Canal Walk

A NOT SO HOLY WELL IN KILKENNY IN AUGUST 2018

January 11, 2024 by infomatique

ALL THAT I KNOW IS THAT IT IS NOT CROW’S WELL

The Nore River valley plays a pivotal role in the life of Kilkenny City, Bennettsbridge and much of the surrounding county.

This well is located on the Canal Walk on the bank of the River Nore and describing it is a bit complicated. In August 2018 a local told me that this was a holy well dedicated to St Bridget (that could apply to most of the wells in Ireland) but on the following day another person told me that it was nothing more than a natural spring or well and to be honest I was more inclined to believe the second person.

I visited the area again in July 2021 and September 2022. In 2018 a dog-walker told me that it is known as “Crow’s Well” but at the time I believed that she may have been incorrect as my understanding is that Crow’s Well Lock is at Fennessey’s Mill. However, I was unable to locate a well at Fennessy’s Mill [Archersgrove Mill] when I visited in September 2022. However, I recently discovered that Crow’s well was identified as Spa Well on some old maps and that the well, at Fennessey’s Mill, is so overgrown with briars and bushes that it is almost impossible to locate it. However, information provided by the dog-walker was much more useful than that provided by others.

According to the the local council Crow’s Well Canal Lock is at Archersgrove

FENNESSEY’S MILL ON THE RIVER NORE IN KILKENNY

September 18, 2022 by infomatique

ORIGINALLY ARCHERSGROVE MILL

I had hoped to locate Crow’s Well but failed to do so.

Sometime in 1891 Mr Fennessey, proprietor of the well-known seed warehouse, High Street, Kilkenny, and of the extensive nurseries convenient to Kilkenny City, leased the long-disused Archersgrove Mill, for the purpose of converting the premises into bone-crushing and linseed cake-crushing mills and perhaps sawmills. At the time it was hoped Fennessy’s enterprise would convert a silent ruin into a busy centre of employment.

The townland of 487 acres on the east of the River Nore was originally called Archerstown. The Archer family were one of the most important Kilkenny families
for several hundred years. The Archer’s lands were confiscated after Cromwell conquered Ireland. Archerstown was granted to the Duke of Ormond. He leased the
townland to the Waring family and they changed the townsland name to Warrington. In 1864 Warrington Mills was advertised for leasing as: “A good corn mill in good
working condition”. The distillery became know as “The Still” and part of the original building remains today.

Fennessy’s Mills, Kilkenny, on the southern bank of the River Nore. ‘post-medieval water mills’. It is recorded as cornmills, named as ‘Archers Mills’, at the time of the Civil Survey of 1654–5. A grant by the earl of Ormonde to William Archer is recorded in 1426. Two stone mills are referred to in 1416, and the Quarryland Mill opposite Fennessy’s is referred to in 1633. In 1850 the mills were owned by Richard Sullivan; however, by 1891 they are described as ‘disused about to be converted to a bone crushing plant’. The mills survive in ruins and contain a weir to the west of the buildings.

I HAVE ESTABLISHED THAT THIS IS NOT CROW’S WELL

September 18, 2022 by infomatique

CANAL WALK IN KILKENNY JULY 2021 AND SEPTEMBER 2022

This series of images is from my July 2021 and September 2022 visits to Kilkenny.

This well is located on the Canal Walk on the bank of the River Nore. In 2018 a dog-walker told me that it is known as “Crow’s Well” but at the time I believed that she may have been incorrect as my understanding is that Crow’s Well Lock is at Fennessey’s Mill. However, I was unable to locate a well at Fennessy’s Mill [Archersgrove Mill] when I visited in September 2022. However, I recently discovered that Crow’s well was identified as Spa Well on some old maps and that the well, at Fennessey’s Mill, is so overgrown with briars and bushes that it is almost impossible to locate it.

The Kilkenny Canal is a short stretch of unfinished canal which was originally intended to make the River Nore navigable as far as Kilkenny City. Funding for the canal was provided by the Parliament of Ireland in 1755, to the value of £10,000. Work was abandoned in 1761, and no barges ever completed the journey from the navigable section of the Nore to Kilkenny.

The Canal Walk (parallel to Kilkenny Castle Grounds) is the third section of the Nore Linear Park

The trail begins at the Canal Square on Rose Inn Street where there is a new City pavilion with benches overlooking the Rivercourt hotel, in the shadow of the historic Kilkenny Castle. This is an attractive walk lined for much of its length with mature trees especially limes. The walk runs from Canal Square and terminates at Archersgrove Mills (also known as Fennessey’s Mill) . During Kilkenny Castle Park open hours it is possible to access the grounds of the Castle Park from the Canal Walk. An extension to the walk will eventually take you for miles into the countryside following the course of the River Nore towards the town of Inistioge.