Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

IOM4206 Cashtal Ree Gorree, Ayrshire (Balyhamig)

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Isle of Man 318 (None)

NMR:  None (8335)

SM:  None

NGR:  NX39120234

X:  239120  Y:  502340  (OSGB36)

Summary

Possible, but disputed, coastal promontory fort located on NW-facing neck of land of Gobb Gorrym on N coast of island. Sited on plateau edge overlooking sand dunes above natural re-entrant on SW and another (part destroyed) on NE. Steep natural drop on N and W. Good position for site and commanding views of section of The Ayres raised beach and E towards Blue Point and W in direction of The Lhen. Galloway coast clearly visible. Possible, irregular, 0.5m deep ditch cutting off promontory. Bank has been suggested, but no details. Disputed, and possibly natural feature according to RCHME 1984. Eroded and overgrown. Minimal investigations, undated. No further details. On OS 1" 7th series map (1957).

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Unconfirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Unconfirmed

Location

X:  -498638  Y:  7244569  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -4.479338834975413  Latitude:  54.39105987379511  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Isle of Man

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Ayre

Historic County:  Ayrshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Andreas

Monument Condition

Cannot be determined at present. Eroded.

Condition:
Extant   ✗
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✓

Land Use

Overgrown.

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

Possible, but disputed, coastal promontory fort located on NW-facing neck of land of Gobb Gorrym on N coast of island. Sited on plateau edge overlooking sand dunes above natural re-entrant on SW and another (part destroyed) on NE. Steep natural drop on N and W.

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:  Coastal promontory

Aspect:
North   ✗
Northeast   ✗
East   ✗
Southeast   ✗
South   ✗
Southwest   ✗
West   ✗
Northwest   ✓
Level   ✗

Altitude:  15.0m

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

Possible name 'Balyhamig' reference 1515. Ordnance Survy work 1955, on 1" 7th series (1957). RCHME field investigation, P.J. Fowler 1984. Field survey J. Woodcock 1999. Field visit Universitry of Liverpool 2010.

Investigations:
1st Identified Written Reference (1515):   Possible name 'Balyhamig' reference 1515
1st Identified Map Depiction (1957):   None
Other (1984):   RCHM field investigation, P.J. Fowler.
Other (1999):   Field survey J. Woodcock.
Other (2010):   Field visit University of Liverpool.

Interior Features

None.

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

None

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

Entrances

None defined.

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

Possible, irregular, 0.5m deep ditch cutting off promontory. Bank has been suggested, but no details.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   Noneha.
Total:   Noneha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Area not defined.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   Bank has been suggested, but no details.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   None
SE Quadrant:   None
SW Quadrant:   None
NW Quadrant:   None
Total:   None

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:
✓   Possible 0.5m deep ditch.

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

Bersu, G. 1949. A promontory fort on the shore of Ramsey Bay, Isle of Man, Antiq J, XXIX, 78.



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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