What is recorded here

Ovens are a low rectangular mound on a SW-facing slope in County Cork, Ireland, forty metres from a coastal promontory fort. Tradition claims Spanish use around 1600, though the stone-edged chamber and sunken cruciform passage offer no clear date or function. T. Boyle Somerville removed the earthen cover in the 1930s, exposing what maps once called Spanish Ovens but never explained.

In pasture, on SW-facing slope, 40m NE of coastal promontory fort (CO151-019001-). Low rectangular mound (5.3m E-W; 3m N-S), stone-edged at N, E and S; to W, sunken cruciform passage (L 3.1m; Wth 2.8m; D 0.78m), stone-faced. Formerly covered by earthen mound, removed by T. Boyle Somerville in 1930s. Depicted as small open rectangular structure, named 'Spanish Ovens' on OS 6-inch map (1842), and as two small square blocks, indicating a structure, on OS 6-inch map (1902). Date or function not evident from remains. According to Coleman (1922, 68), ovens used by Spanish c. 1600. Westropp (1914-16, 100-1) was of the opinion that the ovens was 'a small hut with two oblong rooms' used by the Spanish, but part of a pre-existing settlement. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 1: West Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1992). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

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