Barrow - stepped barrow

The National Monuments Service's description

Surveyed in 2012 and described by McGuinness (2012, 26-7) as following: 'Large, roughly circular, stepped barrow, comprising a central mound or platform, beyond which lie, on NE half of monument, a ditch, outer bank and second ditch, and on SW half of monument, a broad ledge and outer ditch identical to second ditch on NE half. Overall diameter of the monument is 40.4m N-S x 40.2m E- W.   It is located at edge of state forestry plantation in grounds of the old Clanhugh Demesne, and there are mature deciduous trees associated with the demesne along its perimeter; in addition, SE half is densely overgrown with brambles and difficult to examine.   The central platform (Diam. 20m N-S x 21.5m E-W) is slightly dished, especially on NE side, and rises up to 0.70m above inner ditch on NNE side. The  inner ditch, which is raised well above external ground level, is up to 3m in width, flattish to flattened V-shaped in section, and, on NE side, reaches a maximum depth of  0.45m below and perpendicular to a line joining top of bank to upper surface of platform.   On S and W sides, where external ground level is much lower than elsewhere, central platform drops in a broad, shallow sweep down to a surrounding step or ledge.   On SW side, it rises 1.5m above this ledge and 3.2m above outer ditch.   At its broadest, on W side, the ledge is 7m in width and it reaches as high as 1.4m above ground level beyond outer ditch.  The shallow outer ditch, 2.2m in width, is best preserved on S and SW sides, but further traces are visible on E and NW sides. Bank on NE half of monument varies in width from 3.5 to 6.8m.  Where not obscured by vegetation, its   height above inner ditch varies from 0.10m on N side to 0.43m on NE side.   It rises up to 1.15m above outer ditch on NW side.   Ground around monument slopes down sharply to W, though much less so on other sides. Monument lies 21m N of NE shore of Lough Owel. Frewin Hill (WM011-133----) is prominent to SW from adjacent lakeshore, and the sites would be mutually visible across the lake but for the trees at Clanhugh Demesne.   There is an enormous, monumental bivallate ringfort (WM011-109----) in the forest c.0.45km to NNE'.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by David McGuinness.

Date of upload: 23 February 2015

References

McGuinness, D. 2012 The prehistoric burial mounds and related monument of County Westmeath. Part I - Preliminary account of the monuments in the Lough Owel Area (Barony of Corkaree and part of Barony of Moyashel & Magheradernon). Unpublished survey funded by Westmeath County Council in association with Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society.