Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on a level terrace on the steep W-facing slope of a limestone ridge, on the W flank of the Bricklieve Mountains. The slope rise immediately to E of the cashel to a low exposed limestone cliff face, then rises again in a series of terraces and limestone escarpments to the ridge summit, which is crowned by a cairn (SL040-103----), c. 375m to SE. The terrace overlooks a small valley of damp pasture, with extensive views beyond to SW−W of a broad sweep of undulating countryside. Kesh Corran looms at NW.
One of two conjoined cashels; the other cashel (SL040-083----) lies on the S side. This cashel consists of a broadly oval area (22m E−W; 18.6m N−S) defined by remnants of a wall. The wall is evident as a low, moss-covered stony rise (Wth 1.5-2m; H 0.2-0.4); stones can be glimpsed or felt beneath the moss and sod, but no intact section of wall is visible. The cashel encompasses the full E−W width of the terrace, with the E arc cut into the rising slope, creating an inward-facing scarp (H 1-1.2m). At SE−SW the enclosing wall is shared with the second cashel (SL040—083---) and is overlain by remnants of a later E−W field wall. At SW−NW, the wall coincides with the break of slope at the edge of the terrace, where ground falls away steeply. The N arc is gapped; it is poorly preserved at NW, but somewhat better preserved at N−NE. There is a gap (Wth 3m) at N, which may be an original entrance; however, it opens onto a narrow, shallow depression or trench (Wth 1-1.5m; D 0.3-0.4m), which extends from the gap into the interior to S for 4m. The function of this depression is unclear; there is no definitive evidence to suggest that it is part of a souterrain.
The cashel interior is level. A remnant of an E−W wall extends through the interior. It can be traced as a slight mossy rise (Wth c. 1m; H 0.1-0.2m), extending from the enclosing wall at W for 5-6m to E toward the centre of the interior. There is a low, moss-covered rise (L c. 2m E−W), of uncertain significance, just S of centre. Barely discernible cropmarks on an E-W axis throughout the interior may be the remnants of cultivation ridges. At SW there is a low section/possible gap in the enclosing wall shared with the conjoined cashel (SL040-083----), which might represent an access point between the two cashels, but this is uncertain.

Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 25 April 2018