Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

IR0692 Kilriffin, Meath (Drumran Hill, Sallybrook)

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database ME006-062001 (None)

NMR:  ME 006 (None)

SM:  None

NGR:  None

X:  687134  Y:  789850  (IRENET95)

Summary

Contour fort in commanding position surrounding summit of Drumran Hill, overlooking a tributary of the Garra River to N and W. Visible as vegetation mark in aerial photography, low level earthworks clearly survive on the N. Univallate for the entire circuit, aerial photography indicates that it comprises a bank with external ditch, with no apparent entrance features. It has a total site foot print of 1.3ha. A possible ring-ditch or hut structure is recorded at the centre of the hillfort. Forestry and scrub over NW section of enclosing elements. Possible annex abutting exterior of hillfort at N. There have been no archaeological investigations of this hillfort. The site is not depicted in any historic mapping.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -743136  Y:  7141950  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -6.675702827998405  Latitude:  53.85080159816529  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Republic of Ireland; None

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Meath

Historic County:  Meath

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Kilriffin

Monument Condition

Visible on aerial photography as a large circular enclosure in commanding hilltop position, but shadows and highlights on satellite imagery indicate it is extant in some sectors.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✓

Land Use

NW section of hillfort under forestry and dense scrub. Remainder in pasture.

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

Contour fort surrounding domed summit of Drumran Hill. In commanding position overlooking a tributary of the Garra River to 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:  Conical hill with domes summit.

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

Altitude:  73.0m

Boundary

The hillfort is bisected by the townland boundaries of Kilriffin and Sallybrook.

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:   None
Post Hillfort:   None

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

There have been no archaeological investigations of this hillfort. The site is not depicted in any historic mapping.

Investigations:No related records

Interior Features

Small circular enclosure at the center of hillfort, possibly a ring-ditch or hut structure.

Water Source

None

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

Surface

Small circular feature, possibly a ring-ditch or hut structure.

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

Visible in aerial photography as a circular vegetation mark, and shadows and highlights, comprising a bank and external ditch. Bank is, on average, 8m in width. Satellite imagery suggests the perimeter could be traced for the greater part of its circuit on the ground (SH). Possible annex abutting the exterior of enclosing elements to N.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   1.02ha.
Total:   1.02ha.

Total Footprint Area:  1.33ha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   1
SE Quadrant:   1
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:
✗   Possible annex visible on aerial photography abutting the N exterior of hillfort. Annex measures 37m in diameter and comprises a bank feature approximately 3.5m wide.

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


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