The Wonderful Barn is a corkscrew-shaped building on the edge of Castletown House Estate, formerly of the Conolly family, in Celbridge, County Kildare, Ireland. The barn itself is formally in neighbouring Leixlip.
The Wonderful Barn | |
---|---|
The Wonderful Barn on a map of Greater Dublin | |
General information | |
Status | Inactive, heritage building |
Architectural style | Georgian |
Location | Barnhall |
Town or city | Leixlip |
Country | Ireland |
Coordinates | 53°21′35″N 6°30′36″W / 53.359757°N 6.510011°W |
Elevation | 60 m (200 ft) |
Completed | 1743 |
Landlord | John Glin |
Height | 22 m (72 ft) |
Dimensions | |
Diameter | 11 m (36 ft) at base |
Circumference | 35 m (115 ft) at base |
Technical details | |
Material | red brick overlain with rubble stone |
Floor count | 7 |
Known for | unusual shape |
Flanked by two smaller dovecote towers, the barn was built with the stairs ascending around the exterior of the building.[1]
The barn was built in 1743 on the Leixlip side of the Castletown Estate.[2]
Several purposes are suggested for the unique structure:
The construction project also likely served as a way to keep the local poor employed.[4] In this, it is not unlike the Conolly Folly (an Obelisk), which was built on the estate in 1740-41.
A similar structure known as the Bottle Tower, built in imitation of the Wonderful Barn, is located in Churchtown, close to Rathfarnham.
53°21′35″N 6°30′35″W / 53.3596°N 6.5096°W