Fortification

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on top of Gun Hill, it is described in gothic lettering as ‘Cromwell’s Battery’ on the OS 6-inch maps. It consists of a raised rectangular and grass-covered platform (dims 45m NW-SE; 23m NE-SW) defined by scarps (H 1m at SW to 2.5m at NE). The scarp of its NW edge continues S accompanied by slight traces of an outer fosse while curving E until it is truncated by a N-S field bank and double ditch (total Wth c. 10m) that also cuts through the platform. The curving scarp (H 1.4m) with an entrance gap (Wth 8m) at one point creates a D-shaped enclosure (dims 92m N-S; 28m E-W) with the N-S field bank. The rectangular platform may have been a gun-platform commanding the road from Athboy to Ardee which ran through Siddan. Archaeological monitoring (99E0725) of the removal of a pole produced no related material (Russell 2000, 2002).

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Revised by: Michael Moore

Date of revision: 26 October 2018
Amended: 15 December 2022

References

Russell, I. 2002 Gun Hill, Lobinstown: No archaeological significance. in I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2000: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 260-1, No. 761. Bray, Wordwell

Russell, I. 2000 Gun Hill, Lobinstown: Rectilinear earthwork. in I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 1999: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 239, No. 696. Bray, Wordwell