Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

IR0741 The Doons, Leitrim (Fawnlion, Sramore)

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database LE010-085005 (None)

NMR:  LE 010 (None)

SM:  None

NGR:  None

X:  578842  Y:  837801  (IRENET95)

Summary

Multiple enclosure fort on prominent hill at the S edge of upland terrain. The site has a total footprint of approximately 1.3ha. There is a possible original entrance at the W comprising a simple break in the inner enclosing elements. Aerial photography has identified a possible enclosure, two hut sites and a possible kerb circle (Kytmannow et al. 2010). Inner enclosing elements form a complete circuit. Outer enclosing elements are apparent only at the N and E and are widely spaced. Hillfort under dense scrub overgrowth. First identified by Kytmannow et al. in 2010. Not depicted in any historic mapping.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -926730  Y:  7224995  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -8.324959720854167  Latitude:  54.28855070394458  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Republic of Ireland; None

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Leitrim

Historic County:  Leitrim

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Fawnlion

Monument Condition

Identified by aerial photography in 2010 by. Kytmannow et al. (2010).

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

None

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

Positioned on a prominent hill at the S edge of upland terrain. The hillfort surrounds a flat plateau and is enclosed on all sides by a steep break of slope. Overlooking low-lying terrain to S (Kytmannow et al. 2010).

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:  The Doons Hills.

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

Altitude:  275.0m

Boundary

The E section of the enclosing elements form the boundary between Fawnlion and Sramore townlands.

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

First identified by Kytmannow et al. in 2010. Not depicted in any historic mapping.

Investigations:
1st Identified Written Reference (2010):   Kytmannow et al.

Interior Features

Aerial photography has identified a possible enclosure, two hut sites and a possible kerb circle (Kytmannow et al. 2010).

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

NO APPARENT FEATURES

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

Entrances

Possible original entrance comprising a simple break in the inner enclosing elements at the W.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (West):   None

Enclosing Works

The inner enclosing element encloses a flat plateau. Approximately 17m outside of this, the remains of an outer enclosure is apparent at the N and E (Kytmannow et al. in 2010.).

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.86ha.
Area 2:   1.16ha.
Total:   1.16ha.

Total Footprint Area:  1.29ha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   The inner enclosing elements form a complete circuit. The outer enclosing element is only apparent at the N and E.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   2
SE Quadrant:   2
SW Quadrant:   1
NW Quadrant:   1
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

Not known

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 obvious ditch features recorded.

Number of Ditches:  0

Annex:
✗   None.

References

Kytmannow, T., Kahlert, T. and Hunt, C. 2010. The Doons hillfort. Archaeology Ireland 24 (3). 18-21.



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