Fairy fort / stone ringfort in Carran

On a gentle NW-facing slope in hazel and scrub, with a gryke (Wth c. 10m; D c. 1-2m) extending N-S immediately to the E. Hachured on the 1842 and 1920 eds. of the OS 6-inch map. This subcircular cashel (ext. dims. 28.6m ENE-WSW; 26m NNW-SSE) was constructed of a double-faced stone wall (Wth at NE 2m) that subsequently collapsed resulting in the present extensive stone spread (Wth 6.5-11.6m; int. H c. 0.3-0.9; ext. H 0.5-1.2m) that defines it. Traces of the original outer wall-face survive almost all around its circuit and is best preserved at S (max. ext. H 1m). The inner wall-face is most clearly visible at NE. Two amorphous depressions within the wall spill at SSE appear to be modern as does a small rectangular structure outside the wall-face at WNW, where the wall is particularly broken down. The original lintelled entrance (Wth 1.05m; est. min. H 2m) at S is mostly blocked by rubble. Wallace (1933, 247-8) noted that the doorway was capped with two large lintels, an outer lintel, with a smaller one below it that was separated from it by a course of stones, and an inner lintel. A third large lintel had fallen and was lying across the broken inner jamb of the doorway. On inspection the only change noted was that the stones between the outer lintel (L 2.7m; H 0.35m) and the smaller one (L c. 1.15m; Wth 0.23m; H 0.2m) beneath it were gone. A stone-lined passageway (L 3.5m; Wth 1.4m) extends into it into the cashel. There is a souterrain (CL009-106003-) in the N half of the interior. A substantial field wall extending northwards off the cashel at WNW may be associated with it, as may several other walls in its vicinity. Another cashel (CL009-106002-) lies c. 30m to the E. Compiled by: Olive Alcock and Conn Herriott Date of upload: 10 June 2022