the South Gate Bridge and the South Gate Prison on the
northern side of the bridge
It is very likely that a bridge has existed on or near the site
of the South Gate Bridge since the arrival of the Vikings in Cork
between the ninth and tenth centuries. The Vikings settled on the
south island in the present-day South Main Street area and on the
south bank of the Lee directly across the river. A bridge or ford
almost certainly linked the two settlements. There used to be a
prison on the North side of the bridge - known as the South Gate
Prison. The heads of executed criminals were displayed on spikes on
top of the South Gate Prison during the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries.
The Starting Co-ords will have you standing on the East side of the
South Gate Bridge. There is a plaque titled "Cork Corporation -
South Gate Bridge". When was this current bridge built?
1A13
Part 2 - The Beamish Brewery
N 51° 53.790 W 008° 28.605
The site of Beamish and Crawford has a long and varied history of
brewing dating back to before 1650 and possibly as far back as
1500. Located at the heart of the medieval city it was once next to
the old City gaol and the old entrance gates to the medieval
city.
The current building is a detached seven-bay three-storey Tudor
brewery counting house, built circa1895. Interesting architectural
features include an imperial style stone stairs entrance,
decorative timber paneling on the central block and a gabled centre
bay with clock. It is believed that a stone from the old city gaol
upon which the severed heads of the executed used to be displayed,
now stands outside the counting house door and the huge lock on the
door also came from the gaol(jail).
In 1792, William Beamish and William Crawford formed a
partnership to purchase an old brewery in Cramer's Lane, known as
The Cork Porter Brewery. Within fifteen years output at Beamish
& Crawford had grown hugely making it the largest brewery in
the country. In 1805 its output was 100,000 barrels per annum - up
from 12,000 barrels in 1792. It remained the largest brewery in
Ireland until overtaken by Guinness in 1833.
At the co-ordinates, you will find a sign with a year on it,
take note of the 3rd digit of the year = B
Part 3 - Christ Church
N 51° 53.835 W 008° 28.620
This Church, also known as Holy Trinity Church, built in 1726
occupieds the site of a medieval church damaged in the siege of
Cork in 1690. If you refer to the map above, you will see Christ
Church clearly named. The church is currently closed for
renovations. The used to be quite a tall tower build onto the
church here, however it was taken down as it was leaning over too
much !! Take note of how high the tower was before it was taken
down. 1C6feet.
On your way to Part 4, you will pass from South Main Street to
North Main Street. This happens at the staggered crossroads at
Castle street. As you can see in the map, this area was once a
riverway where boats could come to the centre of the city. This
waterway was covered over sometime during the 17th century. At the
entrance to this waterway were Queens Castle and Kings Castle -
which feature in the Cork Coat of Arms.
Part 4 - Tredinick's Lane
N 51° 53.872 W 008° 28.636
In 1601, within the walled city of Cork there were 29 laneways in
total, branching East and West from North Main Street. By 1641, the
Royal Survey of Cork records that the number of streets and
laneways in the town had increased to 69.
This Lane, like the 37 other medieval laneways along South Main
Street and North Main Street, are marked by means of a bronze
plaque on the footpath. The width of the laneway is marked by black
tiles leading from the wall to the road. You will find that a
majority of the old laneways line up with doorways - where a door
has been placed to block off the old laneway. Also, you will find
that some of the laneways are still in use! Those that are still in
use, still use the old laneway name.
Some of the Lanes have interesting names, most of them relate to
what would have been sold/made on the laneway - Brick Lane, Flag
(Flagon) Lane, Meeting House Lane, etc. Cockpit Lane indicates it
was the location of a cockfighting pit. In the 18th century cock
fighting was a popular 'sport' and a common gambling
activity.
No clues are needed here, I just wanted you to see these
plaques!
Part 5 - St Peter's Church
N 51° 53.980 W 008° 28.710
The first church on this site was built in 1199. In 1380, a
parliament sat here to nominate a Governor of Ireland. This church
was replaced by the present single-volume church, completed in
1788, in the character of the London churches of Sir. Christopher
Wren.
