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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Ringfort - rath

Castledown, County Westmeath, Ireland

The record

Townland
Castledown
County
Westmeath
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
Hachured
Latest-edition OS map
Hachured
Coordinates
53.52599, -7.23877
SMR number
WM020-065----

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

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (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 top of a prominent rise, in gently undulating pasture, with good views of the surrounding landscape. Depicted on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map as a circular-shaped earthwork. Monument described in 1970 as a much disturbed, roughly circular-shaped area (dims. 29.5m NE-SW and 27.5m NW-SE) enclosed by the remains of an earthen bank which is almost reduced to a scarp. The bank is best preserved from S-W and from N-E-ESE. The internal and external face has been steepened in relatively modern times. A gap (Wth at top 4.5m; basal Wth 1.8m) on the ESE may represent the entrance. A second gap (Wth at top 4.4m; basal Wth 1.6m) at WNW is closed by a gate and appears modern. There is no visible trace of an external fosse. The interior is used annually as a vegetable garden. The interior has a gentle SSW-facing slope. Monument is clearly 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: 05 July 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 Ringfort - rath in Westmeath All County Westmeath records All Ireland Heritage registers Historical markers (US)National Register of Historic Places (US)
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