“BENT from shouldering its weight of stone” was how writer Séamas MacAnnaidh described Castle Caldwell in a beautifully written poem for local book Fermanagh Miscellany last year.
The castle, built between 1612 and 1619, is situated in the Castle Caldwell Forest Park outside Belleek. The once majestic structure now lies in ruins.
In last week’s Impartial Reporter, we looked at very many local heritage sites, including Monea Castle, Tully Castle and Portora Castle and the view of some that they have been neglected.
There is a similar feeling from those who adore Castle Caldwell, a site steeped in history.
The castle was purchased by Sir James Caldwell in 1670 and later renovated by a descendent with the same name costing at least £16,000. During the 1840s the Caldwell family fortune declined which resulted in the entire estate, including the village of Belleek, being passed to John Caldwell Bloomfield. It was he who commissioned a geological survey of the estate in which rich mineral deposits were discovered leading to the creation of Belleek Pottery.
The entire site and its history has become an important part of Fermanagh’s heritage and the challenge now, according to historian Joe O’Loughlin, is keeping it alive one way or the other.
“It is inevitable that a lot of these places go like that. All those things change. But no matter what family you read about or research, even small businessmen in a village, the whole thing goes eventually. 
“There is nothing we can do about that but we can do a lot to preserve the history and to me that is very important,” he told The Impartial Reporter.
Mr. O’Loughlin recalls visiting the estate, situated near his home in Belleek, many years ago with his children. The site and its ancient woodland with a large lowland forest of mixed broad-leaf and coniferous and stunning views of the lough became a tradition within his family and that affection for a piece of local history is still evident today. 
“Some years ago when our kids went out to it it was very well maintained and there were lovely ducks about it. It was a great place to visit, but it’s neglected now. It should be kept as a public park,” he said. 
Sir James Caldwell was responsible for erecting a fiddle shaped stone in memory of the fiddler, Denis McCabe. But that fiddle stone, another important part of the estate, has faded over time.
“Poor Dan he fell over board and lost his life. The Caldwells got this, from local stone, a replica of a fiddle on it. That was in his memory. It was shifted to the the gatehouse where people can see it but the print has deteriorated with weather over time.
“It’s sad because if the proper methods were used to preserve it and many other such items then it may have lasted. All they had to do was put a perspex glass cage around them which would have preserved them from the weather but they were reluctant to do it,” he said. 
The site is now owned by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. 
In last week’s newspaper, questions were raised over the maintenance of local heritage sites in Fermanagh by another Stormont Department, a point that Mr. O’Loughlin repeated this week. 
“When you take the vast sums that they do spend on things, it’s just a pity that a government department let it go. They could have kept the walls preserved, there would have been people who would have given some finance to securing the wall.”
However, Mr. O’Loughlin believes the decline of “the big houses” came many years ago, during the first half of the 19th century and the difficult years before and after the Famine. 
“Some who were an authority on the period anticipated and envisaged with some accuracy the economic collapse of the gentry and the eventual demise of the big house. Some have traced the decline to the 1860s or 1870s, with the 1880s seeing the twilight era of the Irish country house. One expert could see in the 1850s the writing on the demesne wall.”
Mr. O’Loughlin explained how some owners “entertained with a reckless lavishness” that they could ill afford, even when their poorly maintained buildings were falling around them. 
“One landlord was described by his own daughter as being, ‘Hasty in temper, extravagant in habits, fond of play, horses, wine, and revelry, inattentive to business, improvement in expenditure’. In one case due to the extravagance of the owner, the estate had a mortgage of £250,000. Naturally the interest on this amount had a crippling effect on the property. Without investment and improvements to the land its oppressed and demoralised tenants could pay no more in rent and so the property went into decline,” he said.
In many cases, says Mr. O’Loughlin who has written 10 books, only wealthy marriages, whereby the bride brought a substantial dowry into the estate saved the family fortunes from utter ruin. 
“There was evidence that despite dwindling rentals and leaking roofs the eighteenth-century tradition of extravagant excess and reckless mismanagement continued for years, often compounded by expensive indulgences such as politics and horse-racing.”
Looking ahead to the future of Belleek’s beloved estate, Mr. O’Loughlin hopes it will stand the test of time.
“All over Ireland and in England recreation has become very important. People love to get out into the countryside with their families, they love to wander through forests and look at the views and the nature. Places such as Castle Caldwell should be kept as public parks so people can visit. I know people enjoy visiting sites like this one and that is a tradition that should be upheld. The government has an obligation to look after these sites. The people deserve that, they deserve to find enjoyment and relaxation at sites such as Castle Caldwell,” said Mr. O’Loughlin. 
Perhaps the contentment of locals was what Séamas MacAnnaidh was referring to when he ended his stunning poem on Castle Caldwell with the words: “Splendour fails. And peace comes.”