Enclosure in Bellarush

On a low rise on a natural promontory on the NW shoreline of Lough Arrow. A raised roughly oval area (24m NW-SE; 43m NE-SW) defined by arcs of two earthen banks with an intervening fosse and by a scarp adjacent to the shoreline. The curved inner bank (Wth 4m; int. H 1.1m; ext. H 2m) is evident NW-N, the intervening fosse (Wth 4m) is evident NW-NE and the outer bank (Wth 3m; int. H 0.2m; ext. H 1.4m) is evident NW-NE. A scarp (H 1.3m), faced with large boulders, defines the shoreline NE-SW. There is a possible entrance (Wth c. 10m) at NW between the shore to SW and the end of the bank to NW. The interior is level. A crannog (SL034-199----) in Lough Arrow lies c. 100m to SE. Subsequent to the site inspection, the earthen banks were levelled in May 2000 (pers. comm. C. Fredengren). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005). Date of upload: 18 January 2008