Discover Alone, back to main map

Castle

Castle, ringwork
Castle
Report the wrong picture

What is recorded here

Castle is a circular ringwork on a gentle slope beside the Blessington Reservoir, where water has already taken the southern ditch. Its broad banks and deep fosse still mark a compact defensive space, though no entrance or internal feature remains visible. Limited excavation found two hearths and a stone-lined drainage gully, suggesting people lived there rather than merely passing by. The reservoir now presses close, erasing what it touches and leaving the northern earthworks to hold the shape of a forgotten home.
Situated on a gentle S/SW-facing slope, on the edge of the Blessington Reservoir which has encroached on the site from S-SE. Circular area (diam. 52m; max. ext. diam. 85m) defined by a bank (Wth 6m; int. H 1-1.5m), an external fosse (everywhere except at the S where it has been washed away) (Wth 9m; D 0.5-1.6m) and an outer counterscarp bank (Wth 9m; H 1-1.8m) from W-NNE. No indication of an entrance or internal features. Limited excavation revealed two hearths and a simple stone lined drainage gully (Macalister 1943, 147-9). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 12 June 2012 Revised by: Claire Breen

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.

What survives
Recorded monument

Places near here

Add to this placeAdd a picture Comment or add a tip

Explore 1,118,481 places

Other information

Photo: Credit not shown in the picture search · Rights wording not checked; contact us if this picture should be removed