Enclosure in Castletown (castletownarra Par.)

A rectilinear ditched enclosure, of uncertain date, is visible as a cropmark on Bing aerial photographs dating from 2012 (http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=52.882189~-8.395395&lvl=17&dir=0&sty=h&form=LMLTCC , accessed 05 February 2012). The monument is located 170m E of the shoreline of Lough Derg. Nearby monuments include a medieval church (TN019-002001-) 150m to N, a possible medieval mill site (TN019-003----) 190m to the NNE and a medieval castle site (TN019-004----) 220m to the E. The enclosure which is aligned ENE-WSW on a similar axis to the nearby church is bisected by a field boundary running from NNE-SSW. The cropmark is best visible on the W side of this field boundary. The cropmark comprises of an inner bank and external ditch which defines a rectangular-shaped area. There is the cropmark of a possible trackway connecting the E angle of this enclosure with the medieval castle site (TN019-004----) to the E. The close proximity of the church, mill and castle suggests a possible relationship between these monuments. The rectilinear shape of the monument along with its close proximity to the medieval church (TN019-002001-), mill (TN019-003----) and castle (TN019-004----) suggests that this cropmark could be the remains of a medieval moated grange, or moated house. Alternatively the enclosure may be associated with ‘the Slate house’ or ‘Garden & orchard’ that is mentioned in the 1654-56 Civil Survey description of the Parish of Castletowne. The 1654-56 Civil Survey recorded that in this townland stood the ‘Castle of Castletowne (TN019-004----) sctiated close by the Shannon together with a barbicon & a Slate house (TN019-001001-) as alsoe a Garden & an Orchard a watermill (TN019-003----) and eight thatch tennem[en]ts, there also standeth the Parish Church of Castletowne (TN019-002001-)’ (Simington 1934 vol. 2, 153). Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 05 February 2013