Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

Located at the SE tip of a low NW-SE spur, with the headwaters of a small N-S stream c. 50m to the E. A magnetic gradiometer survey (19R0077) conducted by J. Nicholls on behalf of Meath County Council identified a circular area defined by a fosse-like feature that has discontinuities at NE, S and W (Nicholls 2019, 7). Archaeological testing (19E0565) confirmed a circular enclosure (dims c. 32m N-S; c. 30m E-W) defined by a silted fosse (Wth of top 1.2-1.6m) that was encountered at three points. The gradiometer survey also identified a linear feature (dims c. 10m E-W; c. 2m N-S) in the interior with a spur (L c. 4m) extending S from its W end. This is probably a souterrain, and the testing exposed it as a band (Wth 1.8m) of clay and gravel with some stones and flecks of charcoal. There was a post-hole with charcoal just to its N. A second outer ditch (L c. 20m NNE-SSW), recorded by the gradiometer survey c. 10m E of the enclosing fosse was confirmed (Wth 1.4m) as filled with a dark brown silt with charcoal flecks during the testing, but none of the features was sampled. (Moore 2019, 9-14)

See the attached plan from (Moore 2019, Fig. 4)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 1 February 2021

References

Moore, D. 2019 Report on the results of Archaeological Testing of Area 5 (Castletown), Area 15 (Fringestown) and Area 20 (Clontail) along the Proposed N52 Realignment, Grange to Clontail, County Meath. Excavation Licence: 19E0565; Detection Licence: 19R0198 Unpublished report, Moore Group

Nicholls, J. 2019 Geophysical Survey Report. N52 Grange to Clontail Scheme, County Meath. Detection Licence: 19R0077 Unpublished report, Target Archaeological Geophysics