Geology & Landforms

In terms of soil quality, it would have been difficult to run a profitable estate the size of the Fitzwilliam’s Coolattin House without excellent soils capable of supporting animal grazing and crop production. However, not all of the lands across the estate are of the same quality. Like most of the landlord estates in Ireland, Coolattin House and its gardens sit on some of the best land within the estate. The land immediately surrounding the estate is excellent for agriculture, but as the land rises towards the mountains, its fertility declines. The soils in Coolattin have developed on shale and granite-rich glacial deposits. The minerals contained within the soil and the structure of the soil itself reflects this geological and glacial footprint.  The soils across southeast County Wicklow are varied in quality. Some soils here are classified as thin acid soils that are sour and therefore not ideal for farming, but others are thick brown soils. Brown soils are usually well drained and have a high plant content which makes them naturally fertile and good for farming. In the 1800s, much work was done by landed estate owners to improve the quality of the farmland across their estates. This included drainage schemes and encouraging the spreading of manure on the land as a natural form of fertiliser. Over time, these and more modern farming practices have given rise to the fertile agricultural land you can see throughout the estate today.