The house of John Itchingham forms part of a defensive bawn, a fortified courtyard that was once a common feature of Irish rural architecture during turbulent times. The bawn’s interior measures approximately 20 metres from east to west and 10 metres from north to south, with circular towers still visible at its northwestern and southwestern corners, though they now stand only about 3 metres high.

The site underwent significant changes during the 18th or 19th century when a two-storey wing was added to the original structure. This later addition cleverly incorporated the southern and western walls of the old bawn into its design, effectively preserving these defensive walls whilst adapting them for more peaceful domestic use. Unfortunately, this renovation work has obscured any original architectural features that might have helped us better understand how the bawn functioned in its heyday.

Today, visitors can still trace the outline of this once-formidable defensive structure and imagine how it would have looked when fully operational. The surviving circular towers, though much reduced in height, hint at the strategic importance such fortified houses held in medieval and early modern Ireland, when local landowners needed to protect their families and property from raids and conflicts. The site reference WX039-031001 marks its place in Ireland’s archaeological record, ensuring this piece of Wexford’s heritage remains documented for future generations.