Enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture at the S end of a field bordering an old farm lane (oriented E-W) 175m ENE of the summit of Knocksentry Hill. The site is one of six monuments on and around the hill including a standing stone (LI032-051----) located 410m to SW; an earthwork (LI032-056001-) located 165m to WSW; a mound (LI032-056003-) located 110m to W; a standings stone (LI032-056011-) located 290m to SSE and a flat-cemetery, the ‘Kistvaen Field’ (LI032-055----) 375m to SW. Circle O (LI032-060----) and Circle P (LI032-059----) are 480m to SSW.
The site is depicted with a rectangular house located in the SE corner of a sub-rectangular enclosure (ext. dims. c. 24m N-S; 37m E-W) on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map. A lane or farm track is depicted on the S side of the house and enclosure. The house is not depicted on the 1897 ed. OSi 25-inch map, while the rectangular enclosure is partially illustrated. The rectangular enclosure is visible on OSi orthoimage taken 2005-12 and on Digital Globe orthoimage taken 2011-2013. Cultivation ridges (lazy beds oriented E-W) survive in the field abutting the N enclosure boundary. The site was identified during an archaeological field inspection by Celie O’Rahillyin 1996 on the E-facing slope of Knocksentry Hill. Described by O’Rahilly as follows; 'Field F: The eastern half of the northern boundary is very overgrown and a new fence line has been put in, marked 3. Outside the property to the north of the track, marked 4 is a rectangular enclosure, measuring ca. 70m east-west by 40m wide' (SMR File, O'Rahilly 1996). The OSi 1840 map depicts the enclosure/haggard, lane and house as contemporary features. The orderly illustration of the trees on the line of the enclosure boundary suggest the site is occupied in the early 19th century, although the settlement is likely to be earlier. The historic map does not illustrate the enclosure spanning the S boundary (70m E-W) of the field, although the settlement enclosure on the mapping and the site recorded by O’Rahilly are considered to be one and the same. Likely to be the remains of a post-1700 enclosure contemporaneous with the farm building depicted on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map. The earthwork is visible on Google Earth orthoimage taken 05/04/2006; 16/03/2016; 25/03/2017 and 28/06/2018.
See attached Google Earth orthoimages

Compiled by: Edmond O’Donovan

Date of upload: 24 November 2020