County: Down Site name: CROSSNACREEVY
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Mr. Alan Harper, Historic Monuments Branch, Ministry of Finance
Site type: Ringfort - unclassified
Period/Dating: Early Medieval (AD 400-AD 1099)
ITM: E 739522m, N 870197m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.560844, -5.842706
The excavation of the ringfort at Crossnacreevy, Co. Down was necessitated by proposed demolition as part of a farm improvement scheme. The site had already suffered alteration because of the proximity of a now ruined farm cottage.
Topsoil on the site proved to be exceptionally deep thereby preserving much of the original structure. Two clay platforms were noted one of which had on it numerous postholes and a shallow gully. The clay platforms stood 20-35cm above the level of a cobbled surface, which fringed them. These platforms were clearly deliberately raised to provide a ‘dry’ plinth for a house. One of these platforms was carefully investigated: it had a ‘revetting’ of large stones, most of which had slipped or been displaced onto the cobbled surface. At one point a ramp of cobbles led up from the paving onto the house platform.
Finds included much souterrain ware together with a complete but broken stone lamp and a biconical green glass bead.
A narrow section was cut across the ditch bottom. The ditch proved to be over 2m deep below present field level and had a V-shaped profile.
