Windmill in Rath Hill

Situated at the crest of a slight slope down to the W on a fairly level landscape. Archaeological centre-line testing (04E0475) by E. Cotter (2004) prior to the construction of the M3 motorway identified a circular stone structure (excavations.ie: 2004:1320) and associated industrial activity that was fully excavated (E003040) by S. Elder (excavations.ie 2006:1626) as Rath Hill 1 in October-November 2006. The basal courses of a circular structure (int. diam. 4.4m E-W; 4.3m N-S; ext. diam. 6.4m E-W; 6.3m N-S) defined by a clay-bonded double-faced stone wall (Wth 1m) was recorded. There is an opening (Wth 1m) with an internal rebate marked by post-holes at NNW, and there are traces of another crudely blocked entrance at SSE. Deposits in the foundation trench included charred grains of oats, wheat and barley that returned a modern C14 date of 1670-1940 cal. AD. Deposits within the structure were rich in charcoal but a barbed and tanged arrowhead was amongst the medieval and post-medieval ceramics. A small area of charcoal (diam. 0.93m; D 0.03m) with iron slag produced a C14 date of 359-55 cal. BC. About 30m to the NW there was evidence of late medieval industrial activity which may be related. It consisted of a metaled surface (dims 3.92m x 2.08m) and a spread of burnt soil with metal slag. (Elder and O’Hara 2009) See the attached plan from Piera (2020, fig. 7) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 10 December 2021