Knockdrum

Nearest town:
Castletowns_tempend (1km ENE)
OS reference:
W172310
OS sheet:
89
Latitude:
51° 31' 32.65 N
Longitude:
9° 11' 35.5 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Knockdrum (Stone Fort / Dun) by CianMcLiam

An interesting rock art panel that was found face down nearby, was once set overlooking the bay and then moved recently up against the entrance to the fort. It’s usually referred to as a cup-marked stone but as you can see it has rings near one corner, one of the cupmarks has a single wide pennanular ring that terminates in matching cup marks at each end.
This panel is comparable in style and execution with the panel from Gortbrack (now in UCC).

Image credit: Ken Williams/ShadowsandsandStone.com 2010
CianMcLiam
CianMcLiam Feb 7, 2010
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Articles

Knockdrum

B
Basho Jul 7, 2004
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I visited this site in June of 2004 ... it’s a nicely reconstructed fort with a neat souterrain and excellent views. While the souterrain was open for us, some have told me that they’ve found it locked.

The standing stone just inside of the entrance (and the altar stone just opposite, on the outside) are curiously placed, and had us wondering if they pre-dated the fort. I’m assuming that the standing stone, with its cross, was a pagan monument that fell victim to a monk many centuries later. If so, it’s one of the better examples of this I’ve seen.

As you leave down the stairs and the path, scan the hills to your left for the Fingers.

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Knockdrum

RedBrickDream
RedBrickDream Aug 26, 2002
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This is an enthusiastically reconstructed ring fort. Excavated by Boyle Somerville – who is buried with his sister, the novelist Edith Somerville in nearby Castletownsend – in the early 20th Century. The highlights of this site are the fine views of the sea to the south, the views of the three Gurranes fingers to the north, a cup-marked stone, a souterrain, and a cross-inscribed stone.

The souterrain was unlocked when we visited and I was able to crawl well inside both chambers to find two discarded crisp packets. They weren’t Somerville’s. The overall impression is of a site not disimilar to Carn Gluze at Cape Cornwall. The reconstructed walls and the impressive flight of steps make this place seem much more modern than it really is. The site would have been easily defended and nearby Gurranes acts as an impressive welcome or warning to visitors.

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Sites within 20km of Knockdrum

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