Two houses and a tower in the vicinity of the church at Colp (8) are depicted on the Down Survey (1656-8) barony map of Duleek (http://downsurvey.tcd.ie/). According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) John Draycott of Mornanstowne and John Balfe of Colpe jointly owned 480 acres at Colpe, including ‘a house and some cabins’ (Simington 1940, 4). The castle at Colpe was captured by Lord Moore of Mellifont in 1642 and it was still described as habitable in the 1650s (Waters 1965, 262). It is described as the site of an old castle but not clearly delineated on the 1836 ed. of the OS 6-inch map. There is no visible trace of any structure in a low-lying landscape and the precise location is not certain. (Bradley and King 1985, 31-2) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revision: 9 June 2016

Description Source: Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage