Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

NI0789 Derrynaseer, Antrim

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Northern Ireland Sites and Monuments Record ANT066:001 (None)

NMR:  ANT 066 (None)

SM:  ANT 66:1

NGR:  None

X:  710547  Y:  863598  (IRENET95)

Summary

Positioned at the W edge of a ridge of hills, this univallate contour fort surrounds the slightly domed summit of a hill with excellent views in all directions. There is a simple gap entrance on the S, where rampart survives well. No evidence for any internal features on the surface. Site encroached upon on the N by development that has extended into a large section of the interior of the fort. Development abutting the enclosing elements at S. Visible in first edition Ordnance Survey maps. Ordnance Survey memoirs record that the site was used as a race course until the late eighteenth century (Fagan 1838, 26).

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -700527  Y:  7267099  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -6.292943889771446  Latitude:  54.508733945011926  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Northern Ireland; None

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Antrim

Historic County:  Antrim

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Aghagallon; Aghallon

Monument Condition

Site encroached upon at NW by church, graveyard, school and car park. S section of enclosing elements extant.

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 at the W edge of a ridge of hills, univallate contour fort surrounds the slightly domed summit of hill with excellent views in all directions. Overlooking Lough Neagh to W and NW.

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:  Ridge of hills.

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

Altitude:  35.0m

Boundary

The S section of the enclosing elements form the boundary between the Derrynaseer and Aghallon 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

Visible in first edition Ordnance Survey maps as a hachured, circular enclosure. Ordnance Survey memoirs record that the site was used as a race course until the late eighteenth century (Fagan 1838, 26).

Investigations:
1st Identified Written Reference (1838):   Fagan
1st Identified Map Depiction (1842):   First edition Ordnance Survey mapping.

Interior Features

The interior at the NW has been developed. No evidence for any internal features on the surface in the remainder of the interior.

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 at the S, comprising a simple break in the enclosing elements.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (South):   None

Enclosing Works

Rampart preserved on the E, S and W. It comprises an earthen bank 1.2m high and 2.8m wide. Ordnance Survey maps indicate the monument probably formed a complete circuit.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   1.44ha.
Total:   1.44ha.

Total Footprint Area:  1.77ha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   None

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

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:
✗   No obvious ditch features recorded.

Number of Ditches:  0

Annex:
✗   None.

References

Fagan, T. 1938. O.S. Memoirs.



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