Earthwork in Rathmeel

In pasture, located on elevated ground on N side of a narrow stream valley. A field drain lies immediately to W, bordering the garden of a modern two-storey house. To SE there is a spring well in a concrete housing. This monument is shown on the 1837 OS 6-inch map as a small circular enclosure or earthwork, and on the 1930 edition as a roughly circular hachured feature (diam. c. 10m). It consists of a low, D-shaped earthen platform (c.7m E-W; 4.5m N-S; H 0.2-0.3m) defined on the curving N side by a slightly raised rim (Wth c. 0.5-0.7m), incorporating a few stones, and truncated on the straight side to S by modern disturbance. Its original form and function is unclear. According to local information, an area of disturbed ground immediately to SE-S was used in the 1940’s as a pond for soaking flax, but has since been partly infilled. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 16 April 2018