Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ringfort - rath
Sheepstown, County Westmeath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Sheepstown
- County
- Westmeath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Latest-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Coordinates
- 53.64500, -7.10972
- SMR number
- WM008-067----
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
Situated on a slight natural rise on reclaimed grassland with restricted views. Stream forming townland boundary with Archerstown 50m to N. Ringfort (WM008-068---) 330m to WSW. Ringfort (WM008-069---) 320m to SW. A raised sub-circular shaped area (approx. diam. 22m NNE-SSW; 21m WNW-ESE) enclosed by two poorly preserved earthen banks and an intervening narrow flat-bottomed fosse. The inner bank has several disturbance gaps, while the outer bank is visible only from ENE-E-S. There is an entrance gap (Wth 2.2m) and causeway (Wth 5.3m; H 0.35m) across the fosse at SE. Traces of cultivation ridges are visible running E-W across the interior of the monument. The interior rises slightly towards the centre. Ringfort appears to be standing in NE quadrant of larger enclosure defined by an irregular shaped fosse or ditch feature visible on Digital Globe aerial photograph taken November 2011. This latter feature may be a drainage ditch related to post-1700 land reclamation works.
Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 24 April 2017
Nearby in the register
- Moated siteunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.