Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

IR1052 Knockagh, Louth

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database LH003-041 (None)

NMR:  LH 003 (None)

SM:  None

NGR:  None

X:  699400  Y:  810660  (IRENET95)

Summary

Oval contour fort with a total site footprint of approximately 0.3ha positioned on the E side of ridge with sheer slopes all around. The fort overlooks Castletown River to the S and a number of small streams at the base of the hill to the NE. The site is defined by an earth and stone bank and shallow ditch at W that cuts off the W portion of the summit. The remainder of the fort is defined by sheer slopes to N, E and S (Buckley and Sweetman 1991). No evidence for any internal features on the surface. No obvious entrance features recorded. Interior and enclosing elements under dense tree cover. First map depiction and earthwork survey in second edition Ordnance Survey mapping. Site survey by Buckley and Sweetman (1991).

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -721637  Y:  7176889  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -6.482575988782771  Latitude:  54.035533799023355  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Republic of Ireland

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Louth

Historic County:  Louth

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Knockagh

Monument Condition

None

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

None

Current Use:
Woodland  
Commercial Forestry Plantation  
Parkland  
Pasture (Grazing)  
Arable  
Scrub/Bracken  
Bare Outcrop  
Heather/Moorland  
Heath  
Built-up  
Coastal Grassland  
Other  

Landscape

Hillfort Type

Inland promontory fort positioned on the E side of isolated hilltop with bank and ditch separating the E and W sections of the summit and sheer slopes defining the N, E and S portions of the site. Overlooking Castletown River to the S and a number of small streams at the base of the hill to the N.

Type:
Contour Fort  
Partial Contour Fort  
Promontory Fort  
Hillslope Fort  
Level Terrain Fort  
Marsh Fort  
Multiple Enclosure Fort  

Topographic Position

Position:
Hilltop  
Coastal Promontory  
Inland Promontory  
Valley Bottom  
Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop  
Ridge  
Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp  
Hillslope  
Lowland  
Spur  

Dominant Topographic Feature:  Isolated hilltop.

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  50.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

None.

Reliability:  D - None

Principal Activity:
Pre 1200BC  
1200BC - 800BC  
800BC - 400BC  
400BC - AD50  
AD50 - AD400  
AD400 - AD 800  
Post AD800  
Unknown  

Other Activity:
Pre Hillfort:   None
Post Hillfort:   None

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

First map depiction and earthwork survey in second edition Ordnance Survey mapping. Site survey by Buckley and Sweetman (1991).

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1906):   Second edition 25 inch Ordnance Survey mapping.
Other (1991):   Site survey by Buckley and Sweetman.

Interior Features

No evidence for any internal features on the surface.

Water Source

None

Source:
None  
Spring  
Stream  
Pool  
Flush  
Well  
Other  

Surface

None

Interior Features (Surface):
No Known Features  
Round Stone Structures  
Rectangular Stone Structures  
Curvilinear Platforms  
Other Roundhouse Evidence  
Pits  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  

Excavation

None

Interior Features (Excavation):
No Known Excavation  
Pits  
Postholes  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Roads/Tracks  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  
Nothing Found  

Geophysics

None

Interior Features (Geophysics):
No Known Geophysics  
Pits  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Roads/Tracks  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  
Nothing Found  

Finds

None

Interior (Finds):
No Known Finds  
Pottery  
Metal  
Metalworking  
Human Bones  
Animal Bones  
Lithics  
Environmental  
Other  

Aerial

NO APPARENT FEATURES

Interior Features (Aerial):
APs Not Checked  
None  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Pits  
Postholes  
Roads/Tracks  
Other  

Entrances

No obvious entrance features recorded.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
0:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:No related records

Enclosing Works

Oval area defined by an earthen bank and shallow ditch at W cuts of W portion of hill summit. The remainder of the fort is defined by sheer slopes to N, E and S (Buckley 1986). Buckley (1986) has noted the remains of a possible outer bank outside.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.1ha.
Total:   0.1ha.

Total Footprint Area:  0.27ha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   0
SE Quadrant:   0
SW Quadrant:   1
NW Quadrant:   1
Total:   1

Morphology

Current Morphology:
Partial Univallate  
Univallate  
Partial Bivallate  
Bivallate  
Partial Multivallate  
Multivallate  
Unknown  

Detailed Morphology:
Partial Univallate  
Univallate  
Partial Bivallate  
Bivallate  
Partial Multivallate  
Multivallate  

Surface Evidence

None

Enclosing Works (Surface):
None  
Earthen Bank  
Stone Wall  
Rubble  
Wall-walk  
Evidence of Timber  
Vitrification  
Other Burning  
Palisade  
Counter Scarp Bank  
Berm  
Unfinished  
Other  

Excavated Evidence

None

Enclosing Works (Excavation):
None  
Earthen Bank  
Stone Wall  
Murus Duplex  
Timber-framed  
Timber-laced  
Vitrification  
Other Burning  
Palisade  
Counter Scarp Bank  
Berm  
Unfinished  
No Known Excavation  
Other  

Other

Gang Working:
✗   None

Ditches:
✓   None

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None.

References

Buckley, V and Sweetman, D. 1991. Archaeological inventory of County Louth, 95. The stationary Office, Dublin.



Terms of Use

This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 and should be cited as:

Lock, Gary and Ralston, Ian. 2024. Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. Available at: https://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk


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