Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ringfort - rath
Bellewstown (duleek Upper By.), County Meath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Bellewstown (duleek Upper By.)
- County
- Meath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.65858, -6.36930
- SMR number
- ME027-100----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
First identified by M. Doutré from New Zealand on Google Earth (2013), it is also visible on Bing images (2013) and faintly on the OSI series (1995). It is situated on a rise in a slight E-W valley with a small canalised stream c. 85m to the S. The ridge of Bellewstown, which is c. 100m higher, rises over the site c. 800m to the S. This is a D-shaped enclosure (dims c. 32m NE-SW; c. 32m NW-SE) defined by a fosse feature that is most distinct (Wth c. 2-3m) at NW and NE where it becomes rather straight and meets at a right angle at N. There is no visible entrance feature, but there is a second outer fosse forming an arc outside the original at S (C c. 20m E-W); this represents a re-cutting of the fosse on a slightly different course. There are two pits (diam. c. 3m) in the interior. The ring-ditch (ME027-085----) is on the low E-W ridge c. 95m to the NNE and rath (ME027-101----) is also on relatively high ground c. 180m to the E.
See the attached image which is an extract from aerial photograph (OSAP: 1995)
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 23 July, 2013
Nearby in the register
- Ring-ditchunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - unclassifiedunder 1 mi
- Ring-ditchunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.