Enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a fairly level landscape, at the crest of a steep slope down (H c. 12m) to a SW-NE section of the River Boyne which is c. 150m distant. This feature could be depicted as a rectangular enclosure on the 1836 edition of the OS 6-inch map but it is described by C. Mullins in 1999 (SMR file) as a rectangular grass-covered area (dims c. 20m NW-SE; c. 20m NE-SW) defined by a slight bank. Cartographic analysis and archaeological testing (20E0493) by Donald Murphy demonstrated that this is the remains of a post-medieval plot defined by earthen banks (Wth 2.5m; H 0.55m) that were excavated at NW and NE, the latter with a cobbled surface (Wth 0.65m) on its NE side. A relict field bank (Wth 2.41m; H 0.31m) with an accompanying ditch (Wth 2.35m) extended NW from the W angle of the enclosure. These features were associated with glass and ceramics of nineteenth or twentieth century date. Some other cut features extending NW-SE as well as NE-SW could be earlier. (Murphy 2020, 11-16)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 30 March 2023

Murphy, Donald 2020 Navan Mid-East Meath Water Supply Scheme. Report on Archaeological Test Excavations at Sites A – Blackcastle Demesne & Site B – Ferganstown & Ballymacon, Navan, Co. Meath. Licence: 20E0493. Unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy Services