Barrow - bowl-barrow

The National Monuments Service's description

Surveyed in 2013 and described by McGuinness (2014, 63-4) as following: 'Roughly conical tumulus (Diam. 10.4m N-S x 8.9m E-W) with flattened summit and fairly well defined edge, up to 1.40m in height on N side; traces of a much-silted ditch are visible on the S and SE sides where it is up to 2.8m in width. Flattish summit of mound slopes down to NE, although the overall impression when seen from the SW end of the ridge is that the upper surface of the mound has been kept level in spite of the widely varying micro-topography.
Mound is located on NE summit of striking glacial landform comprising a NE-SW running ridge with high points at NE and SW ends and a saddle between, the overall feature appearing like a small steep hill rising from the broad summit of a larger hill. Faint curvilinear earthworks on SW summit, 38m from the mound-barrow, appear to indicate the presence of one or two barrows (WM018-146----). The entire basal perimeter of this landform has been delimited by a low bank, scarp or step, outside which is a much-silted ditch, best preserved on the SE side where it is 2.5m in width. The enclosure thus formed is roughly D-shaped (c. 100m NE-SW x c. 80m NW-SE). A low bank, with a possible ditch on its uphill SE side, runs in a SW direction from a point 4.2m NW of mound-barrow obliquely down the slope of NW side of ridge; where best preserved, near its ENE end, this is c. 2.4m in width and rises c. 0.35m above the ‘ditch’. Clearest for a 37m stretch, this appears to terminate before reaching the perimeter of the D-shaped enclosure, but at its NE end aerial photographs on the OSI website suggest that it might continue past the mound-barrow, partly clipping off a sector of the D-shaped enclosure on the NW side. Running from midway along the best-preserved stretch of this bank towards the mound-barrow, but not connected to either, is another stretch of low bank, best seen on OSI aerial photographs. Material has been removed from various parts of the ridge for sand or top-dressing, leaving large hollows. Monument is located on hilltop in lush pastureland, and but for trees the view would be extensive in all directions. On a low hilltop in Ballynaclin townland c. 1km to NE, across the valley through which the Royal Canal passes, is an enormous hengiform or barrow-like monument (WM018-134----) with a mound and other internal features (McGuinness 2012, 36-7).

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

Date of upload: 23 February 2015

References

McGuinness, D. 2014 The prehistoric burial mounds and related monuments of County Westmeath. Part II - Monuments in central Westmeath (Barony of Rathconrath and parts of baronies of Moygoish, Moycashel, and Moyashel & Magheradernon). Unpublished survey funded by Westmeath County Council in association with Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society.

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.