Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

IR0704 Carrownrush, Sligo (Carrowmably, Carrowrush)

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database SL012-008001 (None)

NMR:  SL 012 (None)

SM:  None

NGR:  None

X:  542685  Y:  835054  (IRENET95)

Summary

Contour fort at summit of hilltop at NE edge of steep slope, overlooking Sligo coastline with panoramic views from the summit. Hillfort approximately 1.6ha in total size and comprising two closely set banks with an intervening ditch. Napoleonic era signal tower at highest point within hillfort. Large enclosure at centre of interior. If this is contemporary, the hillfort may be more appropriately classed as a multiple enclosure. The inner bank is largely destroyed and is best preserved at the NW. The outer bank survives for most of its circuit. Some scrub growth on outer bank. First identified by the Ordnance Survey in 1842. More detailed earthwork survey published in the second edition 25 inch Ordnance Survey mapping in 1906.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -988485  Y:  7219761  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -8.879709354183738  Latitude:  54.2610959858739  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Republic of Ireland; None

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Sligo

Historic County:  Sligo

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Carrownrush; Carrowmably

Monument Condition

None

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Some scrub growth on outer bank.

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 at summit of hilltop at NE edge of steep slope, overlooking Sligo coastline with panoramic views from the summit. The site is positioned approximately 750m to the W of the coastline.

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:  82.0m

Boundary

The townland boundaries of Carrowmably and Carrowrush bisect the hillfort.

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:   Napoleonic signal tower

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

First identified by the Ordnance Survey in 1842. More detailed earthwork survey published in the second edition 25 inch Ordnance Survey mapping in 1906.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1842):   First edition Ordnance Survey 6 inch mapping.
Earthwork Survey (1906):   Second edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch mapping.

Interior Features

Large circular enclosure visible in aerial photography, about 55m in diameter, positioned at center of hillfort. If this is contemporary, the hillfort may be more appropriately classes as a multiple enclosure. Napoleonic era signal tower at highest point within hillfort.

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

Large enclosure.

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

Entrances

Two simple gaps in enclosing elements at SW and NW may be original. Third possible entrance approximately 16m in width comprising a break in the enclosing elements at SE.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
3:   Third possible entrance approximately 16m in width comprising a break in the enclosing elements at SE. This may be a later feature.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (South west):   None
2. Simple Gap (North west):   None

Enclosing Works

Bivallate, closely spaced enclosing elements. Inner enclosing feature most complete at N where is comprises a bank 4.5m wide with an external ditch approximately 4m wide. The remainder of its circuit has been levelled. A second enclosing element of this circuit comprises a bank 7m wide with no obvious external ditch. The bank is complete for its entire circuit.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.23ha.
Area 2:   1.09ha.
Total:   1.09ha.

Total Footprint Area:  1.56ha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   2
SE Quadrant:   2
SW Quadrant:   2
NW Quadrant:   2
Total:   2

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

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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