Souterrain

The National Monuments Service's description

Located in a ringfort (MA040-042). This souterrain is L-shaped in plan, consisting of an E−W passage, at the W end of which there is a chamber, which extends to S.
In the centre of the ringfort interior there is a sunken area (1.8m E−W; 1.50m N−S), the W side of which incorporates a lintelled opening (Wth 0.99m; H 0.69m) to a passage (Wth 0.94m; H 0.88m) of dry-stone construction. The walls of the passage consist of two to three courses of large roughly rectangular stone blocks, with a slight corbelling at the top to support the massive roof lintels. The passage extends for 3.65m to W, ending in a short lintelled constriction (Wth 0.5m; H 0.6m), which drops abruptly at its W edge into the NE end of a chamber (3.4m N−S; 1.9m E-W; H 1.7m). The chamber is roughly oval in plan, with its floor at a depth of 0.7m below that of the passage. The N wall of the chamber is more or less on the same E−W line with the N wall of the passage, and the long axis of the chamber extends to S of the passage.
The walls of the chamber are rock-cut from floor level to a height of 0.5-0.7m, above which they are of dry-stone construction, with a slight corbelling at top to support the massive roof lintels. Towards the S end of the E wall there is a recess (Wth 0.77m; H 0.7m) that extends into the wall to a depth of 0.7m, narrowing at the back to a width of 0.64m. A small, partly blocked, opening at the back of the recess may be an air vent.
The floor in both the passage and the chamber is earth covered. There is a spread of loose stone at the W end of the passage and a heap of large stones at the S end of the chamber.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 25 May 2020