Satellite Imagery
Satellite Imagery
HER: Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database LA025-027001 (None)
NMR: LA 025 (None)
SM: None
NGR: None
X: 661408 Y: 686287 (IRENET95)
Large multiple enclosure surrounding the domed summit of Boley Hill, on the NE edge of the Castlecomber Hills. Widely spaced enclosing elements with a total site footprint of approximately 28.1ha. There is a simple break in the SW of the inner enclosing elements. Natural spring located in the ditch of the inner enclosing elements at the E. No evidence for any internal features on the surface. Inner rampart survives well throughout its circuit. The possible outer enclosing element survives as a curving field boundary in the W. This is concentric with the inner enclosing element. The remainder is likely to have been destroyed. Interior is under pasture. Tree cover within the interior of the inner enclosing elements. First map identification in first edition Ordnance Survey mapping. Monument survey by Sweetman et al. (1995, 16).
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -788895 Y: 6968933 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -7.086765888688995 Latitude: 52.92389378120125 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Republic of Ireland
Current County or Unitary Authority: Laois
Historic County: Laois
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Boley
Outer enclosing element has been levelled at the NE and SE.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✓ |
Interior of inner enclosing element under tree cover.
| Woodland | ✓ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Large multiple enclosure surrounding the domed summit of Boley Hill, on the NE edge of the Castlecomber Hills. The hillfort overlooks the Douglas River to the S and commands the valley to the S and SW.
| 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: Boley Hill.
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✓ |
Altitude: 222.0m
N/A
No dating evidence.
Reliability: D - None
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | None |
First map identification in first edition Ordnance Survey mapping. More detailed survey in second edition Ordnance Survey mapping. Both maps clearly depict the inner enclosing elements. The possible outer enclosing elements are apparent as a curving field boundary to the S, W and NW and were first identified by O'Driscoll in 2013. Monument survey by Sweetman et al. (1995, 16).
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1842): | First edition Ordnance Survey 6 inch mapping. |
| Other (1906): | Second edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch mapping. |
| Other (1995): | Monument survey by Sweetman et al. |
No evidence for any internal features on the surface.
Natural spring indicated on the first and second edition Ordnance Survey maps, located in the ditch of the inner enclosing elements at the E. Now covered by a modern pump house (Sweetman et al. 1995, 16).
| None | ✗ |
| Spring | ✓ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| 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 | ✗ |
None
| 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 | ✗ |
Simple break in inner enclosing elements at SW.
| 1: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (South west): | None |
Circular area defined by two widely spaced enclosing features separated by approximately 267m. The inner enclosing elements forms a complete circuit. The bank measures approximately 11m wide and approximately 3.5m high. There is an external ditch (Sweetman et al. 1995, 16). This has been backfilled in the NE. The possible outer enclosing elements are apparent at the S and W as a curving field boundary and were discovered by O'Driscoll in 2013.
| Area 1: | 1.05ha. |
| Area 2: | 28.12ha. |
| Total: | 28.12ha. |
Total Footprint Area: 28.12ha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✓ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SW Quadrant: | 2 |
| NW Quadrant: | 1 |
| Total: | 2 |
| Partial Univallate | ✓ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✓ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✓ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
None
| 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 |
| ✓ | External ditch in inner enclosing element. No identified ditch feature in outer enclosing element. |
Number of Ditches: 1
| ✗ | None. |
Sweetman, D., Alcock, O. and Moran, B. 1995. Archaeological Inventory of County Laois.-The Stationary Office, Dublin.
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