Satellite Imagery
Satellite Imagery
HER: Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database WI027-078001 (None)
NMR: WI 027 (None)
SM: None
NGR: None
X: 692384 Y: 691240 (IRENET95)
Contour fort surrounding all of Spinans Hill and enclosing the hillforts of Brusselstown Ring (Atlas No.0718) and Spinans Hill 1 (Atlas No.0726). Spinans Hill 2 is an extensive earthwork with a total site footprint of 131ha. This is the largest hillfort in Ireland and is one of nine hillforts comprising the Baltinglass hillfort cluster. Condit (1992, 19) has noted that there are Ça number of breaches' to the north which he believes are original entrance features. Bersu noted a possible roadway to the hillfort at the south-west corner of Brusselstown Ring (in Corlett and Weaver 2002, 504). There are up to 250 hut structures within the interior. These may be associated with Brusselstown Ring. Condit (1992, 20; 1998, 20) has recorded a possible passage tomb cemetery within the interior of the contour fort. This may be associated with Spinans Hill 1. Another cairn and enclosure have been recorded within the large contour fort (Condit 1992, 20). The ramparts survive well at the N and NW where it comprises a double bank with an intervening ditch, 15m in total width. The SE section of Spinans Hill 2 integrates a large portion of the outer enclosing element of Brusselstown Ring. The SW section of the enclosing elements of Spinans Hill 2 have been destroyed. The monument was only recently discovered by Condit (1992). Monument survey by Condit in 1998. GPS survey by O'Driscoll in 2014.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -737471 Y: 6976335 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -6.624813524969535 Latitude: 52.96396366093305 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Republic of Ireland; None
Current County or Unitary Authority: Wicklow
Historic County: Wicklow
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Spinans Middle
Extant at the N, E, SE and NW. Destroyed at the SW.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✓ |
None
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✓ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✓ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✓ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Contour fort surrounding all of Spinans Hill and enclosing the hillforts of Brusselstown Ring (Atlas No.0718) and Spinans Hill 1 (Atlas No.0726) at SW edge of Wicklow mountains. The hillfort surrounds two summits. Spinans Hill 2 is one of nine hillforts comprising the Baltinglass hillfort cluster.
| Contour Fort | ✓ |
| Partial Contour Fort | ✗ |
| Promontory Fort | ✗ |
| Hillslope Fort | ✗ |
| Level Terrain Fort | ✗ |
| Marsh Fort | ✗ |
| Multiple Enclosure Fort | ✗ |
| Hilltop | ✓ |
| Coastal Promontory | ✗ |
| Inland Promontory | ✗ |
| Valley Bottom | ✗ |
| Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop | ✗ |
| Ridge | ✗ |
| Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp | ✗ |
| Hillslope | ✗ |
| Lowland | ✗ |
| Spur | ✗ |
Dominant Topographic Feature: Spinans Hill.
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✓ |
Altitude: 409.0m
This large hillfort incorporates a number of inwnlands including; Brusselstown, Spinans Middle, Castlequater, Castlesallagh, Coolamaddra, Eadestown Hill, Moorstown, Spinans Hill and Ballyhubbock.
Boundary Type: Parish/Townland
No dating evidence.
Reliability: D - None
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort: | Stone axe found on Spinans Hill indicating Neolithic activity on the hill (Condit 1992 20). |
| Post Hillfort: | None |
The monument was only recently discovered by Condit (1992). There is no previous map depiction. Monument survey by Condit in 1992 and 1998. GPS survey by O'Driscoll in 2014 was the first survey to recorded the plan of the monument in full. Aerial photography by GSI.
| Other (1992): | Monument survey by Condit |
| Other (1998): | Monument survey by Condit |
| Other (2014): | GPS survey by O'Driscoll |
| Other (None): | GSI aerial photography. |
Spinans Hill 2 surrounds two other hillforts; the univallate contour fort Spinans Hill 1 and the bivallate multiple enclosure of Brusselstown Ring. Approximately 250 possible hut structures are immediately outside of the inner enclosure of Brusselstown Ring and inside Spinans Hill 2. Condit (1992, 20; 1998, 20) has recorded a possible passage tomb cemetery within Spinans Hill 1 hillfort. Another cairn within Spinans Hill 2 is now under forestry. Fifty meters to the NE, a 17m diameter circular enclosure located on level ground between two natural mounds has been interpreted as a possible ritual monument (Condit 1992, 20).
None
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Cairn and enclosure, and possible passage tomb cemetery within Spinans Hill 1
| No Known Features | ✗ |
| Round Stone Structures | ✓ |
| Rectangular Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Curvilinear Platforms | ✓ |
| Other Roundhouse Evidence | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✓ |
None
| No Known Excavation | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
None
| No Known Geophysics | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
Stone axe found on Spinans Hill indicating Neolithic activity on the hill (Condit 1992 20).
| No Known Finds | ✗ |
| Pottery | ✗ |
| Metal | ✗ |
| Metalworking | ✗ |
| Human Bones | ✗ |
| Animal Bones | ✗ |
| Lithics | ✗ |
| Environmental | ✗ |
| Other | ✓ |
NO APPARENT FEATURES
| APs Not Checked | ✓ |
| None | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Condit (1992, 19) has noted that there are Ça number of breaches to the north which he believes are original entrance features. These consist of three simple breaks in the enclosing elements.
| 3: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (North): | None |
| 2. Simple Gap (North): | None |
| 3. Simple Gap (North): | None |
Spinans Hill 2 is an extensive earthwork of 131ha in total area that surrounds Brusselstown Ring and Spinans Hill 1. It is most complete at the N and NW where it comprises a double bank with an intervening ditch, 15m in total width. Some sections of the banks are stone faced. The SE section of Spinans Hill 2 integrates a large portion of the outer enclosing element of Brusselstown Ring.
| Area 1: | 130.0ha. |
| Total: | 130.0ha. |
Total Footprint Area: 131.0ha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✗ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | 2 |
| SE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SW Quadrant: | 0 |
| NW Quadrant: | 2 |
| Total: | 2 |
| Partial Univallate | ✓ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✓ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
Stone-faced bank in some places
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✓ |
| Stone Wall | ✓ |
| Rubble | ✗ |
| Wall-walk | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✗ |
| Stone Wall | ✗ |
| Murus Duplex | ✗ |
| Timber-framed | ✗ |
| Timber-laced | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| No Known Excavation | ✓ |
| Other | ✗ |
| ✗ | None |
| ✓ | In some sections the enclosing elements consists of two banks with an intervening ditch. |
Number of Ditches: 1
| ✗ | None. |
Condit, T. 1992. Ireland's hillfort capital: Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow. Archaeology Ireland, 6 (3), 16-20.
Condit, T. 1998. Observations of the Baltinglass hillfort complex. Wicklow: Archaeology and History, 1, 9-25.
Corlett, C. and Weaver, M. 2002. The Liam Price Notebooks: the Placenames, Antiquities and Topography of County Wicklow, II. Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dublin.
O'Driscoll, J. 2014. Unpublished GPS survey report: Spinans hill 2, Co. Wicklow. UCC Cork, Dept of Archaeology.
Atlas of Hillforts:
Wikidata:
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