While my trip to Jerpoint Park was to visit the tomb of St Nicholas, I was introduced to another gem. The Church of St Nicholas was, at one point, on the edge of a medieval village called Newtown Jerpoint. It was a wealthy and vibrant town that was nestled on the edge of two rivers. What has been discovered in the past couple of years is a footprint of the town still intact.
As we left the church area, we continued toward the river. Throughout the ‘center’ of the town was a path of greener grass that was a clear road, still visible hundreds of years later. Around us were piles of foundation stones, as well as a partial ruin of a house or manor. As we reached the river, we could see where two of the three mills that once existed. At the River Nore, the water rippled over the ruins of the town’s bridge.
I am including a couple of links for you to explore. The first one provides a good overview of the town and its history. Even more phenomenal is the LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) graphic that clearly shows the imprint of the town. From there, an artist’s rendition of what the town would have looked like.
Truly remarkable and worth the trip.
Location via Google Maps: