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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Enclosure - large enclosure

MacEtown, County Westmeath, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Enclosure - large enclosure, MacEtown, County Westmeath, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Townland
MacEtown
County
Westmeath
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
Partially hachured
Latest-edition OS map
Not indicated
Coordinates
53.54297, -7.27883
SMR number
WM019-043----

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1790 map "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1811 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on the NNE side of a ridge, in pasture and overlooking bog to N. Depicted as a large partially levelled enclosure, extending across three fields, on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map.
Monument described in 1972 as a very extensive earthwork complex. The main element is a substantial horseshoe-shaped rampart defined by an external fosse. The rampart consists of an earthen bank visible from NE-E-S-W-NW which is reduced to a scarp in places and which has external stone facing. The external fosse is visible from E-S-W-NW. There is a short portion of a substantial inner bank at W with a trace of an intervening fosse, outside of which is the main rampart and external fosse (see measured profile K-L, SMR file). There is no visible trace of the rampart or fosse from NW-N-E. The fosse was dug into the W side of a small steep, natural rise on the E side of the rampart, where it extends beyond the lower edge of the water scarp. A much disturbed gap at ESE may represent a formal entrance. There is a causeway across the fosse at SSW which appears modern. There is another modern gap and causeway at S. A low lying marshy hollow extends from the edge of the raised bog into the rampart interior at NE and may represent a turlough. This hollow occupies the NE and E quadrant of the interior. It is defined by the earthen bank of the rampart from NE-E-SE and by a water scarp on the interior from S-W-NW. The interior is very uneven, having natural scarps and outcrop. A natural slope near the centre appears to have been steepened artificially. Two relatively modern earthen field fences running NNE-SSW cross the monument. There are a series of earthworks (WM019-043----) in the vicinity and a house site (WM019-043002-) to S. Monument is visible on Digital Globe aerial photography as a C-shaped tree-lined earthwork.

See attached plan and profile of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI.

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

Date of upload: 03 April 2019

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Sites and Monuments Record data: National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Record text is reproduced unchanged. National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland · CC BY 4.0
All Enclosure - large enclosure in Westmeath All County Westmeath records All Ireland Heritage registers Historical markers (US)National Register of Historic Places (US)
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