Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, located on a slight natural elevation in lowlying ground bordering the Robe River, which is 120m to E.
This well preserved trivallate rath consists of an oval level area (21.6m N−S; c. 28m E−W) enclosed by three earthen banks with two intervening fosses, and a causewayed entrance at ENE.
The inner bank (Wth 5.9m at N, 5m at S; int. H 1.4m at N, 1n at S; ext. H 1.5m N & S) is well preserved, the middle bank (Wth 6m N & S; int. H 0.8m at N, 1.1m at S; ext. H 0.8m at N, 1.3m at S) is the most substantial, with a broad flattened top (Wth 2.5-3m), and the outermost bank (Wth 3m; int. H 0.55-0.6m; ext. H 0.55m) is noticeable slighter than the other two. The innermost fosse is broad and deep; the outer fosse is slightly narrower and partly infilled.
The entrance was most likely at ENE where there is a broad gap (Wth 10m) in the inner bank, with a causeway across the innermost fosse and a corresponding, but narrower gap (Wth 2.3m) in the middle bank. The outer fosse is partly infilled at this point, with no clearly defined causeway. The gap in the outermost bank is slightly out of line to SE with the gaps in the two inner banks, and is dilapidated and poorly defined.
Long grass and thistles cover the interior, and the enclosing banks are thickly ringed with hawthorn and ash trees. The rath is tightly boxed in by later field boundaries, and is skirted by a farm track at S and E. There is a small area of quarrying/disturbance at the outer edge of the outermost bank at NW.

Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 16 December 2022