What is recorded here

Furnace in Brittas is a small workshop beside a large round-house on a peat crannog in County Meath. Its bowl-shaped pit, no wider than forty-five centimetres, still holds the ghost of heat: a ring of charcoal around a bloom, lined with calcareous mud. A crucible, mould fragments and a lead ingot lay nearby, suggesting someone there was shaping metal rather than merely burning it. The water may have hidden the place from later eyes, but it did not erase the purpose. For a time, Brittas was not only a home on the lake; it was a small forge where fire, skill and patience made useful things.

The third occupation level of the crannog is constructed on a peat base and was the first major level (Phase Y) encountered when the crannog was excavated. It consists of a large (ME005-088013-) and a small (ME005-088012-) hut, and a furnace. The furnace, contemporary with the large round-house was just to its W. It was a bowl-shaped depression (diam. 0.45m) lined with calcareous mud inside which was ring of charcoal around the bloom. Associated finds included charcoal spreads, a crucible, fragments of moulds and a lead ingot. (Bradley 1982-3, 28; 1991, 16; O’Sullivan 1998, 107-08) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 6 September 2018

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.