Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ringfort - rath
Walterstown, County Westmeath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Walterstown
- County
- Westmeath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Latest-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Coordinates
- 53.44148, -7.36586
- SMR number
- WM033-005----
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
This monument was inspected in 1976 and described as a ringfort situated on a small natural hillock which is surrounded by low-lying marshy land. Old field boundaries running roughly E-W can be seen to the S of the ringfort and a deep drain running N-S is located to the E. Monument consists of a roughly circular area (diam. 31.5m N-S; 34m E-W) enclosed by an earth and stone bank with external fosse and a low outer bank. The banks and fosse are best preserved from S-W. The fosse is barely visible at E where the bank is well preserved. The internal bank is not visible at N. The remains of an original causewayed stone-lined entrance (Wth 2.2m) can be seen at S. Adjoining the W side of the ringfort are the remains of a roughly crescent-shaped area defined by a slight scarp. It is not clear if this crescent-shaped area is the remains of an original feature or the remains of an old field drain, a number of which are visible to the N and W of the monument. The embankment of the ringfort is defaced at N where there is a large depression running along the edge. Further damage to the bank has been caused by livestock poaching. A shallow depression (L. c. 22.5m; Wth. 5.2m; D 1.45m) running along the inner face of the bank from the entrance gap to the E may be the remains of a collapsed souterrain (WM003-005001-)' (SMR file).
Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 02 July 2013
Nearby in the register
- Souterrainunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - unclassifiedunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - unclassifiedunder 1 mi
- Field systemunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.