This comprehensive survey, conducted in the aftermath of the Cromwellian conquest, depicts the castle with what appears to be an enclosure or bawn; a defensive wall that would have surrounded the main structure. These bawns were essential features of Irish castles and fortified houses during the plantation period, providing protected space for livestock, storage, and refuge during raids.

The most intriguing aspect of Ballymacane’s layout is a small field located immediately west of the house, measuring approximately 25 metres from northeast to southwest and 25 metres from northwest to southeast. Local tradition holds that this compact square area features cobbling beneath its surface, suggesting it may indeed be the site of the original bawn. Such cobbled courtyards were common in Irish fortified houses, providing a practical surface that could withstand heavy use from horses, carts, and cattle while preventing the ground from becoming muddy during Ireland’s frequent rains.

The Down Survey barony map of Forth, which can be examined through Trinity College Dublin’s digital archives, provides valuable documentary evidence for understanding the castle’s original defensive configuration. Created as part of the most comprehensive land survey of its time, these maps captured Ireland’s built heritage at a crucial moment of transition, preserving details of structures that might otherwise have been lost to history. The combination of cartographic evidence and physical remains at Ballymacane creates a compelling picture of how Anglo-Norman and later settlers adapted their defensive architecture to the Irish landscape.