What is recorded here

No visible fort exists at Rockfield, only a hidden circular scar beneath ordinary pasture. That absence, not grandeur, is the feature: a small fortified place was erased from local memory and official mapping, then recovered through aerial photography. The land preserved the shape of human ambition long after witness and record disappeared.

In improved pasture, located on a prominent rise, utilising a natural fall of ground to NNE. Very good views N–E, less extensive over undulating terrain to S. Main road (N17) borders the W side of the field a few meters to W of the enclosure. This possible rath is not indicated on the OS 6-inch maps. It was identified from aerial photo (pers. comm. Gerry Walsh, 1993). The remains consist of a slightly raised, roughly circular area (c. 32m N–S; C. 33.5m E-W) defined NNW–NE by an earthen scarp (H 1.5m; Wth slope 1.8m), built up to compensate for the natural fall of ground, and elsewhere by a slight undulation marking a levelled bank/scarp. An occasional large stone protrudes from the scarp at N. Outside the scarp at N–NE there is a hint of a terrace (Wth c. 2m) that may preserve the line of an fosse/outer enclosing element. In the centre of the level interior, a slight, roughly circular (diam. c. 5-6m) rise can be discerned, to the N of which there is a slight dip in ground level. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 25 May 2022

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