Many repairs and alterations were carried out over the years. An
earlier belfry at the West, Grattan Street side of the site was
removed in 1683. The existing East church tower is associated with
James Paine, a local architect. The picturesque gothic style is
reminiscent of the work of John Nash in England. It once had a zinc
spire that was removed due to the pressure of its weight on the
foundations.
The church was deconsecrated in 1949 and used as a warehouse until
1994. Cork Corporation purchased the site in 1995 under an
integrated area plan for Cork's Historic Centre. Operated by Cork
Civic Trust the building is an important example of conservatio in
action. It houses the Model City thought to be the only one of its
kind in Ireland, which provides a unique overview of Cork, from the
Lee Fields to Blackrock Castle - which is certainly worth a
visit.
How many door handles are on the front door of the church? =
D
Part 6 - Skiddy's Castle
N 51° 54.032 W 008° 28.755
John Skiddy, a member of one of the merchant families which
controlled Cork in medieval times, built Skiddy's Castle in 1445.
The 'castle' was actually an urban tower house. Skiddy's Castle
stood near the junction of present-day Adelaide Street and the
North Main Street. It is clearly shown on the earliest maps of
Cork.
The marshy soil did not provide a stable foundation for the stone
tower house. An oak raft held in place by timber stakes driven
vertically into the underlying soil provided a floating foundation
for Skiddy's. The vertical stakes also helped to squeeze water from
the underlying soil. The area of the castle was 44 square metres
with walls 2.2 metres thick and 1.4 metres high.
Different families, including the Skiddys and the Terrys, owned the
castle at different times. Sometime after 1601 it became the
property of the crown and was used as a gunpowder magazine for much
of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It is called 'The
King's Storehouse' on Phillips' map of 1685. Cork Corporation asked
the Lord Lieutenant to remove the magazine from Skiddy's in the
1760s because of the danger of an explosion in the heart of the
city but it was still used as a munitions store in the 1770s.
Most of the building was demolished in the late 1770s but parts of
it were still standing in 1896. A decorated mantelpiece from
Skiddy's Castle is set into the wall of number 13 North Main Street
and carries the inscription 'NG 1597 GS'.
At the above co-ordinates, there is a plaque (In fact there are two
plaques), one the plaque titled "Site of Skiddy's Castle", find out
how many metres below the plaza level the original ground floor is
located? E
Part 7 - North Gate Bridge
N 51° 54.077 W 008° 28.800
An 18th Century illustration by Nathaniel Grogan
of the North Gate Bridge.
The multi-arched bridge shown in the illustration leads to a
gatehouse with a central archway. The upper storeys of the
gatehouse functioned as a jail. Historians suggest that a portion
of the old North Gate Prison may have survived until 1927. A
photograph in the city engineer's scrapbook for 1927 shows the
gable end of an old house near the North Gate Bridge which bears a
striking resemblance to old drawings of the prison. The Cork
Archives Institute has a copy of the scrapbook.
The North Gate and South Gate bridges were built of wood until the
early years of the eighteenth century. The wooden bridges were
replaced in 1639 by bridges again built of wood after a flood in
1630 swept away the existing bridges. The architect John Coltsman
is believed to have designed the first stone-built bridges.
There were three main bridges in Cork in medieval times. One in the
centre linking the north and south islands stood somewhere in the
vicinity of the junction of North Main Street, South Main Street,
and Castle Street. It disappeared when the central channel dividing
the north and south islands was filled in during the eighteenth
century. The other two principal bridges had occupied approximately
the same sites as the present-day North Gate and South Gate
bridges.
At the co-ordinates above, you will find a plaque on the North West
side of the Bridge. On which day in November 1961 was this current
bridge opened? =F
To find the cache, use the following equation:
N 51° 54.(B-A-E) (C-D) (F-C)
W 008° 29.(C-D-E) (B-F-C) (B-A)
Extra Stage
N 51° 54.059 W 008° 28.912
Having worked out the final co-ords, on your journey to the final
location, you will pass one final point of interest. The Franciscan
Well is a micro brewery & pub which is located at the site of a
old Franciscan Abbey (as can be seen in the map above). This Abbey
dated back to 1219, unfortunately however, this abbey has been lost
over time, but they do serve a good pint ! I think you have earned
it after your walk across town :)
I hope you have enjoyed this cache !!