Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ringfort - rath
Hopestown, County Westmeath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Hopestown
- County
- Westmeath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Latest-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Coordinates
- 53.52084, -7.40458
- SMR number
- WM018-138----
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 SE facing slope of low rise of ground, in gently undulating pasture. Monument described in 1970 as a circular-shaped area (diam. 28m) enclosed by a substantial earthen bank and outer fosse. The bank is disturbed by quarrying from S-SSW. There is a small gap in the crest of the bank at NW, although a gap (Wth at top 6.3m; basal Wth 2m) at SE presumably marks the entrance. There is no definite trace of a causeway at SE but the fosse is defaced at this location and may have been removed. The external fosse is wide and U-shaped and is well preserved from SSW-W-N-E-SE and is defaced from SE-S-SSW. There is a slight counterscarp bank outside the fosse from NNE-E-ESE and the ground is disturbed outside the fosse at NW. The interior has a SE-facing slope and has vague indications of cultivation ridges running E-W. Monument is visible today as a circular-shaped earthwork on Digital Globe aerial photography.
Compiled by: Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien
Date of upload: 12 February 2019
Nearby in the register
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Earthworkunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.