Ceremonial enclosure in Brewel West

Protected by Preservation Order No. 32/1976, together with the possible stone circle - ‘The Piper’s Stones’ (KD032-026002-) - it encloses. In pasture on the summit of Brewel Hill (OD 726 ft. / c. 221m). Four ringbarrows (KD032-022----, KD032-023----, KD032-024---- and KD032-025----) lie downslope to the NE and a possible cursus (KD032-058----) lies to the ESE. Monument described by FitzGerald (1896-9, 158) as being ‘encircled by a wide double entrenchment (now much levelled, and not marked on six inch Ordnance Survey map) is a group of four large boulders, of which two are granite, another of white quartz, and the fourth of red “pudding-stone”; they are known as the “Piper’s Stones” (KD032-026002-). In 1931 Walshe (1931, 126-7) recorded the monument as consisting of ‘a wide double entrenchment now much levelled, is a group of four large boulders (KD032-026002-) of which two are granite, another is of white quartz while the fourth is of red “pudding stone”. Locally they are known as the “Piper’s Stones”, the quartz one being called the “Piper’s Chair”, from the resemblance its form bears to that of a chair. Of the two granite stones, the smaller lies against the adjacent fence and appears as if it had been broken at some time. The large granite stone, the white quartz and the red pudding stone lie close to each other, but the smaller granite stone is some paces from its larger companion on the one side and the pudding stone on the other. The dimensions of these stones are: large granite stone 5 feet high; small granite stone 2½ feet high, white quartz stone 3 feet high. The red “pudding stone” is roughly oblong in shape and measures 5 feet 3 inches in length, 3 feet 9 inches in width and 3 feet in height. Near the white quartz stone, which occupies the central position, there is a small flat flag of granite. There is an incised hole in the larger granite boulder’. Described by the ASI in 1972 as following; ‘a roughly circular earthwork consisting of a fosse with a slight bank inside it. The earthwork is bisected by a field fence & ditch cutting through it on the east-west axis. In the southern half of the earthwork there are 4 large boulders. These stones form a semi-circle at the centre of the earthwork. This semicircle may once have formed a circle with stones in the northern half of the monument. The southern half of the monument has been planted with spruce trees within the last five or six years. These trees will form an impenetrable mass. The northern half of the monument is under pasture & there are no signs of boulders in this part of the monument. This earthwork is situated on a high hill with commanding views of the surrounding countryside. The diam. of the interior is 64m. The four large boulders in the southern half of the monument are set in a semi-circular depression which is surrounded by a low bank. There is no indication of a complimentary depression in the northern half of the monument’ (SMR File 16/10/1972). Described in 1980 by Geraldine Stout as consisting of ‘a circular ditch with internal bank, apparently causewayed in the NNE. This bank encloses the remnants of a circular embankment, which in turn would have enclosed five large quartz and conglomerate boulders, which may have formed a stone circle. The site has an overall diameter of c. 75m. The main circular ditch is defined by a brighter and sparser grass growth having an impressive width of c. 15m. The internal flat-topped bank, contiguous to the ditch, is defined in the south by a strong growth of furze which has aided its preservation. The internal enclosure is eccentrically placed inside the outer bank and ditch and has been partly denuded by a fir plantation and the construction of a field ditch. When complete this internal bank would have had a diameter of c. 26m. The remnants of the possible stone circle, which could have had a diameter of c. 16m, consists of irregularly shaped, huge boulders which vary in height from c. 1m to c. 1.6m’ (Unpublished M.A. Thesis; SMR File see attached plan taken from thesis). Present remains consist of a large circular area (int. diam. 39m; ext. diam 76m) enclosed by a low earthen bank (int. H 0.1-0.4m; Wth 7m; ext H over outer fosse 0.9m) and by a shallow outer fosse (Wth. at base 2.8m; D 0.4m). A denuded gap (Wth 3.7m) in the bank at NNE may be an original entrance? Internally, to SSE of centre, the remains of a smaller enclosure (est. original diam. c. 26m) survive as a curving arc of low bank (Wth. 6.4m; H 0.4m) traceable ESE-S-WSW, the line of which, however, is not concentric with the main enclosing bank outside. Remnants of a possible stone circle – ‘The Pipers’ Stones’ (KD032-026002-) – stand inside this second, small enclosure. A small coniferous plantation (E-W 60m; N-S 20m) is planted, inexplicably, across the interior of the monument. Prehistoric enclosures in Britain are known to have external fosses and the presence of an external fosse at Brewel need not disassociate this monument from the ‘henge’ tradition (pers. comm. Dr. G Stout). Recently described in the Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland as following; 'Near the modern village of Dunlarvin, a circular contour fort with a total site footprint of approximately 0.5ha in commanding position on an isolated hilltop overlooking level terrain in all directions. Univallate for the entire circuit with two simple entrance gaps in the N and SE. Circular earthwork enclosing a possible stone circle at S of fort interior. Enclosing elements survive well throughout. Interior under partial tree cover, the remainder of the monument is in pasture. First map depiction in second edition Ordnance Survey mapping. The fort is protected under the Preservation Order No. 32/1976 and forms part of a protected archaeological landscape comprising four ring barrows, a possible cursus and a large figure-of-eight enclosure. These monument lie with 600m of the contour fort.' (http://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk/records/IR0964.html). Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 23 March 2016 This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 32/1976).