Castle - ringwork

The National Monuments Service's description

Near the top of a hill, just W of the summit, on a W-facing slope, in meadow. Overlooking a small valley immediately to W. The ground falls sharply immediately W of the NW edge of the monument where there is a lot of rock exposed in the face of the slope, possibly quarried in the past. There is an extensive view to the N and W, good S and impeded by rise in slope to E, though range of hills visible beyond crest. A trapezoidal-shaped enclosure (dims. 58m E-W; 35m N-S at E end, broadening to 48m at the W end) with curving angles, the N and S sides narrow towards the E. It is enclosed by a substantial earthen bank (Wth 1.6-2.6m; overall Wth 7.8-11.5m; int. H 1.4-2.7m; ext. H 2.9-3.5m), a flat-bottomed fosse (Wth 2.1-3.2m; D 1.05-1.55m) and outer bank (Wth 2.5m overall Wth 4.6m; ext. H 1.8m) which only survives in the NW sector. The internal bank decreases in height towards the W end and is almost reduced to scarp internally along the W side. Native trees, hawthorn, blackthorn and elder are growing around the top of the bank and scarp. The interior slopes to the W. The interior was cleared of dense scrub in 2014 and returned to grass. Blackthorn bushes are beginning to re-established on the inner face of the bank, particularly along the N side. A deep wide fosse is evident on the N and E sides, but is only evident on the S side by the lusher grass growth. The entrance (Wth 5.1m) is centrally placed of the W side. The hill slope curves to the SW, forming a natural, offset, ramped entranceway to the monument. The shape of the monument, together with the siting and substantial defences suggest that this was an Anglo-Norman ringwork.

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 12 June 2017