Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

IR0674 Kill Hill, Kildare

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database KD020-001 (None)

NMR:  KD 020 (None)

SM:  None

NGR:  None

X:  694990  Y:  722858  (IRENET95)

Summary

Multiple enclosure surrounding the low, domed summit and W slopes of Kill hill. The site is situated at the NE foothills of the Wicklow Mountains and overlooks the town of Naas to the SW. The site comprises three widely spaced (on average 120m apart) concentric enclosing elements which are circular in plan, measuring approximately 593 meters in maximum diameter. The site has a total footprint of 26.2ha. The outer enclosing elements comprise earthen banks topped with modern hedges and are likely to have been altered. The middle enclosing elements are apparent in the N, however, the remainder of its circuit and inner enclosing elements have been levelled and are visible only in aerial photography. There are no recorded entrance features. A possible ring-barrow is located between the inner and middle enclosing elements in the E. Interior is under pasture. There is some partial scrub growth at W of interior. LiDAR survey by Ordnance Survey Ireland. No archaeological investigations of hillfort. Depicted in first and second edition Ordnance Survey maps as a series of curving field boundaries.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -732113  Y:  7028926  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -6.57668547334245  Latitude:  53.247581660237586  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Republic of Ireland; None

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Kildare

Historic County:  Kildare

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Kill Hill

Monument Condition

Outer enclosing element extant. N section of middle enclosing element extant. The remainder of the middle and inner enclosing elements are levelled and visible only as vegetation marks.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✓

Land Use

Partial scrub growth in W section of hillfort.

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

Large, multivallate hillfort surrounding the domed summit and W slopes of Kill Hill. The site is situated at the NE foothills of the Wicklow Mountains and overlooks the town of Naas to the SW, with panoramic views in all directions.

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:  Hilltop.

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

Altitude:  153.0m

Boundary

The NE section of the hillfort forms the townland boundary between Kill Hill and Boherphilip. The SE section of the hillfort forms the townland boundary between Kill Hill and Rathgorragh.

Boundary Type:  Parish/Townland


Dating Evidence

No dating evidence.

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:   Possible large ring-barrow in-between middle and outer enclosing elements to E. This monument may also be contemporary or later than the hillfort.
Post Hillfort:   None

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

LiDAR survey by Ordnance Survey Ireland. No archaeological investigations of hillfort. Depicted in first and second edition Ordnance Survey maps as a series of curving field boundaries.

Investigations:
LiDAR Survey (None):   Ordnance Survey ireland

Interior Features

Possible large ring-barrow in-between middle and outer enclosing elements to E. Post-Medieval quarry hollows to the W.

Water Source

None

Source:
None   ✓
Spring   ✗
Stream   ✗
Pool   ✗
Flush   ✗
Well   ✗
Other   ✗

Surface

Possible ring-barrow, Post-Medieval quarry hollows

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

Three widely spaced earthen banks with no apparent ditch features. These enclosing elements are concentric and circular in plan.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   1.44ha.
Area 2:   10.11ha.
Area 3:   26.26ha.
Total:   26.26ha.

Total Footprint Area:  26.26ha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   Aerial photography shows that all three of the enclosing features form complete citcuits.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   3
SE Quadrant:   3
SW Quadrant:   3
NW Quadrant:   3
Total:   3

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:
✗   No apparent ditch features.

Number of Ditches:  0

Annex:
✗   None.

References

No related records



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


Document Version 1.1