Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Castle - motte
Hortland, County Kildare, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Hortland
- County
- Kildare
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Latest-edition OS map
- Moat
- Coordinates
- 53.37444, -6.77983
- SMR number
- KD004-017----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
In tillage, at the top of a moderately steep W-facing slope overlooking the River Blackwater c. 200m to the W, and with excellent views in all directions. An ecclesiastical site (KD004-018----) lies c. 40m to the S. A tall, fairly steep-sided, oval shaped, grass and beech tree covered, earthen mound (H 4.7m at S-8m at N; ext. diams. 36m E-W; 31.5m N-S) has a dished, sub circular-shaped upper surface (diams. 8.3m E-W; 7m N-S) which is retained by a dry-stone revetment, two courses of which survive at W (H 0.35m; traceable L 2m). A fairly broad berm (Wth1.8-2.5m), mid-way up the side of the site, girdles the monument from N-E-S. In 1986 a shallow fosse (D 0.1m; Wth 2m) was noted around the base (SMR file), but it is no longer visible because of the passage of farm machinery across this area. The OSL (Herity 2002, 30) recorded the former existence of 'an old castle (KD004-019----) beside the moat ...'.
Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy
Date of upload: 10 June 2011
References
Herity, M. (ed.) 2002 Ordnance Survey Letters Kildare. Dublin. Four Masters Press.
Nearby in the register
- Ecclesiastical enclosureunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Fontunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.