Oval Structure

cfuserkildare

Hi,

Can anybody down Wicklow direction have a look at the following and let us all know what it might be?

http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,730270,695385,7,4

Have been told twice by Official Sources that it is most likely a duck pond, but even those same sources state that it may be a bit too big.

Cheers.

slowburner

I'm pretty sure we discussed this particular 'enclosure' before.
It was visited on the 6th of March 2011 by staff of the NMS who concluded that it is a modern feature.
It was almost definitely, a duck pond - now overgrown.
There is no predefined size for duck ponds, by the way, they can be whatever size the landowner wants, so the size of the earthwork here doesn't cast any doubt on its probable modernity.
I happen to know this area fairly well - many of the landowners hereabouts, used to have wildfowl shoots and often mucked about with the banks and tidal waters of this estuary.
Probably best to forget about this one, and keep looking elsewhere

If you check the OSI mapping, you'll see that that no earthwork exists in this location on either the first or second edition maps.


Plug in W1025-089 here to read about the site visit.

cfuserkildare

Hi Slowburner,

Here is the response I received from Museum.ie representative who also thought that it was highly unlikely to be a "Duck Pond" due to the scale of the structure.

Dear XXXXX,
I spoke to my colleagues in Archaeology and also checked on various historic maps and there is no specific record. I then contacted the guy who is most knowledgeable about Wicklow archaeology, working in the National Monuments Division of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht and he replied thus: I do know the site and have walked out to it - it is actually very difficult to see on the ground because the rushes are so high. To be honest I am a little puzzled by it, but I suspect that it is an 18th century landscape feature - most likely a duck shooting pond, or something along those lines. This is the best answer I can get for you, as XXXXXX XXXXXXX is the recognised authority on Wicklow archaeological sites.

I have edited out names to retain anonymity.

Also I have to wonder why with the proximity of both fresh and salt water, an artificial pond would be required.?

Cheers.

dr gonzo

I dont understand your confusion cfuserkildare. SB has confirmed through his study and knowledge of the local area that its most likely a duck pond, as have the NMS. Its not on the historic 6", and your NMI representative, who you say claims its "highly unlikely to be a duck pond" goes on to say that he suspects it actually is in the email you are citing... Youre really hanging onto this feature

The Irish landscape is absolutely littered with unrecorded monuments. By all accounts this is nothing of interest, so it might be time to keep scrolling.

cfuserkildare

Hi dr gonzo,

That was my fault,
I was quoting the wrong person,
The contact that I said doubted the duck pond then forwarded my enquiry to the person whom I quoted.

My error which caused the confusion.

slowburner

If that earthwork is earlier than the C19th, I'll eat humble pie. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's latter half C20th.
I suspect it was constructed with modern plant; a track machine, or some such.

Duck ponds in such an environment, would be constructed to retain water from the ebbing tide. This would create an attraction for wildfowl. Whether or not those fowl were hunted or observed, I can't say for sure.
Perhaps it had some other purpose such as a mooring for a punt, or ornamentation, I don't know, but I wouldn't waste any time on it.

I'll mention it to Mr. X from DAHG, who I'll be out and about with shortly.

Honestly CF, there are plenty of much more interesting things yet to be found, keep at it.

Briskit

slowburner wrote: »

If that earthwork is earlier than the C19th, I'll eat humble pie. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's latter half C20th.
I suspect it was constructed with modern plant; a track machine, or some such.

Duck ponds in such an environment, would be constructed to retain water from the ebbing tide. This would create an attraction for wildfowl. Whether or not those fowl were hunted or observed, I can't say for sure.
Perhaps it had some other purpose such as a mooring for a punt, or ornamentation, I don't know, but I wouldn't waste any time on it.

I'll mention it to Mr. X from DAHG, who I'll be out and about with shortly.

Honestly CF, there are plenty of much more interesting things yet to be found, keep at it.

A wonderfully educational and informatory piece of writing there slowburner... enjoyed the maxtrix-like high intensity absorbtion of new materials (especially when presented with maps).... nice to have the ordinance survey historic and contemporary aspects to compare and contrast.

Found it a treat to visit and revisit this thread and another one about lidar technology.. both home-made style and deluxe... both virtuous in their application and nature...

cfuserkildare

Hi Again,

I know Slowburner will think me a proper pain in the "Donkey", but can somebody tell me whether the water level around that area has risen markedly in the last couple of hundred years, I was wondering as it looks like the levels have come up on the field next door.

Again I am not trying to be a pain, just want to be thorough about this since I have seen so much lost in the last 2 decades.

Cheers.

slowburner

Sea levels have risen dramatically on the east coast in recent years.
The Murrough and Broad Lough don't show the effects as much as exposed coastal zones.

cfuserkildare

Yeh I thought that,

So if sea-levels have risen substantially, then that would place the item well above sea level.

Interesting.

Also am I correct in thinking that the whole " pond" is on an incline? ( Second hand information )

Have also noticed several other objects in that general area.

Cheers.

slowburner

cfuserkildare wrote: »

Yeh I thought that,

So if sea-levels have risen substantially, then that would place the item well above sea level.

Interesting.

Also am I correct in thinking that the whole " pond" is on an incline? ( Second hand information )

Have also noticed several other objects in that general area.

Cheers.

Off the top of my head, the area would be between 3-6 m above the low water mark, and a few cm above the high water mark, if any.
The tidal waters of Broad Lough ebb southward, and flow northward.
The lough was formed by the impoundment of the river Vartry's waters when a massive shingle bank (the Murrough) was thrown up by the action of the sea.

If the feature was on an elevated site, it just might be interesting, but it's neither.
That ground is uncompromising marshland.
Good for bird and beast - not good for man.