Farnham Estate
This Cavan Estate was granted to Sir Richard Waldron of Leicestershire, who called it Farnham after is bride’s familial name. In 1664 Bishop Robert Maxwell purchased Dromellan Castle in County Cavan from the Waldron family who were selling due to gambling debts. This was the beginning of the Maxwell family ties to Farnham that lasted until the start of the 21st century. Their family motto is: Je suis prêt (I am ready).
John Maxwell was ennobled in 1756 raising the status of what had now become the Farnham Estate. Many agricultural improvements were put into effect by Robert, Earl of Farnham from 1761. By 1777 the agricultural scientist Arthur Young said “…upon the whole Farnham is one of the finest places that I have ever seen in Ireland; the water wood and hill are all in great stile and abound in a variety of capabilities.” He also described the lakes as being “uncommonly beautiful; extensive and have a shore extremely varied.” There were around 100 labourers hired by Farnham estate to maintain the landscape. (from http://www.farnhamestate.ie/history)
In the early 20th century, the estate began to sell off some of the 24,000 statute acres of land. In 1921, Lord and Lady Farnham moved to England, taking the furniture to save it from the looting and burning of estate houses occurring due to the rebellion and civil war at that time. In 1923 the Land Act eliminated landlordism in Ireland; Lord Farnham had reduced the estate to the demesne lands which were still farmed intensively to keep finances in check.
Barry Owen Somerset Maxwell, 12th Baron Farnham was the last of the Maxwell family to live at Farnham House. After the Baron’s death in 2001, Farnham estate was sold to the McCabe family who developed it into a spa hotel. There are many amenities available at the hotel, from guest accommodation, day spa, restaurant, cellar bar, walking paths and a golf course.
Steward's House
The Steward was the chief servant of a landed estate, acting on behalf of the Lord in his absence regarding business affairs and the general running of the estate. The Steward was responsible for all the various department heads (housekeeper, gardener, gamekeeper, etc.). He would keep all estate records including logs of work done, repairs to roads, fences or buildings, and information about game, livestock and crops. The steward paid wages and collected rents from the tenants. At Farnham Estate, the steward was answerable to the land agent, a Mr. Blackly who lived in the Market Square, Cavan Town.
At Farnham Estate, the Steward’s house is situated directly across the road from the main agricultural buildings. The gates at the house functioned as a secondary entrance. The Steward’s gate and house were built as part of improvements to the Farnham Estate by Henry Maxwell, 7th Lord of Farnham. The house is a two-bay two-storey lodge built (c.1840) with a side entrance through an opening in the flanking side wall. “The bracketed eaves, bipartite windows, and red brick dressing enliven the composition of the gate lodge, and enhance its architectural interest.” http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=CV®no=40402012 (This is also the reference for the first image below.)
Sadly, this part of the estate has not been considered in the hotel’s development plan to date and is in disrepair.
The cache-
There is plenty of space to stop on either side of the road at GZ. The cache is not hidden in the wall, so no need to search there. Please rehide the cache carefully to prevent it from being discovered by muggles. Tweezers will be useful to remove the log.
Bonus Info-
At each cache in the farnham series you can gather numbers, which you can use to find a bonus cache (GC6K5MQ Farnham Series - Bonus Cache)
At GZ you will find yourself at a large gate. How many round bars are there on each side of the gate. Subtract 1 from your answer. Call this A.