Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on SW facing slope of a ridge running NW-SE, in pasture with extensive views to S, W and NW, overlooked by higher ground to NE and E. A ringfort (WM017-002----) lies c. 80m to NW. Depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map as a circular-shaped earthwork located within a small, roughly square-shaped field. Depicted on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map as a penannular-shaped earthwork which is open to SE and enclosed by field boundaries to NW, NE and SE.
Described in 1980 as a roughly broad oval-shaped enclosure (dims. 33m E-W; 27.5m N-S) enclosed by an inner bank, an intervening fosse and berm-like feature, an intervening counterscarp and an outer scarp. The enclosing elements have been levelled from SE-S-SW. The inner bank is low, poorly preserved and reduced to a scarp which is quite high and steep from WSW-W-N-E yet has been reduced to a very faint, low scarp, where levelled out from ESE-S-WSW. A flat, intervening fosse is present from WNW-N-E-SE and appears to have been backfilled to form a berm-like feature from SW-W-WNW. A low intervening counterscarp is also present outside the berm from SW-W-WNW. An outer, more irregular scarp is present from SW-W-NNE and may be an old field bank. There is no obvious sign of an entrance. A gap (Wth at top 4.50m; basal Wth 1.8m) in the bank at N is due to modern disturbance. The interior has a gentle S-facing slope and has an uneven surface. Modern field walls are located just outside the perimeter to NW, NE and SE. Monument is visible today as a tree-lined penannular-shaped earthwork, which is open to SE, on Digital Globe aerial photography.

Compiled by: Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien

Date of upload: 10 January 2019