Enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, located on the slightly concave NNW-facing slope of a steep-sided E-W hill or small ridge, named ‘Barrett’s Hill’ on the 1929 OS 6-inch map. The S-facing slope of the hill falls to the shoreline of an inlet of Clew Bay, c. 250m S of the enclosure. Another, larger, steep-sided E-W ridge restricts views in that direction; that ridge rises immediately to N of Barrett’s Hill, there being only a narrow E−W pass between the two. Views to W-NW are more open, overlooking a valley with undulating terrain beyond. There are limited views to SW of Clew Bay, with its looming backdrop of Croagh Patrick.
This enclosure is indicted on the 1838 OS 6-inch map, but not on later editions. It consists of a circular area (38.5m N−S; 40m E-W) defined by a bank with an external fosse. The bank and fosse are best preserved at SE−SW, where they are cut into the rising slope of the hill; the bank is evident as a low rise (Wth 2.5m; int. H 0.3-0.4m; ext. H 0.1-0.2m), with a broad internal slump, and the fosse is evident as a relatively narrow, shallow depression (Wth 1-1.5m; ext. D 0.3m). Elsewhere around the circuit, the bank is reduced to a slight undulation, with a broad external slope at NW dictated by the hill slope, and the fosse is barely discernible.
The interior of the enclosure mirrors the steep slightly concave slope of the ridge, sloping down steeply from S to centre, and levelling out gently from centre to N. In parts at WSW-W, relict cultivation ridges cut across the bank and fosse. A N-S field bank (W 2-2.5m) traverses the E edge of the enclosure. The function and date of this enclosure are unclear.
There is rath (MA088-001----) c. 30m downslope to N.

Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 12 February 2018