Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Field system
Bigwood, County Westmeath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Bigwood
- County
- Westmeath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.73626, -7.31237
- SMR number
- WM003-008002-
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 1636 "Vltoniae Orientalis Pars" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Situated on the summit of a hill known locally as 'The Hill of Mael' with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside in all directions. Cashel (WM003-008----) standing inside a large possible trivallate hillfort (WM003-008001-) with possible prehistoric meandering field system running across the hill. The remains of two meandering drystone field walls radiate out from the cashel (WM003-008---) at NNE and NNW. Field wall A (L 113m) runs off the NE face of cashel wall and runs from SW-NE. Field wall B (L 190m) runs off N face of cashel and is orientated on a SE-NW axis. A third meandering drystone field wall B (L 270m) runs SE-NW across the W facing slope of the hill with a fourth drystone field wall D (L 235m) located 250m to W which runs from SE-NW. The meandering field walls are clearly visible on Digital Globe aerial photograph taken November 2011 and are clearly different from the straight running post-1700 field walls visible on aerial photographs.
Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 23 November 2017
References
ASIAP - Archaeological Survey of Ireland Aerial Photographs (c. 1996 - c. 2010).
Nearby in the register
- Ringfort - cashelunder 1 mi
- Hillfortunder 1 mi
- Ritual site - holy wellunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.