Ringfort - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on flat level pasture with good views in all directions. N bank of the River Deel located 40m to the S and Inan Bridge located 90m to the SW. Not depicted as an antiquity on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. On this map the possible monument is depicted as a roughly D-shaped well drained area that is defined by a dotted outline situated on the flat flooplains of the River Deel. This feature is depicted as an area of dry ground surrounded by wet poorly drained land. A similar area of dry ground (WM028-002----) is depicted 840m to the W also located on the floodplains N of the River Deel. Depicted as an antiquity on the OS Fair Plan map where it is annotated as a 'Fort'. On the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map a pathway is depicted running onto the dry ground from the road to the W. Depicted as a 'Danish Fort' on Larkin's 1808 map of County Westmeath (SMR File).
Possible monument consists of a large oval shaped area (dims. 80m NE-SW; 66m NW-SE) defined by a low poorly preserved earthen bank mainly reduced to a scarp with outer fosse and remains of an external bank. No entrance feature visible. The inner bank is only visible from NNE-E-ESE. The external bank is only visible from SW-W-NNW. The fosse is not visible SE-S-SW. A quarry hole has damaged the scarp from SW-W. Old pathway leading onto monument interior visible to W. Remains of cultivation ridges running NE-SW across the interior are visible. The remains of a sub-rectangular shaped annexe can be seen on the E side of the earthwork. The annexe consists of a sub-rectangular shaped area (dims. c. 24.5m N-S; 37m E-W) defined by a scarp and a narrow shallow fosse only visible from N-E, no entrance feature visible. This annexe appears to a be a later feature possibly of post-1700 date that was added onto the E side of the earthwork. The earthwork and annexe to E are clearly visible on the 2005 OSI aerial photographs.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 09 August 2013