Barrow - stepped barrow

The National Monuments Service's description

This barrow is situated on a hilltop under pasture beside the Naul to Fourknocks road and near the Ford of Fyne. A circular dome-shaped mound (diam. 15m; H 2.5m) which rests on a circular earthen platform (diam.30m; H2m). (Healy 1975, 16; Scully 1972-3, 103). Slopes down steeply to north and south to circular tree-lined enclosure. marked on the OS 25" as a 'moat'. Directly to the north on the other side of the Delvin is the Fourknocks ridge. When the grass is down large stones are visible.

The monument was recently surveyed by Trim Archaeology Projects Ltd., the results of which were summarised as follows; 'The monument site was enclosed by a ring of trees which formed a small plantation in a former designed landscape of Westown Demesne. Today there are trees along the boundary to the SW and there are hedgerows forming boundaries from the SE around to the north of the monument with occasional large trees along them. It is adjacent to a former Gate lodge and avenue to Westown House, constructed c.1890. A garden centre now occupies the adjacent site which is attached to the gate lodge.
The monument appears to be composed of an upper mound and lower mound. The lower mound measures 23.8m in diameter and its height is 1.2m. It’s lower break of slope is recorded at 85.7m OD, while the upper break of slope measures 86.9m OD. The upper mound is located in the centre of the lower mound. It measures 10m in diameter and 1m in height. It’s shape is more bulbous than the lower mound. The lower break of slope of this mound is at 87.5 OD and the top of the mound at 89.2m OD, so the mound itself is 1.3m high. The total height of the monument is 2.5m.
On top of the upper mound, two distinct features were identified in the survey. One is a circular feature measuring 4m in diameter and 0.2m in height situated just off centre on the mound. There is a dip in the centre suggesting that this upper mound may have had a shallow bank or rise on its outer edge, either an original feature or a later addition. The second feature identified is located in the centre of the first. It measures 0.5m in width and 0.2m in height and while it may be of archaeological interest, it could also be related to vegetation growth. There was no depression recorded in this mound, which, if present might have represented earlier antiquarian investigations. It is unlikely therefore, that the site was ever excavated or disturbed in the modern period.
The profile of the barrow at Moat Wood appears to closely resemble the campanile form, with a distinct bulbous, flat-topped central mound form with a flaring berm and bevelled skirt around the bottom. When compared to other stepped barrows in Ireland, the distinct form of the barrow at Moat Wood would appear to better resemble the architectural characteristics of the stepped barrow’s UK counterpart, the ‘bell’ barrow, which is a more definitive morphology than that seen under the broader stepped barrow classification. Between July 25th and August 4th and the 25th and 26th August 2022, a series of geophysical surveys
were undertaken over Barrow DU004-005 and on lands surrounding the monument by Earthsound
Geophysics Ltd. The electromagnetic investigations of the land surrounding recorded monument barrow DU004-005---- revealed a series of relict agricultural boundaries and what may be associated cultivation furrows. The orientation of these is different than the field boundaries now, but the earliest mapping which shows field boundaries, Rocque’s map seems to indicate a similar pattern to the present, so this
system is likely earlier than the 18th century.
The land surrounding the recorded monument was subjected to a series of high-resolution surveys consisting of high resolution topographical and earth resistance surveys as well as lines of electric resistivity tomography and ground penetrating radar. These surveys revealed the full extent and composition of the monument. Two distinct mounds were identified. The lower mound measures c.23.8m in diameter and 1.2m in height, has a relatively flat top and is surrounded by a possible enclosure ditch and agricultural features. The upper mound has been placed on the centre of the lower and measures 10m in diameter and over 1m in height. This mound is more bulbous in formation and has no distinctive break in slope at the top. A circular expression measuring c. 4m in diameter and 0.2m in height sits on top of the upper mound. A central topographical expression measuring c.0.5 wide and 02m in height sits on top of this circular expression. The internal structure of both mounds indicates that they appear to be built on the natural topography and contain multiple separate deposition events, it was impossible to tell if they represent one building event or are two mounds built at separate times one on top of another. Surrounding this mound, a possible enclosure ditch was detected as well as evidence for agricultural processes. Adjacent to the mounds evidence for arcing ditches, pits, stone deposits and banks was detected. While some of these appear to follow or respect the alignment of the mounds and are suggestive of archaeological remains others represent agricultural boundaries' (Carroll 2022; Gimson 2022).

See attached Drone photographs courtesy of Ian Lennon.

Carroll, F. 2022 Conservation Study & Management Plan 2022, Moat Wood, Westown (Naul) Co. Dublin. Unpublished report by Trim Archaeology Projects Ltd. on behalf of Naul Community Council funded by the Community Monuments Fund.

Gimson, H. 2022 Investigation of Barrow DU004-005- and surrounding lands, Westown, Naul, Co. Dublin
Archaeological Geophysical Survey Detection Licence No. 22R0226. Unpublished report by Earthsound Geophysics on behalf of Naul Community Council funded by the Community Monuments Fund.

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Updated by: Christine Baker

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 31 January 2023

References

Healy, P. 1975a Second report on monuments and sites of archaeological interest in county Dublin. An Foras Forbartha Teoranta.

Healy, P. 1975b Third report on monuments and sites of archaeological interest in county Dublin. An Foras Forbartha, Dublin.

Scully, S. 1972-3 Around historic Naul. Dublin Historical Record 28, 100-112.

Rocque, J. 1760 An Actual Survey of the County of Dublin, on the same Scale, as those of Middlesex, Oxford, Berks and Buckinghamshire. Available at http://sdublincoco.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=e0c5595b033341dea7661e248d2e9ee9// [Accessed 21 September 2016]