Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Hopestown

Situated on SE facing slope of low rise of ground, in gently undulating pasture. Monument described in 1970 as a circular-shaped area (diam. 28m) enclosed by a substantial earthen bank and outer fosse. The bank is disturbed by quarrying from S-SSW. There is a small gap in the crest of the bank at NW, although a gap (Wth at top 6.3m; basal Wth 2m) at SE presumably marks the entrance. There is no definite trace of a causeway at SE but the fosse is defaced at this location and may have been removed. The external fosse is wide and U-shaped and is well preserved from SSW-W-N-E-SE and is defaced from SE-S-SSW. There is a slight counterscarp bank outside the fosse from NNE-E-ESE and the ground is disturbed outside the fosse at NW. The interior has a SE-facing slope and has vague indications of cultivation ridges running E-W. Monument is visible today as a circular-shaped earthwork on Digital Globe aerial photography. Compiled by: Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 12 February 2019