Field system in Ferns Demesne

Located on either side of a NW-SE stream, on land that slopes down gently into its valley. A magnetic gradiometer survey (15R042) of about 4 ha (c. 10 acres) around St Mary’s Augustinian abbey (WX015-003004-) recorded some small enclosure (dims c. 30m x c. 20m) defined by single ditch features which might be animal pounds associated with the early monastery (WX015-003002-) of St Aidan (Dowling 2015, 9), while other linear ditch features probably represent a post-medieval field system of rectangular fields. A NW-SE roadway (Wth c. 7m; L 100m plus) defined by parallel ditches running outside the NE edge of the graveyard around the Cathedral (WX015-003003-) might be associated with these (ibid. 10). This field system can be extended to the area NE of the stream by ditch features recorded by a drone-mounted camera operated by Dinny Kinsella and Barry Lacey in July 2018, so this system covers a known area of about 8 ha (c. 20 acres), and more than one period of field formation is probably represented. A gradiometer survey (21R0297) by G. Dowling (2021, 18, Nos 3, 4) identified ditches relating to this field system also extending into the large triangular field (dims c. 365m NW-SE; c. 100m NE-SW at S) N of the N11. Included in this area is a subrectangular enclosure (dims c. 20m E-W; c. 12m E-W) defined by a single ditch that has a curved W edge and is open at E. This ditch produces strong magnetic responses indicating the presence of burnt or fired material in its fill. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 22 February 2019 Amended: 7 December 2021