Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Hopestown

Situated on a low ridge, in pasture, with good views to the S, but limited elsewhere. Depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map as a subcircular-shaped earthwork. Depicted on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map as a suboval-shaped earthwork. Monument described in 1981 as a subcircular-shaped area enclosed by a bank, intervening fosse and the remains of an outer bank. The inner bank of earth and stone is best preserved from NNE-S-SSE and from S-W-NW, although it is reduced to a defaced scarp from NW-N-NNE. There are a number of large stones visible in the bank at S, W and NW, yet there is no trace of a stone facing. There is a causewayed entrance at SSE, where there is a gap (Wth at top 7m; basal Wth 3.6m) in the inner bank and a broad, low causeway (Wth at top 4.4m; overall Wth 8.2m; max. H 1m) over the fosse. There is also a small disturbance gap in the inner bank at WNW. The fosse is well preserved all around the perimeter and is relatively wide and deep. The outer bank of earth and stone is fairly well preserved from W-NNW, but is much lower from NNW-N-NNE, where it has the appearance of having been straightened. A quarry depression has defaced the bank at NNE. A well preserved bank resumes from NNE-E-SE. A modern field fence running NE-SW has defaced the outer bank at SE and it has been defaced by digging from S-W. The interior has a general SE-facing slope. A house site (WM018-144001-) is located on a raised platform in the NW quadrant. There are traces of old cultivation ridges running NNE-WSW across the remainder of the interior. Monument is visible today as a subcircular-shaped enclosure on Digital Globe aerial photography. See attached plan and profile of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI. Compiled by: Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 12 February 2019