Inch: Lavender Farm and Local History

Inch is in County Wexford. One of the area's distinctive attractions is Wexford Lavender Farm in Coolnagloose near Inch: lavender fields and woodland trails sit alongside historic buildings as different themes for a stay.

Lavender Farm and Courtyard

Wexford Lavender Farm spans five acres of lavender fields. The farm also has woodland trails, a maze and a children's playground. Billy the Bull, a quad-barrel train, is also part of the site. These features give the farm its own character: alongside the fields and trails, the maze and playground shape its appearance.

The farm also includes the Purple Haze Café. The café and shop are located in a lovingly renovated stone-and-brick courtyard. This means the farm's lavender fields are not its only focal point; the courtyard is also a distinctive architectural feature. The drive from Gorey to the farm takes about ten minutes; the actual journey time depends on the route and traffic.

Inch Church: Building History and Earlier Traces

Inch Church was built in 1831 as a single-nave Church of Ireland church in the Gothic Revival style. Its so-called Early English Gothic theme specifies the stylistic reference; the elegant Trinity Window is another named feature of the church. The present church stands on the site of a church recorded in 1179 as a church of the Diocese of Glendalough. The history of the church site therefore reaches back further than the construction of the present building.

Events from later centuries also shape the area's history. In 1690, Inch Church was the scene of a skirmish between the troops of William III and James II. The churchyard contains Catholic funerary monuments from the 18th century. A monument in Inch also commemorates Anthony Perry and Michael Redmond, two men from the district who fought in 1798. These references relate to different historical periods and are distinct from the church's building history.

Railway Station and Railway History

Inch Railway Station opened in 1887 and closed in 1963. Because of its connection with the development of the Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railway, it is considered an important part of the railway heritage of northern County Wexford. The opening and closure mark the station's historical role, making it a different aspect of local history from the church's architectural and historical traces.

More Cultural and Landscape Attractions in County Wexford

The wider destination of County Wexford also has distinctive cultural and landscape attractions. The Irish National Heritage Park is a 35-acre open-air museum with 16 reconstructed sites. Activities, reconstructions, workshops and courses are among the offerings for visitors of all ages.

At Hook Lighthouse, at the tip of the Hook Peninsula in County Wexford, guided tours offer 800 years of lighthouse history. Tintern Cistercian Abbey was founded around 1200 by William, Earl Marshal, and is located in a special conservation area, surrounded by woodland with walking trails. These examples add lighthouse history and monastic heritage to the picture of County Wexford, while Inch itself has its own distinctive attractions: the lavender farm, the church and its railway history.

Discover more destinations: Arthurstown, Bridgetown, Rosslare, Fethard, Newbawn, Ballymurn, Enniscorthy, Wellingtonbridge.

For the wider travel overview: County Wexford.