Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Castledown

Situated on a prominent rise, in gently undulating pasture, with good views of the surrounding landscape. Depicted on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map as a suboval-shaped earthwork. Monument described in 1970 as the remains of a much disturbed oval-shaped area (dims. 47m NW-SE; 47m NE-SW) which is almost completely levelled across the NE half. It is enclosed by a steep bank from SE-S-W-N which is almost reduced to a scarp. The perimeter is not defined from N-E-SE where the monument levelled. There are traces of an external fosse from SE-S-W and a modern version from W-N. Elsewhere the fosse is missing where the ground around the base of the bank has been badly defaced by quarrying. The original entrance is not recognisable. The interior has a gentle SW-facing slope. A modern bank and trench run SE-NW across the interior, curving to W. There is a large quarry hole within the W quadrant. Monument is clearly visible today as an oval-shaped earthwork on Digital Globe aerial photography. Compiled by: Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 05 July 2019