Satellite Imagery
Satellite Imagery
HER: Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database CO144-041001 (None)
NMR: CO 144 (None)
SM: None
NGR: None
X: 536318 Y: 532366 (IRENET95)
This coastal promontory is situated c. 2km S of Ardfield town on the W coast of Co. Cork in the townland of Dunowen. The site is indicated on the first edition OS 6-inch map (1842) as the site of Dunowen Castle. A rectangular area (up to 21m N/S; c. 22m E/W) enclosed by grass-grown walls probably represents the remains of the castle on the top of the promontory, which projects SW into the Atlantic at an altitude of 9m OD, and has an overall site footprint of 0.21ha. Seaward end of the promontory slopes down steeply to the W to exposed rock below. There is a sheer drop on the E side. The neck of the headland, on the NE, is crossed by a rock-cut ditch running at an angle with a depth of 4m. Directly inside are the remains of Dunowen Castle (CO144-041002). Westropp notes that the headland had a 'natural hollow which was deepened into a straight scarped fosse cut through the rock, about 48 feet long, 8 feet deep, and 12 feet to 15 feet wide; the ends abut on precipices and steep grassy slopes' (1914, 106). He also observed that the E end was revetted with masonry and 'there was probably a bridge or drawbridge here' (1914, 106). These remains probably relate to the Later Medieval defences. According to Westropp (1914, 106) a decayed human skeleton was found under a slab at Dunowen Castle (CO144-041002) 'about forty years ago by a one William Donovan'. The site is currently under pasture.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -992753 Y: 6717424 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -8.918056009109835 Latitude: 51.540274211982855 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Republic of Ireland
Current County or Unitary Authority: Cork
Historic County: Cork
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Dunowen
The site survives in relatively good condition
| 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 | ✗ |
The fort can be described as a rectangular area projecting SW into the Atlantic at an altitude of 9m OD. Seaward end of promontory slopes down steeply to W to exposed, eroding rock. There is a sheer drop on the E side.
| 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: None
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✓ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✗ |
Altitude: 9.0m
N/A
There is no dating for the site.
Reliability: D - None
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | Remains of possible medieval castle immediately inside defences of coastal promontory fort. Trapezoidal area (max. N-S 21m; min. N-S 17m: max. E-W 22m; min. E-W 16m) enclosed by low grass-covered walls. Stonework at NW angle (H c. 1m) marks corner of castle; some stone facing preserved along W side |
The site is indicated on the first edition OS s-inch map as the site of Dunowen Castle. Surveyed by Westropp who noted that the headland had a 'natural hollow which was deepened into a straight scarped fosse cut through the rock, about 48 feet long, 8 feet deep, and 12 feet to 15 feet wide; the ends abut on precipices and steep grassy slopes' (1914, 106). Site was subsequently visited and inspected by the Cork Archaeological survey in 1986 (Power et al. 1992).
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1842): | OS six-inch mapping |
| 1st Identified Written Reference (1914): | Westropp |
| Earthwork Survey (1986): | Cork Archaeological Survey |
There are no internal features relating to the earliest phase of activity on the site. Remains of possible medieval castle immediately inside defences of coastal promontory fort.
None
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Remains of possible medieval castle immediately inside defences of coastal promontory fort. Trapezoidal area (max. N-S 21m; min. N-S 17m: max. E-W 22m; min. E-W 16m) enclosed by low grass-covered walls.
| 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 | ✗ |
According to Westropp (1914, 106) a decayed human skeleton was found under a slab at Dunowen Castle (CO144-041002) 'about forty years ago by a one William Donovan'. Although it cannot be confirmed, these remains probably related to Later Medieval phase of activity.
| 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 | ✗ |
The neck of the headland is crossed by a single fosse where there is no evidence of an entrance relating to the earliest phase activity. Westropp observed that the E end was revetted with masonry and 'there was probably a bridge or drawbridge here' (1914, 106). These remains probably relate to the Later Medieval defences.
| 0: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
The neck of the headland, at N, is crossed by a rock-cut ditch running at an angle with a depth of 4m. There are no recorded banks.
| Area 1: | 0.17ha. |
| Total: | 0.17ha. |
Total Footprint Area: 0.21ha.
None
| ✗ | Seaward end of promontory slopes down steeply to W to exposed, eroding rock below. It is possible that the headland was once larger at this area but has since been eroded by the sea. |
| ✗ | Only the ditch remains of any earlier defences |
| NE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SE Quadrant: | 0 |
| SW Quadrant: | 0 |
| NW Quadrant: | 0 |
| Total: | 1 |
| 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 |
| ✓ | The neck of the headland, at N angle, is crossed by a rock-cut ditch with a depth of 4m. |
Number of Ditches: 1
| ✗ | None |
Power, D., Byrne, E., Egan, U., Lane, S., and Sleeman, M. 1992. Archaeological Inventory of County Cork Volume 1: West Cork, 126-130. The stationary Office, Dublin.
Westropp, T.J. 1914. Fortified headlands and castles on the south coast of Munster. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 32C, 104-105.
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