Enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

The monument was described in 1987 by the 'Castleisland District Archaeological Survey' as consisting of 'a circular area (int. diam. 16.3m; overall diam. 39m) defined by the remains of a low widely spread earthen bank (H 0.2m). This bank is visible from east to south and from west to northeast. A slight depression appears to lie outside of this which is in turn encircled by a second earthen bank. This bank is not well represented on the east-north-east. A wide well defined fosse lies outside of bank 2 while a third earthen bank lies immediately outside of the fosse itself. The line of this bank 3 is not well represented on the east. The monument appears to be largely covered by a layer of springy peat. It is difficult to definitely classify this enclosure. The remains of three banks are obvious and a wide, deep well defined fosse, yet the area enclosed appears to be too small to warrant enclosure by three banks, slight though they are. Initially we considered that this might be a ringbarrow, however there is no evidence of a central rise, while the fosse sandwiched between bank 2 and bank 3 is wide and deep and unlike other examples in our area. At this point in time therefore due to uncertainty it was decided to classify this as a circular enclosure' (SMR file). On a subsequent visit by Patricia O'Hare (28 March 1992), this enclosure had been destroyed due to deep ploughing. The outlines of the levelled banks were obvious as a mixture of yellowish soil mixed with a large amount of small stone. In contrast the interior, which had been deep-ploughed to a depth of 0.8 or 0.9m, was clear of stone and completely covered by deep black peat' (SMR File). Cropmark of levelled monument visible on Digital Globe orthophoto taken between 2011-13.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 27 April 2022